Skip to main content
Intellect

BYU IsoTruss technology makes for ultra-light bike

With a frame that's lighter, more aerodynamic and less breakable than many top-of-the-line counterparts, a new bicycle built by Brigham Young University engineers may soon change the face of cycling.

Made from carbon fiber intertwined with Kevlar string, the bike's frame employs civil engineering professor David W. Jensen's IsoTruss -- a cage-like, open tubular lattice that optimizes the inherent strength of reinforcing pyramids and triangles.

"The team's goal was to shrink the IsoTruss structure, which has been proven to work well for large-scale applications, from between 5 to 18 inches to about 1 inch in diameter," said Jensen. "Everybody involved has done a great job of accomplishing just that."

In 2002, the technology was licensed to Brigham City company IsoTruss Structures Inc., which uses it to build structures as strong as steel without the weight, like meteorological instrumentation towers and self-supporting utility poles.

As IsoTruss Structures works to market the technology, BYU researchers continue to test and develop new ways of applying it.

Tyler Evans, a senior in manufacturing engineering technology who worked on turning the IsoTruss into a bicycle, says the new geometry of the BYU bike frame generates double-takes on the mountainside, but is responsible for a cycle that's as light as, and stronger and more aerodynamic than some of the best traditional carbon-fiber mountain bikes on the market.

"This frame weighs in at 3 ¼ pounds, and we're confident the next one will be less than 3 pounds," says Tyler, also a mountain bike enthusiast. "That's a big deal in the cycling world."

Bigger yet, the BYU engineers are working to reverse the reality of "light bike, heavy price" by streamlining their manufacturing process to make ultra-light racers -- normally priced in the "$5,000 and over" range -- more affordable for cyclists everywhere.

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Photographic memory: BYU boasts nation's top student photographer for third year in a row

August 05, 2025
One of BYU’s very own is the best student photographer in all the land. Information systems student Matthew Norton was just named the Student Photographer of the Year by the University Photographer’s Association of America.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Forum: Faith and flourishing in your life and work

July 29, 2025
Paul Lambert, the religion initiative director at the Wheatley Institute, shared in a BYU forum address how faith in Jesus Christ is more than just a personal foundation. It’s also a powerful force for good in the world around us.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

From Campus to Kayaks: BYU students teach local school children about Utah wetlands

July 28, 2025
Recognizing the wetland treasure of the Provo River Delta and hoping to share it with the rising generation, recent BYU graduate Josh Hammari developed a two-day camp to inspire wonder and environmental stewardship in 8-12 year olds.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=