Project Information
- Date: June 2020
- Class: ME 426 - Mechanical Vibrations
Mechanical Vibrations Class Project
Since middle school, I have spent much of my spare time mountain biking. While I love being outdoors, going fast, and getting that adrenaline rush, one of the parts of mountain biking that is intriguing to me is the use of engineering to solve the unique challenges mountain biking presents. One of the pieces of technology in mountain biking that is continuously being studied and updated is the suspension system; increasing comfort, traction, adjustability, and capability while decreasing weight. These suspension systems need to handle a wide range of situations from small bumps to large impacts at a wide range of speeds.
In this project, I analyzed the suspension system of my bike to determine the optimal damping coefficient by comparing the suspension response when going over a series of small bumps and when experiencing a single large impact. The optimal response would be where most of the suspension travel is used, there is minimal 'kick' as the suspension returns to normal, and the suspension doesn't oscillate significantly.