A carrier of upcycled sound made from objects of leisure.
By Team Fuchsia
The Bikestrument is developed by:
Aidan Andrews, Architecture
Caroline Kremer, Architecture
Caitlin Morey, Graphic Design
Ryan Schlesinger, Graphic Design, MFA
The Exposition
Our instrument was constructed from 3 thrifted bicycles and offers various ways to play, from bowing and fretting to plucking and drumming. The bow is made from an extended bicycle handle, and is attached to a linear crank mechanism designed around the existing bike pedal. When the pedal is cranked, the bow is moved across 3 cello strings stretched across a steel beam, which creates a resonance chamber. The chamber is hooked up to a piezo microphone and an amp to create a deep melodic and ambient sound.
The Dénouement: Final Instrument Image and Video Gallery
Team members, Ryan and Aidan, perform a duet on the bikestrument. They make use of the strings’ ability to be both plucked and bowed to create a rich and unique sound.
Installation Photos
ACT 1: Sketching, Ideation, & Collection
The project began with ideation and sketching. Many of our initial sketches included bikes parts because of their various mechanical components that could be manipulated and transformed into something new. Knowing that this exhibition would be open through the summer of 2024 and that the annual RABGRAI bike ride would be passing through the community in July, we knew making an instrument out of bikes would be fitting and relevant to the locals. Our charrette in Los Angeles had already given us insight into how to turn reclaimed items into musical instruments, so we concluded bikes would be a viable option. Our goal was to work sustainably and effectively, so we used old bikes found in dumpsters and thrift stores. Here we began our quest to transform these beloved objects of leisure into an instrument of sonic intrigue.
ACT 2: Early Prototypes
The Spinning Wheel
After several rounds of ideating and sketching, we began prototyping possible configurations of possible layouts and ways of activation. The Spinning Wheel (Figure 1) is a deconstructed Mountain Bike with its back wheel shock-absorber set loose to rotate all the way back on the frame. Using this pivot point as anchors for one side of our guitar strings (Figure 3) allowed us to change the pitch of the string by pulling back on the wheel. Furthermore, the existing bearings and hardware allowed the wheel to spin freely on its axel and strike the guitar strings with its protruding, taped string-pick (Figure 2.)
Changing Gears
Building off of this prototype, we continued to brainstorm on how we could improve the point of contact with the guitar strings while also lifting the instrument into the air. Figure 4 highlights our thinking pre-weld, and shows the mechanized aesthetic we designed based off of the bike pedal. We also decided that adding a bow would give the instrument a new dimension and give us a design challenge in utilizing existing bike gears to drive its motion.
A Bikestrument Takes Form
We began welding our bike frames together to give us a solid and fixed point to branch off of. Our first Bikestrument prototype utilized a wooden fret board and wooden bow– in line with the typical form and materiality of guitars and violins. Constructing this prototype out of wood allowed us to get accurate measurements and provide a proof of concept sound-wise. We realized that the wood produced a very quiet sound, which led us to pursue a metal hollow option.
Adding a Slider-Crank Mechanism
In regards to the way the strings would be played, we looked towards to bike pedal as an interesting and symbolic way of showing how we “flipped” the bicycles completely. We researched several methods of converting the circular motion the pedal produced into linear motion that the bow could follow, and ultimately decided that a slider crank mechanism would fit best with the dimensions of the pedal. Testing the design with wood allowed us to obtain accurate measurements before we moved to metal.
ACT 3: Production Process
As we entered our production phase, we began using metals and welding much more. This kept our decisions semi-permanent, making us think critically and carefully about each step, resulting in a final design where every piece has a necessary function.
The Fret Board
To further amplify the sound of the strings and enhance material cohesion, a metal resonance chamber replaced our wooden fret board. This long steel beam allowed for ample fretting space while also allowing the sound waves put off by the strings to bounce around inside the beam before reaching a listener. The hollow beam also allowed us to drill guitar tuning pegs from underneath, keeping the strings straight and level.
After some trial and error, we realized that the short side of the metal tube did not resonate as well as the wide side. Creating a large amplified sound was a goal for the instrument, so we flipped the tube on its side and drilled new holes. The extra space allowed us to add an extra cello string, and gave the sound much more resonance and volume when played.
The Bow
In line with our original principles of utilizing the bicycle’s parts as much as possible, and drawing from some earlier sketches from the ideation phase, we reconstructed our bow out of one of our bicycle’s handlebars. We extended it by cutting them in half and welding a steel rod in the middle. To keep the bow string in place and tight, we drilled fisheye screws on the sides.
Slider-Crank Mechanism
Based on our original MDF prototypes, we remade the mechanism and track out of a 1/4″ thick metal sheet and 3/8″ diameter rod. This created a sleek look that would be more sturdy than MDF. However, the metal created a weight issue that caused the bearings to catch along the track (figure 1). To alleviate the weight, we added an additional track that ran parallel to the original one (figure 2 & 2.1). We also added an extra arm to our crank mechanism to create a “Y” shape (figure 3) in order to center the pushing and pulling force on our bow.
