Title: An efficient optimum design procedure for bicycle rear derailleurs

Authors: Y.C. Hou, S.H. Su, C.H. Tseng, Z.H. Fong

Addresses: Graduate Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan 30050, Republic of China. ' Graduate Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan 30050, Republic of China. ' Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan 30050, Republic of China. ' Deputy Manager of Gear Technology Department, Mechanical Industry Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Chutung, Taiwan, Republic of China

Abstract: The rear derailleur on a multi-speed bicycle guides the running chain rapidly and precisely to a selected freewheel sprocket position without disengagement from the freewheel assembly. Therefore, the design of rear derailleurs is most important for designers. An efficient optimum design procedure for rear derailleurs is presented in this paper. Based on an established mathematical model, a series of optimum design sub-problems derived from the original optimum design problem are formulated and solved to meet all design requirements. The advantage of dividing the original design problem into several sub-problems is that it makes the upper/lower bounds of design variables in each sub-problem easier to determine. This reduces the trial-and-error efforts during iterative searching for optimum solutions. Thus, the design procedure becomes more rapid and efficient. It is worth emphasizing that the design procedure proposed herein is applicable to most known types of rear derailleurs.

Keywords: bicycles; bicycle gears; optimisation; rear derailleurs; optimal design; derailleur gears; gear design; mathematical modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.1996.061973

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1996 Vol.17 No.4, pp.483 - 503

Published online: 28 May 2014 *

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