Materials, Properties and Design

Bicycle Front Forks

· An example of selecting a material for a specific use is the high performance front fork for a bicycle. The front fork transfers the load to the front hub and makes an angle to the line of action of the resultant force. The fork experiences both compressive and bending forces and must operate in the elastic range.

· It is the force normal to the fork that presents the design problem. If the wheel hits a curb or other road hazard, the fork can fail by bending. The selection criterion for this case is to find a material with the maximum value of (σ_y/ρ^3/2). Shape, fabrication method, cost, etc., can then be examined.