04

I haven't been very diligent about posting my thoughts relating to my project, but I will so do from here on!

This post is going to be about my reference list. Although it is not yet very long, I hope to make some notes here about the books/articles I read and videos I see so that I have a small amount of theory on record.

1. Design as Art: Bruno Munari

Although it was written in the 60s and therefore could be considered dated I found this book immensley useful in 'releasing my creativity' so to speak. Having done me undergraduate degree in a mechanical engineering department we were instructed to have fully realised ideas about function, material processes etc. perhaps before the actual form of it. I therefore fell into a very functional rut, and Munari talks about his 'useless machines' which he had designed purely for the sake of it, because they looked a certain way or made him feel a certain way, despite being useless.

2. It's All About the Bike: Robert Penn

This is a book that I had read before starting this project, but I revisited it partly because it's a good read,  but mainly to give myself a refresher on the history of the bicycle (velocipede etc.) and some of the key players in bicycle component manufacturing. The thing that struck me the most after reading this book, though, was that the bicycle hasn't changed its basic form (by this I mean the frame) in over 100 years, the same cannot be true for many products, especially ones which are so highly mechanical as a bicycle.

3. If She Can Do It: Mark Brent and Kat Sweet (video on Pinkbike)

Admittedly the first thing that watching this made me want to do was get on my bike and do some jumps it also reinforced my feelings about the market of women's mountain biking and how many opportunities there are for design, and customers to use these designs.

03

I've had two responses to my email; from Georgia Gould and Manon Carpenter. I'll summarise the points they made below.

BIKES
> No need to necessarily alter geometry
> Possibly lighter bikes/parts for women who might not handle the bike with the same force as men
> More feminine graphics so the bikes don't look as aggressive

COMPONENTS
> Women's specific saddles make a big difference (XC)
> Narrower diameter grips
> Adapted brake levers for smaller hands/longer fingers

CLOTHING
> Chamois in shorts
> More feminine options would be welcome and may encourage more women to take part

Manon pointed out that there may be more room for this type of project in the downhill market, as there are more cross-country participants (like myself), although there is definitely an emerging customer base, from looking at bike parks in places like Whistler.

Both Georgia and Manon agreed with me that the reason there isn't more available is the lack of female participants, and with more there will be a greater range of products available. I like looking at the situation from this perspective, as really appealing products have the potential to make a big difference.

02

I have decided to contact some female professional mountain bikers - both XC and DH to see if they could share their insight at this stage in the project, which might give me an idea of a direction to head in.



"Dear XXXX, 

My name is Hannah Myers; I'm a postgraduate product design student at Nottingham Trent University. I'm writing to you because I'm planning on doing my masters research and design project about women's design in mountain biking - both in bikes and accessories/clothing.

Through the initial research that I have done, and my existing knowledge, I have come to an understanding that, while there are ranges specifically designed for women, there are not many, especially when it comes to higher-end products. And even at that level options are limited. At this stage i do not know whether this is because there is not a need for gender-biased products, or because the market segment is relatively small it is unprofitable, or another reason entirely!

I thought the best way to discover is there is a need or not would simply be to ask! This is my reason for writing. I was wondering whether you might be able to offer your opinions on the subject to inform the beginning of my project; whether there are any products that you think a female approach would be welcome? From a performance, comfort or purely aesthetic perspective. And in what whys are the current products on the market potentially unsuitable?

I really appreciate the time you've taken to read this, and am very keen to hear from you.

Kind regards,

Hannah"


Will wait to hear back!

01

So, I have now started an MA in Product Design at Nottingham Trent University. This space is going to be the timeline for my thoughts, research and decisions during my major design project this year.

Setting the scene: I completed my undergraduate degree, also in Product Design but at the university of Leeds, a year ago in June 2011. My major project was nothing to do with bikes; in fact it was under the umbrella of 'medical robotics', a support system for those suffering with OCD and other anxiety disorders in between seeking help from a GP and starting therapy. After finishing my degree I worked at a local bike shop in the year until now, with the ultimate goal of getting women more involved with cycling as well as general customer service, visual merchandising etc. Through working at the shop I have been able to experience different types of cycling, and the one that really resonated with me was mountain biking - of which I previously had little experience (of course, it helped that my mountain biking was able to start using a lovely Trek Lush S full-suspension demo bike!).

I have noticed, since my mountain biking revelation, that although there are many female-specific products available on the market they are not as technologically advanced as those available for road biking, and seem to be somewhat superficial. Furthermore, at the high-end, racing level, there is very little available to female riders. Being very feminine myself, I would relish the opportunity to not only have products that are female from a fit and performance point of view, but also that look pretty! I can appreciate that not everyone wants a flowery pink bicycle with matching helmet, but there must be a market for something in between that and what is available as a 'unisex' option. Also, these women are tough - I am by no means aggressive or even very good at mountain biking and I regularly stab myself in the shins with my pedals, this is not the worst of it. Every bone may have been broken and they will still get right back on that bike, they need products that is every bit as strong in both design and aesthetics.

My naive aim for this year is therefore:

To design products that will inspire women to try mountain biking

(Yes, this is vague, but it gives me room to change it!)