We have been focusing on designing the frame now that we have a working drive train. We now have a detailed to scale SketchUp model and a physical 1/2 scale model made out of wooden dowels. Through the creation of these two models we realized that some of our joints will need reinforcement, and that increasing the diameter of the bamboo will also increase the size of our joints significantly. On the wooden model we used string and Elmer’s glue to simulate the twin and epoxy that we will use on the bike joints. Joints are one of our main concerns regarding the frame, because of the stress that the rider’s weight, and the stress of the motor, which will put a lot of stress on these joints. One possible upgrade to our frame that we are considering is to add two polls that connect from the front of the frame to the back fork. This should relieve some of the stress on both the joints and the other bamboo polls. We are almost done ordering or bamboo, and after that we should have almost all of the parts we need. We have a lot of used bike scraps that we will use for some of the bike parts that we can not make out of scratch.

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