01 - BIKE SPOKE
A SMALL DESIGN EXPERIMENT EXPLORING SHAPE, MATERIAL AND MAKING.
A bicycle spoke is a simple structural element.
We took it out of its original context to explore its potential as a new object.
Through a series of tests, bending experiments and a simple homemade jig, we developed a way to transform the spoke into a functional keychain.
OBSERVATION / EXPERIMENTATION / PROTOTYPING
The starting point is a component we see every day but rarely consider on its own: the bicycle spoke.
Its thin profile, linear shape and metal structure became the starting point for our exploration.
Removed from the wheel, the spokes become independent elements to work with.
We began looking at their proportions and flexibility, exploring how their original shape could be changed to serve a different function.
To explore different shapes, we built a simple jig to bend the spokes.
The setup is rudimentary, but functional: a practical tool developed in the studio to test the material and obtain consistent bends.
The process is part of the design itself.
Each bending test helps define the geometry of the object.
Through experimentation, the spoke gradually takes on a new function while retaining the essential character of its original form.
