The following is an email to the directors of the Carnegie Science Center. (This was my post in the now-deleted
http://localhost/mb/topic/carnegie-science-centerbike-science-on-two-wheelsa-must-see/ thread).
PS: if you haven't seen it, I recommend the exhibit, just to see the historic bikes.
Begin forwarded message:
From: Paul Heckbert
Subject: bicycle exhibits - suggestions
Date: 2013/06/18 10:00:42 AM EDT
To: Gina Grubb
Cc: Paul Heckbert
Dear Ron Baillie and Ann Metzger:
I'm a father of two, a computer scientist, and a cyclist.
I visited the Carnegie Science Center on Sunday with my son (a mechanical engineering undergraduate) to see the "Science on Two Wheels" exhibit.
I enjoyed it, but I expected more; the exhibit did not contain much science, it lacked depth, and was mostly "do not touch". The old bicycles from the Bicycle Museum of America were very interesting to look at, but the descriptions weren't as detailed as I hoped for. Much of the space was used for display of decorative bicycles from Bicycle Heaven (sting rays, Elvis bicycles, Pee Wee Herman bicycles, etc) which would be perfect for a museum of culture or design, but there's little science there. The visual design aspects of these bicycles took up space that could have been used to present science.
There's a lot of room for improvement. Here are some suggestions for better bicycle science exhibits in the future. The following would add science, would make an exhibit more interesting to adult cyclists, and would also make it more appealing to kids, who want to touch and interact. Some of these could work well in Sports Works.
a functioning front and rear derailleur that everyone can crank and experiment with
demonstration of a worn chain or cassette and why it causes the chain to skip
functioning brakes (drum, caliper, V, cantilever, disk) that everyone can touch and experiment with
a recumbent bike or trike that people could sit in and get a feel for
bicycle trainer for people to try
discussion of gear ratios
(why track bikes have just one gear, why mountain bikes have different gear ranges from road bikes)
bicycles and women's lib: how the high wheel bicycle was mostly for men yet the safety bicycle allowed women to get about and be more independent
mainstream bicycle designs from mid-20th century US, or modern Europe, or modern China;
i.e. a Raleigh 3-speed, a Dutch cruiser bike, a Chinese single speed bike with coaster brake
(these designs represent probably 95% of the bikes in the world, but they were not part of your exhibit!)
explanation of mountain bike suspensions
why some fixies lack brakes
Which tires are best: high pressure or low, narrow or fat, knobby or smooth? 20mm or 40mm?
Are the thin tires favored by bike racers good for casual weekend cyclists in Pittsburgh?
Why is thin and hard slower than wide and soft on rough surfaces?
Let people see, hear, and feel the differences in rolling resistance, shock absorption, noise, traction, …
There's a lot here and it's a perfect use of a science museum to educate the public about an issue of everyday importance -- which bike tire meets my needs -- that a bike salesman is not necessarily going to present in an unbiased manner.
discussion of rider posture, weight distribution
saddle design, pelvic bones, pressure on the perineum, gender differences, genital numbness, noseless saddles, split saddles
videos of interesting bike designs, e.g.
Starley Rover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LpNydrImA4
rowing bicycle
http://rowingbike.com/site/EN/Home/Rowingbike-Videos/
swingbike
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5P70XtI4zQ
amphibious bicycle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgSajTZkR1E
bicycling robot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT3vfSQePcs
recent research shows that gyroscopic effects are not the explanation for bicycle stability
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84Wczsi4vHg
standard pedals, toe clips, and clipless pedals
helmets - what do they do in an accident?
car-bike collisions: how much kinetic energy does a car have, compared to a person?
bicycle accidents, why broken collarbones are common among racers
samples of broken bicycles: broken fork, broken chain, cracked rim, broken spoke, tacoed wheel
aerodynamics of the peloton, drafting. how much does aerodynamics matter as a function of speed? why drafting is insignificant at 10mph
There is a lot of potential here and your current bicycle exhibit only scratches the surface. There are many resources in Pittsburgh, between Bike Pittsburgh (see
http://localhost/mb/), PTAG, WPW, bike shops, engineering schools, robotics companies, and bicycle magazines (Bicycle Times, Dirt Rag, Urban Velo) that could help you put together better bicycle exhibits in the future. I suggest you work with them to pursue that. Feel free to give me a call, also.
-Paul
