Further study on a short wheel base recumbent bike frame using simulated finite element analysis

Bicycle development as a mode of urban transport by considering the ergonomic and health aspects have been developed since 2011 by the Department of Industrial Engineering, Sebelas Maret University. Based on the result, we get that the Short Wheel Base Recumbent Bike selected as the best concept for an urban condition. Then the prototype was made. The results of the prototype, it was discovered that the bike has a high weight because of the structure of a frame that made from steel with a large size and thick material. We still use steel as the frame material because it has a low price, highly manufacture ability, high formability more than other materials and highly recomended for the material of the bike in the urban area. Because of these problem, the research has continued to get the standard tube using simulated finite element analysis (FEA) which eventually resulted the best tube geometry for SWB Recumbent Bike is rectangular steel tube 30 × 60 mm with the material wall thickness is 1.3 mm. But the results are not optimal because the size of the dropout on the main frame is not calculated. So we need more research to find the size of the main frame by calculating the size of dropout. This study aims to determine did use the size of underneath (25 × 50 mm) and with reduce the size of dropouts remain capable and safe in use for SWB recumbent bike frame material. This research same as before, use Autodesk Inventor to Simulation Finite Element Analysis. As the result, rectangular steel tube 25 × 50 mm with the reduction of the dropout still capable and safe in use for SWB Recumbent Bicycle.