WPI's Experiential Approach to Learning
The WPI Projects Program

New Suspension Wins Raves -- and Awards

Jon Fairbanks and his project team know there are a lot of bumps in life-but you'll hardly notice them when you're riding on their new mountain bike. The bicycle, designed last year by undergraduates Fairbanks, Chris Lambert, Keith Levesque and Matt Morin as their Major Qualifying Project, employs a novel rear suspension that has gotten rave reviews from riders and is on the way to being patented. The suspension, a breakthrough in mountain bike design, is based on an original mechanism that is separated from the drive train. The result is a bike that's easier to pedal and gentler on the rider.

The project team fine-tuned the design on the computer and machined the components for a prototype. They confirmed the accuracy of their calculations through test rides on nearby roads, curbs and steps. They've applied for a patent on the design; if they receive it, they plan to license their new suspension to a bicycle manufacturer. The retail price of their bike is expected to be between $2,500 and $3,000.

The students' work has received several honors, including a bronze medal in the national James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation awards program. It's also an excellent illustration of how WPI's project-based curriculum helps students develop ways of approaching and solving problems that enable them make a real difference even before they set out to make their way in the world.

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