Bioinspiration
Reinventing the wheelamplifies in mechanical form the energy we put into both.
‘The bike itself harnesses the human body’s evolution for
weighted knee and hip extension by using crank arms and
pedals, a fact often missed,’ he says.
Disley is also at the forefront of cycling innovation.
‘Aerodynamics is such a crucial factor in cycling speed
because, at normal riding speeds on the flat, and
especially at racing speeds, it’s the biggest opposing
force to forward motion.’ To that end, he is working with
the clothing company Nopinz on a skinsuit inspired by
sharks. ‘It’s long been known that the denticles [small
tooth-like scales] in sharkskin have the ability to reduce
hydrodynamic drag at particular speeds, and roughened,
surface-shaped fabrics can be used to similar effect in
airflow,’ he says. ‘We are in the process of designing a
new fabric based on these principles. Special panels of
fabric can be used on different parts of a cyclist’s gear
to reduce overall aerodynamic drag.’
But Disley is not only inspired by the properties of animals.
He is looking at bamboo – which many consider to be a super
material and the timber of the 21st century – as a potential
bike frame material. It’s an age-old
idea, with bamboo bikes patented
in England by the Bamboo Cycling
Company in 1894. And it’s one that others
are also promoting, among them James
Marr, founder of the London-based
Bamboo Bicycle Club.
‘Like timber, bamboo naturally absorbs
vibration, which is very useful on a bicycle
as it provides a smooth and comfortable
ride, more so than any other material,’
explains Marr. ‘This makes it great for
people who suffer from joint strain, plus
you can create unique frames that are
customised to suit your body shape and
needs.’ What’s more, as it’s the world’s
fastest-growing plant – maturing
within five years – bamboo rates highly
for sustainability, making it a perfect
alternative to steel-fabricated bikes.
The Bamboo Bicycle Club has been very
successful to date, teaching 1,500 people
how to build their own bamboo bicycles,
typically using two of the most common
species of bamboo – moso or tonkin.
The club is also currently working with
the Eden Project to source the material
locally. ‘We handpick our bamboo,’Biologist Dr Frank Fish was the
first to consider the hydrodynamic
benefit of the tubercles on the
flipper of a humpback whale
in the early 2000s.
He says that ‘tubercle
technology’ translates best
to wing-like objects where
there is a defined tip.
Humpback whales have
inspired new aerodynamic
designs for fans, surfboard fins,
swim fins, fighter jets, helicopter
rotor blades, racing-car spoilers,
submarines and wind turbines.
Did you
know?
Above: prototype
skinsuits from sports
manufacturer Nopinz are
modelled on the scales
found on sharkskin
(below), which reduce
drag, allowing the wearer
to reach greater speeds‘The beauty of biomimicry
is that nature has solved
a lot of complex problems’