Reality Redesigned: Submissions Now Open
Pinkbike and The Edge Factor are now accepting submissions for Reality Redesigned. R2 is what happens when the biggest names in North American manufacturing, design and engineering throw open the doors and allow both mountain bikers and designers alike to have at it. Have no doubt, this is full access to a full on mountain bike design competition with legitimate resources, and up to $40,000 in prizes.
Reality Redesigned is a whole new concept - a design contest with a reality show twist. Students and bike enthusiasts from Canada and the U.S. will be invited to submit designs into one of 3 design categories. The submissions will be analysed and professionally critiqued by industry experts. Jeremy Bout, host and producer of the highly acclaimed Edge Factor show, will take us coast to coast introducing the Judges. Here are the first 2 episodes:
Once all the submissions are in and screened, Reality Redesigned will track the top drawings via the leader board, as the judges critique them. An ever-present POV camera will capture the process from beginning to end, providing a unique opportunity to watch the idea go from drawing board to finished product. Teaming up with Pinkbike, The Edge Factor team presents 3 design categories:
DESIGN CATEGORIES
1. FRAME
2. SUSPENSION
3. COMPONENTS
Have a design problem? We're looking for any and all bike related design issues that fall into one of those 3 categories. Contestants will pick one and submit their design idea in that category. The submissions will be taken through a rigorous screening process. The better the idea, the clearer the presentation, the more points it will get. The more points you get, the better your chances will be that you will make the top spot on the leader board.
CHECK OUT THE SUBMISSIONS PAGE
When the dust settles, after all submissions are in and all the prints have been screened...we will then see who is at the top. Top 3 in each of the categories will make up the 'Final Nine' in March 2012. The general public audience will be able to vote on their favorite designs and the submission that stays on the leader board with the most 'yes' votes when the vote closes in April, will win a pimped out, hand built Intense.
Submissions for the contest will close at the end of February and then the real fun begins. Judges will work through these nine submissions, assigning point values to each of the finalists. This is an amazing opportunity for students and aspiring designers to have their designs and ideas looked at by some of the top minds in the industry, and ridden by some of the best riders in the world. Reality Redesigned promises to be a contest filled with key insights into the amazing world of design, engineering and manufacturing.
IDEAS
We got the guys from Straitline Components, Intense Cycles, and Cane Creek Cycling Components and MTB rider, Mike Montgomery to weigh in on some things they'd like to see design solutions for. Josh Coaplen from Cane Creek has a few example suspension ideas he'd love to see sorted:
WATCH THE IDEA VIDEOS HERE
PATENTS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
This has been a hotly contested debate, quite evident in the feedback from the PB community regarding Reality Redesigned. In response, we have put together a very thorough overview on patents, hopefully bringing designers and the public alike some insight. In the first of four information videos, patent lawyer Andrew Lahser talks about:
1. What a patent does.
2. What public disclosure means.
3. The costs associated with patents.
4. Why Reality Redesigned may be an option for you.
WATCH ALL FOUR PATENT VIDEOS
SUPPORT
Contact Matt Ormel at EdgeFactor.com for a kit containing a poster and information about EdgeFactor and this contest. Matt is ready to answer questions and offer any support that might help you get started. You can also like EdgeFactor on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. Good luck!
GO TO THE REALITY REDESIGNED CONTEST PAGE ON PINKBIKE
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES
Reality Redesigned is a whole new concept - a design contest with a reality show twist. Students and bike enthusiasts from Canada and the U.S. will be invited to submit designs into one of 3 design categories. The submissions will be analysed and professionally critiqued by industry experts. Jeremy Bout, host and producer of the highly acclaimed Edge Factor show, will take us coast to coast introducing the Judges. Here are the first 2 episodes:
Once all the submissions are in and screened, Reality Redesigned will track the top drawings via the leader board, as the judges critique them. An ever-present POV camera will capture the process from beginning to end, providing a unique opportunity to watch the idea go from drawing board to finished product. Teaming up with Pinkbike, The Edge Factor team presents 3 design categories:
DESIGN CATEGORIES
1. FRAME
2. SUSPENSION
3. COMPONENTS
Have a design problem? We're looking for any and all bike related design issues that fall into one of those 3 categories. Contestants will pick one and submit their design idea in that category. The submissions will be taken through a rigorous screening process. The better the idea, the clearer the presentation, the more points it will get. The more points you get, the better your chances will be that you will make the top spot on the leader board.
CHECK OUT THE SUBMISSIONS PAGE
When the dust settles, after all submissions are in and all the prints have been screened...we will then see who is at the top. Top 3 in each of the categories will make up the 'Final Nine' in March 2012. The general public audience will be able to vote on their favorite designs and the submission that stays on the leader board with the most 'yes' votes when the vote closes in April, will win a pimped out, hand built Intense.
Submissions for the contest will close at the end of February and then the real fun begins. Judges will work through these nine submissions, assigning point values to each of the finalists. This is an amazing opportunity for students and aspiring designers to have their designs and ideas looked at by some of the top minds in the industry, and ridden by some of the best riders in the world. Reality Redesigned promises to be a contest filled with key insights into the amazing world of design, engineering and manufacturing.
IDEAS
We got the guys from Straitline Components, Intense Cycles, and Cane Creek Cycling Components and MTB rider, Mike Montgomery to weigh in on some things they'd like to see design solutions for. Josh Coaplen from Cane Creek has a few example suspension ideas he'd love to see sorted:
WATCH THE IDEA VIDEOS HERE
PATENTS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
This has been a hotly contested debate, quite evident in the feedback from the PB community regarding Reality Redesigned. In response, we have put together a very thorough overview on patents, hopefully bringing designers and the public alike some insight. In the first of four information videos, patent lawyer Andrew Lahser talks about:
1. What a patent does.
2. What public disclosure means.
3. The costs associated with patents.
4. Why Reality Redesigned may be an option for you.
WATCH ALL FOUR PATENT VIDEOS
SUPPORT
Contact Matt Ormel at EdgeFactor.com for a kit containing a poster and information about EdgeFactor and this contest. Matt is ready to answer questions and offer any support that might help you get started. You can also like EdgeFactor on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. Good luck!
GO TO THE REALITY REDESIGNED CONTEST PAGE ON PINKBIKE
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES
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If anyone wants to propose a front mech the doubles as an Idler to overcome the chainring vs ideal suspension centre that I proposed initially as a simple but effective idea feel free :o)
I have a year to get working on my designs.
(although by then I won't be a full time student so probs won't be eligable to enter, balls
For me something to eliminate derailleurs. Internal gear box that matches the weight of current drivetrains.
You're preaching to an empty space dude.
And, my bad. I thought he was asking for th solution so to speak.
Thank you EdgeFactor, you`re the factor!
It would be good to have more headset options as well ....we counted different bb crank interfaces while ago it was like 37
Not including bmx... Jk innovation is good
I understand that a tonne of work goes into all components (at least I'd hope so), but some would be a lot easier do design than a set of suspension forks for example.
The competition is only open to students, so the chances are that they will have access to software and/or machinery at their colleges/universities that will let the prototype and develop their ideas to a high standard.
Example:
Q: How to remove unsprung mass from the rear, with improving reliability?
A: re-engineer the rear mech, it is not just the mech but the chain that passes through it that contributes to un-sprung mass
.Q: How to re-engineer the rear mech?
.A: Is the lower cage required if you have your tensioner up front?
..Q: How to place a front tensioner that is safe from strikes (must be on the lower side currently
..A: Reduce the size of the front chainring to make space
... the questions go on, but there is a solution (and you must use a chain as it is the most efficient solution).
age or older and enrolled and attending, as a full-time student at any accredited school college
or university in the United States or Canada."
Guess I'm out! That's OK - I wish the best of luck to all those aspiring creative engineering minds out there!
Deep down inside I can't help feeling like this is really about someone making money off someone elses ideas.
Aside from that .... just what the world needs another headset standard - and new frames all round yay!!! I'm sure Shimano would be delighted.
Other thing i thought would be clincher bolts either end of the head tube (like the Commencal Supreme - minus the headtube adjust) so you could just slot the headset in like a seatpost with a little grease and then tighten it up - away you go....
Anyone feel free to use... if these ideas are not totally shiznax.
You can have way better alignment with press fit items versus threaded. Appart from that, making a precice thread is REALLY expensive and pretty difficult to do. Not saying it's impossible, but it is very challenging (especially for an internal thread). It's more convenient to make a precice diameter hole for press fit.
p.s. threaded headsets do exist, on 50 pound bikes sold at asda.
Also, as I said I wasn't referring to classic threaded headsets in my post.
Cheers for your response.
It's like when I read some of the nutrition/training posts on here... I'm paying thousands of dollars to learn this at uni and get some letters behind my name. Some of the info posted on here is dumbed down or questionable (in the sense that the research evidence can go either way, it's not clear cut like the article makes it out to be) BUT I try to keep in mind that people are interested and it may give them a base to learn on or more respect for my field. Not trying to call you out, man... but the "barf" comment was a little bitchy.
If you really want to show ppl how it's done then enter a design!
Can a bicycle be much more complicated than it is these days? What chance there is with (i repeat) a stupid bicycle that something has been overlooked through all those years and millions spent? - such a big action has to be well thought out, if you can figure out how to arrange it, you can figure out those two things.
Is it just me seeing that whole thing beeing at least a bit suspicious? I smell bullsht... like business new ways of advertising and fishing clients, instead of new design solutions for riders. I would like to be positive as it sounds as a great idea, but when very flashy videos come along, it is quite common that bllsht is on the way...
In my experience, engineers out there have moved the sport forward significantly with innovation and refinement. It's the marketing departments that produce the "bllsht".
This is a great opportunity using some awesome motivation in terms of prizes for young engineering minds to think up and express their ideas. (And chances are guys, if you can't be bothered to read the contest rules and understand the concept, then this contest is not for you.) There are some very cool guys from industry doing the judging - who wouldn't want to be involved with these guys and have them look over your ideas?
I didn't watch all the patent videos, but from the sounds of what has been posted before, any ideas will be protected, so I don't think the motivation behind this is to rape everyone of their ideas. But I'm sure they are hoping for some new, innovative ideas to emerge that maybe no one has yet thought of - and certainly credit will be given where credit is due.
I think it's great that Pinkbike and the sponsors like Intense and Straightline are putting online media to good use like this! Anything that inspires innovation in the areas of engineering and science is good in my book!