Bike-accessory research
Dear Sir / Madam, As a fourth-year Industrial Design student in the Netherlands, I’m working on my graduation project. By answering the following questions, you can support me in the design process...
Forum Discussion
myredracer wrote:
I would have to agree that this forum isn't the right place for a survey like this. It's clearly European in origin and missing some accessories that would be used here.
Our son studied at the University of Amsterdam for a semester last year. He bought a bike similar to the photo while there to get around -these are a common travel mode there and they all look similar too. (He named his bike Joop after Joop Zoetemelk.) He is home today (rare) and I will see if he has time for your survey. He is going back to UvA this fall to get a masters & PHD degree (economics/business) and will buy another Dutch bike to get around.
Cycling in North America is an entirely different world than Europe. Bikes are a lot different than the types here and are used a lot more for recreational use than commuting. Roads are a lot different as well since they have to be shared with predominantly motor vehicles many of which are going at much higher speeds than a bike. "Mountain bikes" are a popular style here and some of the accessories would never be used. Also, I would guess that a large percentage of the users in the forum are older that use bikes more for riding in or around a campground or nearby at home, if they have bikes at all. I would suggest contacting some bicycle shops in the US and Canada. Safety accessories are common here - lighting and not on the survey, helmets (required by law in some jurisdictions (like BC)) and safety vests.
I used to bike race in the 60/70s and had a stripped down, mean/lean racing machine (still have it). I would never think of riding a bike with a bell or basket, lol. Were are thinking of getting a couple of bikes for riding around a campground but would be bare bones but good quality.
I'm very glad to see somebody take time to reply in such a manner.
I have written down your feedback. It's possible for me to filter the results per country, so I can easily compare them with each other. If the results from the US differ to much from the rest, I can separately use them to have an idea about the difference with Europe and how the US would have to be approached.
Good luck to your son!
Kind regards
