Last week we already showed a glimpse on LinkedIn of when we attended a test day of Kú Cycle. Today we are going a bit deeper into the prototype of the Bento Box that we have designed in collaboration with Kú Cycle.
The Bento Box is a container that is made exactly for the Kú Cycle triathlon bike and where you can store your (sports) nutrition. During a race, you do not want to have to think about how to access your nutrition. The Bento Box makes this super easy.
The unique thing about the Kù Cycle is that this bike is designed with aerodynamics in mind. Inspired by Formula 1 vehicles. The design of the Bento Box fits in seamlessly with this and contributes to an aerodynamic ride. Because of the wings on the side of the box, a vortex is created. This vortex causes a swirl in the air that creates an aerodynamic bubble around the cyclist, which ensures minimal air resistance. What we do is actually very much at odds with the principles that apply in the cycling industry. Instead of hiding the hydration from the wind, the Bento Box actually uses it. Because the prototype is printed with Carbon, the surface is very smooth, so the aerodynamics are not affected.
The combination of the hard part that is mounted stably on the bike and the soft top part that makes it possible to access nutrition with one hand without any problems is very convenient. The next step is to optimize the design and get it ready for mass production.
We experienced it as an educational and productive day. The Kú Cycle team is always professional and had planned the day down to the last detail. Because of the direct contact with the athletes and the designer, we were able to immediately get input about the accessibility of the product. The measuring equipment allowed us to collect data that we can apply during optimization.