IsoBike is going places

The bike was taken to the International Bike Show in Las Vegas last October and, though not technically a part of the show, drew the attention of several companies.

To test its durability and marketing feasibility, IsoBike was sent to Specialized Co., an industry leader in the bike business, to test in its California laboratories. After being subjected to tests that are used in the development of its own bikes, Specialized reported that IsoBike performed very well.

In addition to its unique look, IsoBike is lightweight, weighing 3 pounds, a number Evans hopes to see decrease soon.

"We're confident the next one will be less than 3 pounds," he said. "That's a big deal in the cycling world."

For quite a while, being a big deal is what stood in the way of achieving the goal of making a bike frame using IsoTruss technology. Because IsoTruss had only been used in large structures, using the technology on a much smaller scale was the group's biggest challenge.

"The team's goal was to shrink the IsoTruss structure, which has been proven to work well for large-scale applications, from between 5 to 18 inches to about 1 inch in diameter," Jensen said. "Everybody involved has done a great job of accomplishing just that."

Just where IsoBike technology is headed is undecided right now. Several undisclosed bike companies have expressed interest in the bike. The possibility of starting an IsoBike company has also been discussed. Ultimately, the BYU technology transfer department will decide IsoBike's future. Several private investors have also expressed interest in IsoBike.

There is an important difference between mountain bikes and road bikes. Mountain bikes require a much firmer frame in order to endure the rigors of mountain biking while road bikes require less firmness and bulk. Because of this, mountain bikes are naturally heavier than are their road bike counterparts.

Currently, there are only two bike frames on the market that weigh less than 3 pounds. These lightweight models, however, carry a rider weight limit of less than 150 pounds and lack the rigidity needed for long-term mountain biking. Evans is confident that IsoBike will be free of these restrictions. Most lightweight mountain biking frames, however, weigh in between 2.8 and 3.5 pounds and run as high as 5 pounds.

IsoBike isn't cheap, either. In fact, the engineers are working on that. Traditionally, a lightweight bike means a weighty price, in the neighborhood of $5,000 or more. By simplifying the production process, the group hopes to make the IsoBike more reasonably priced, an accomplishment that would make Karl von Drais proud.

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E-mail: kmartinez@desnews.com