vici

urban bycicle

Vici is an urban bicycle designed for students, professors and staff attending the National University of Córdoba. The city's challenging topography makes commuting both difficult and costly. This project aims to offer a sustainable and affordable transportation solution that helps users overcome the city's geographic obstacles.

design process

01

RESEARCH

02

design

03

manufacture

01 research.

The objective of this project was to design an urban bicycle specifically for the people attending the National University of Córdoba. This required in-depth research into the city’s topography, road network, bike lanes, regulations, safety considerations, among others.

context

Córdoba is a city with limited bike lanes, numerous potholes, and steep slopes, all of which make cycling difficult and physically demanding. In addition, safety concerns force riders to remain constantly vigilant about their bicycles.

personas

Santiago, 22

OBJECTIVES: graduate from Design school in one year. He leaves near the university so he goes walking every day but he would like to have a faster way to go.
FEARS: to get mugged when going from his house to the university.
Sandra, 36

OBJECTIVES: engage students with interactive learning methods and stay updated with new teaching strategies and tools. She goes by bus every day to the university but she is tired of not being able to attend when there is a bus strike.
FEARS: being late because of bus delays or strikes.
Eva, 43

OBJECTIVES: comply with all the daily tasks and return home with their children. She likes being friendly with everyone at the university. She goes everyday by bus to university but she would like to reduce the expenses.
FEARS: to spend to much money on buses.

02 design.

The design process began with selecting a wheel size that best suited the city's conditions. We chose 29" wheels to reduce the rider's effort when navigating Córdoba’s challenging topography. From there, the ideation phase continued in a playful and creative manner, taking into account the university’s identity and the bicycle’s key structural points.

ideation

This creative phase took place after defining the key structural points of the urban bicycle. It was an enjoyable process, exploring shapes that could adapt to the users’ needs and body types, while also responding to the demands of Córdoba’s topography.

detailed design

Several iterations were carried out to arrive at the final design. The shape and form evolved multiple times in response to the manufacturing capabilities available in Córdoba. Adapting to these constraints was essential to move the project forward.

03 manufacture.

The bicycle was manufactured in collaboration with a local metalworking workshop, where multiple iterations were necessary to achieve the final result.

prototyping

Achieving the final result required several days of hard, intensive work. We began with a mockup made from Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) to explore and define the bicycle’s shape and dimensions. Once the final design was established, we partnered with a metalworking specialist who used the technical drawings to produce the final frame. The process was highly challenging, as we had to continuously adapt the design to align with the capabilities of local manufacturing—resulting in multiple revisions along the way.