So it goes

I’ve been working on an idea for a new bicycle safety device for the past three months. Today was the first road test. We hacked the proto-prototype together from pieces we had lying around the flat and from bits I bought at the charity shop. After some debate about the scarcity of handlebar real estate, Phil wedged the beast next to my bell and secured it with a bungee cord.

The effect was awesome.

I rode the bike up and down the street while Phil and Alan (our third musketeer) took notes on how far the sound traveled, how directional it was, and how many passers-by took notice. The good news: my bike was audible from a great distance and the sound itself was brilliant. Bright, informative and—dare I say?—pleasant. It fit right in to the sound landscape of the street.

The great news: we learned a lot about the potential final form of the product today. Even though this was an extremely low-tech exercise, we saw what definitely worked, and where we’re going to have to go back to the drawing board. Onwards and upwards to Device 2.0!

My father would have been 62 years old today. They just got fresh snow in Anchorage, so I bet he’d be snapping into his bindings and heading out for a wilderness trek on his cross-country skis. I wish I could join you.

Three cheers for all things dad!

I just received the email inviting me to pitch in the finals of the SIE New Ideas Competition. The big prize is £1500 in cash and business funding–basically, enough to go out and celebrate with the team, then build some serious prototypes, lay some money on the patenting process, do market testing, and start making sales. And that’s all you need, right?

There’s stiff competition. Two of my colleagues will also be pitching, and I know them to be excellent speakers, thinkers and people. Still, I’m playing to win. I think you have to.

So far, just going through the application process for this competition has forced me to get down and dirty with bicycle safety facts and figures and the business of business. I’ve waded through reams of statistics and testimonials. I’ve picked up the phone and called my competitors, potential distributors, end customers, and other stakeholders. And I’ve pitched the basics (not the patentable secrets!) to anyone who will listen.

As always, I’m worried that this is just a pipe dream. If it’s such a great idea, why hasn’t anyone else done it already? That’s the fear. On the other hand, I know that new things are invented every day. Maybe someone DID already think of this idea, but they didn’t have the time, technology or resources to pursue it.

For now, I still do. So beware, national finals: I’m coming for you!

Today I went into the field to observe cyclists in action. My five-year old Kodak is not the hippest of cameras, and I’m not the most accomplished photographer, but together, we managed to get a few shots of the landscape. continue reading »

I HAD THREE FIRSTS TODAY:

1. I broke my 5k running record. Current time: 26:20.

1. I ran 6k in one go. Current time: 32:45.

1. I scripted the first draft of my 20 second pitch for Saturday’s competition. This will be the first formal business pitch for my cycling product. I’m eager for the experience, and the feedback.

I’m a little nervous, but the good news is that with two days to go and only 20 seconds of pitch to practice, I can rehearse at least another 8640 times.

Update (7 Feb 2010, 12:41): The pitch took place at approximately 16:06:40 in Glasgow yesterday. Fourty-odd students competed. I didn’t win the money, but I did take second place. It was a great experience, with some room for improvement. I’m still aiming for the national finals.

Earlier this week, my friend Russell was run over by a woman driving an SUV. He was cycling down a road in Washington, D.C. She was a doctor, trying to leave Georgetown Hospital. She didn’t see him. Russell was knocked from his bicycle, and she drove over his left leg.

Before we go any further, I should tell you: Russell’s fine. One-hundred percent intact. That’s the first problem with running him over. I cracked my humerous and underwent surgery after slowly running my bike into a curb. Russell was struck by a car, and then run over, and it didn’t leave a mark. That’s not exactly fair.

The second problem is that Russell now thinks he’s invincible, and that’s a bad attitude for a cyclist to have. Fortunately, there’s some physics we can draw on to explain what really happened that night.

The car ran over Russell’s femur, the strongest bone in the body. The internet suggests a femur can withstand up to 600 lbs of vertical pressure. Russell is a young man who doesn’t suffer any particular bone abnormalities, and we know he rides his bike. So we can assume that his femur is of at least average strength.

A small SUV might weigh an imperial ton, or 2000 lbs. Divide that into the weight supported by each tire (500 lbs), and you find that a small SUV would have trouble breaking Russell’s leg.

However, a large SUV could weigh as much as four tons, or 8000 lbs. It could do some serious damage. That’s where the suspension comes in. If only one tire rolls over the leg, the wheel will simply compress the suspension on that side, and distribute the extra weight of the car to the other tires.

Just how far can the suspension be compressed? A PT Cruiser has an 8.5″ suspension traveling distance. That’s certainly higher than the height of Russell’s squashed leg. The suspension on a Land Rover can travel a respectable 7″. In short, without even considering the supporting role of the ground under Russell’s leg, we’ve determined his limb was already likely to survive the accident intact.

Unfortunately, just like for every other great feat ever performed, a simple physics explanation lies just behind the magic. I’m just glad the physics worked, and I didn’t have to write a eulogy instead.

Two electrifying programmes came across the airwaves this week. (Or in my case, wobbled through the air via the wireless router. Another blow for alien enthusiast Frank Drake.)

The first was President Obama’s appearance at the Republican Party’s retreat in Baltimore. In an hour-long broadcast, he responded to questions from GOP representatives. It was intense, entertaining and enlightening.

Republicans said that the Democrats were aggressively controlling all business in the legislature, and limiting their access to the president. Obama told Republicans that they had painted themselves into a political corner by consistently condemning Democratic proposals. For the politically inclined, it was phenomenal entertainment.

The week was also the final match of the Australian Open: Federer vs. Murray. Federer is a tennis god: sleek, cool, colour-coordinated and majestic on court. When he wants to challenge a call, he simply waves his racket nonchalantly toward the ref.

Murray is a British hero–the country’s only chance at a serious tennis victory in nearly a century. Unfortunately, he’s also young, gawky, and has the reputation of being downright dour. Though I have an ingrained desire to support underdogs, even I couldn’t root too hard for Murray.

Television is typically full of so much rubbish that I gave my set away. This week, I wished for it back! I know that not every programme can be about a world championship sports game or cover a historically significant debate, but is there any reason for shows like “Britains Missing Top Model”? Or “Bridezilla”? I’ll never race home to watch that crap, and I’ll never set my Tivo to record it. Why is it so hard to find compelling content on TV when the web does so well?

In the past week, more than 60 frequent cyclists participated in my survey about commuter safety. Here’s a summary of their responses. (If you ride a bike and would like to add your own input, you can still access the survey here.)

• 91% of respondents reported wearing a helmet.
• 91% said they use lights.
• 32% reported using reflective gear.
• 51% reported having at least one accident or near miss while riding on city roads.
• 27% explicitly referenced multiple incidents or close calls.

The respondents were also clearly impassioned by the subject of road safety, and were generous with their free responses. Here is a selection of representative comments:

“Have actually clipped a pedestrian who stepped out in front of me from behind a parked car. Couldn’t swerve because I would have gone straight into oncoming traffic.”

“Too many incidents to count. Most common is pedestrians stepping out on to the road without looking, right in front of you, and cars pulling out of junctions without noticing you. Parked cars opening doors right in front of you is fairly common as well.”

“I have been hit by three cars when riding. In every case it was the fault of the driver, who didn’t see me when they pulled out of a junction or from parked. All these incidents happened in daylight.”

“Never had a proper accident, but many near misses due to drivers not seeing me until the last second.”

Quick and dirty analysis: Many respondents were confident in their ability to anticipate and avoid most accidents, but still considered commuter riding to be dangerous. Despite widespread use of safety equipment, participants still thought drivers and pedestrians were frequently unaware of their presence. As a result, many respondents had experienced accidents of varying severity, which frequently resulted in damage or injury.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey so far. Your thoughtful responses are a tremendous help as I continue to develop my new product. Special thanks to the Edinburgh University Cycling Club for their emphatic participation. There’s a clear opportunity to make commuting safer for all road users. I’m going to give it my best shot.

This week has been all about momentum. With my first business pitch in two weeks, I’ve been steadily developing the case for my new bicycle safety device.

Progress so far:

1. Coined a new name. “Whirlybird” was never going to cut it. A first pass search reveals no competition with the same moniker.

2. Collected feedback from more than 60 regular cyclists about road dangers. They love to talk about near-death experiences. Absolutely the easiest survey I’ve ever administered.

3. Spoke to researchers at the University about physical requirements for the product, and the practicality of the idea. They flagged several areas for further research, but also gave me some real scientific meat for the pitch.

4. Researched road casualty statistics. Lots of recent articles have highlighted cyclist injury and death rates, but the most alarming figures come straight from the National Statistics Office.

5. Spoke to a representative from the National Guide Dogs Association for the Blind. Who knew they were concerned with bicycle safety issues? They’re publishing research on this subject in the next few weeks. Put a note in your diaries! This one’s going to be a page-turner.

6. Brought on another team member to focus on tech. We had a meeting this morning over bad instant coffee.

Next steps: Buy a new filter for the cafetiere. Build a specific story for the pitch. Solidify market figures. Finish physics degree.

After several minutes of concentrated thought and effort, I have invented a new product (at least in my head). The judges in the University of Edinburgh’s Business Idea Competition thought it might have legs, so I am now committed to pitching the project to a panel of judges in early February. The competition will be stiff, and there’s a whopping £250 on the line.

“Amazing!” you’re thinking. “If only I could help!”

Good news: you can. The following link will take you to a survey I built to do preliminary market research: click here to take survey. If you are any kind of cyclist, please take five minutes to answer the survey. Your participation is invaluable. Literally.

If you’re not a cyclist, but happen to be a product designer, I have a proposition for you. It involves designing a new product that may eliminate all hate in the world by 2015. (At the very least, it will prevent several unnecessary accidents.)

If you’re neither a cyclist nor a product designer, but you still want to help, I also have a job for you. But you might have to give me a few more hints about your skills.

Many thanks!

Your pal 4 ever,

Hilary