There's one month to go, and (like most design projects) as the overall direction is growing more defined, the production and detail work has increased exponentially. Paul whipped out a prototype test frame one afternoon so we could start integrating all the custom bits and pieces on something close to the final product. Thanks to Neil at Palo Alto Bikes, our wheels are built and rolling. Many nights have been spent tweaking the electronics algorithms, refining the mechanical interfaces, and unifying the various design details. Check out a few of the process shots below:
1.) Sketching, modeling, and hacking components at the same time.
2.) Our first test frame now hangs with a jumble of wires connecting to it as we start to build the final boards. You know cyclists love Italian parts—right down to the circuit board.
3.) Adam machines the mounts for our rear hub, wishing that building custom bikes was a little more straightforward sometimes.
4.) A glimpse of Paul's frame and the integrated controller box.
5.) Various hacked triggers and parts hang from our first test frame.
6.) Front rack prototype with integrated LEDs.
7.) The Alfine 11 speed hub's first ride on Paul's frame.
8.) Paul sent us this pic after he whipped out the prototype frame in record time.
9.) Riding around Palo Alto with a 50lb test load.
10.) Adam builds a custom 3D printed trigger.
