Vika
Team Project
April - May 2023
Lund University
Brief: Generate and evaluate a concept for a novel foldable product. Create a prototype, showcasing its functionality featuring user testing and outlining the costs associated with materials and production.
Vika ("fold" in Swedish) is a concept for a novel foldable bike basket designed for active commuters and individuals relying on bikes as their primary mode of transportation for work, university, or shopping. Vika revolutionizes the biking experience by offering users a versatile storage solution for bags, groceries, and tools. Its design allows effortless portability, transforming it into a convenient shopping unit with an integrated strap. Vika is designed with a collapsible feature making it easy for users to fold the basket into a compact flat-pack version that securely attaches to your bike when not in use, ensuring space-saving convenience. My role in this project was to design CAD models for the bike basket's mounting mechanism, calculate the telescopic folding mechanism, and create the final prototype, focusing on the textile components.
In Lund, a city in the southern Swedish Skåne region, bicycles are the preferred mode of transportation for 60% of its residents. This commitment to cycling is a longstanding tradition, mirroring the evolution of cycling infrastructure and public transit in nearby Copenhagen.
Our decision to conceptualise a foldable bicycle bag stems from the need for improvement in existing designs - many tend to be bulky, challenging to attach securely to bike frames, and disrupt aerodynamics when carrying heavy loads.
After considering options like silicone, wire, and wooden crates, we settled on a design featuring a durable structure with waxed waterproof fabric for the body, a wooden base, and an attachable top.
The basket measures 350 x 320 x 230 mm, accommodating the standard size of bags and groceries for up to two people. It easily fits a standard bag or backpack.
In CAD, we explored attachment options to the bike frame, opting for a detachable steel rod mechanism. We also determined the mechanics and spacing of the inner steel wire construction and explored methods to embed the wire within the textile.
The final concept features an adjustable textile strap for the handles, an inner pocket for personal items storage, and a waterproof cap for added protection.
User testing involved a standard city bike and a student carrying a 3/4 kg Vika bag filled with groceries. Vika features a waterproof waxed textile outer shell, two internal metal wire rings for stability, and top and bottom wooden beech bases. With handles within the top wooden ring for easy mounting and dismounting, as well as a textile strap for carrying convenience, Vika includes safety leather straps on the base and the side for folding the basket into a flat version.
