Cargo Bike
Cargo bike design: Malawi
A 2015 survey by the International Monetary Fund found Malawi to have the third lowest GDP of the World’s nations. Bicycles make up the primary means of transportation, but there are few new designs finding their way onto Malawian streets because of the cost. This project aimed to produce a bicycle capable of carrying a 65 kg load in addition to the rider, and come in at a cost below typical new bicycles in Malawi. The VT team developed a bicycle that cost $114 to produce without special fixturing or tooling to build the major structural components (frame and fork). The design is a dramatic improvement to the countless bicycles in use that are decades old and repaired multiple times to serve a life well beyond useful.
Papers
Click to view the following:
