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The problem with the bicycle is that people in North America are in love with their cars. The bicycle has always come in second. This fact may be a hurdle for those looking to make inroads in the bicycle industry.

Another pothole for would-be designers is that the design of the bicycle has changed little in the past 100 years. That's according to university professor Ross Petty. Riders have generally been very happy with the design of the bicycle, says Petty. He has studied bicycle culture. The double-diamond design is standard across the nation.

Brady O'Hare is a designer in Washington. He agrees that the bicycle industry can be stagnant. He says other than different colors and steels, the bicycle has remained the same. However, his company is going in a new direction.

The purpose of his company's new design is to ease discomfort of the human back.

The company's design suspends the rider rather than the bike. This lessens back pain, reduces muscle fatigue, improves aerodynamics and increases pedal efficiency. And it's all thanks to the bike designers.

Another innovation in the industry is called the recumbent bike. The recumbent bike, says Petty, looks like a sunbathing chair that you would recline on by the pool -- only it has pedals. Although it has been around since the 1930s, says Petty, the recumbent has been slow to catch on. It enjoyed somewhat of an upswing in the 1970s.

Steve Robson designs recumbent bikes, so he is glad to see them making waves lately. He explains how he became hooked: "I never really liked the road bike riding position. When I sat down in a recumbent for the first time, I knew it was for me."

At one time, when Robson rode his recumbent, people looked at him like he was riding a UFO. Now he sees other recumbent bikers pedaling the streets.

It's the job of a bike designer to come up with innovative ways of building these two-wheeled vehicles.

Photo by: Scott Ertel

O'Hare perfected his skills with industrial design and mechanical engineering classes in college. He recommends that others do the same. O'Hare also worked in bike shops, building frames and molds before working as a designer.

"Having excellent mechanical skills is needed," says Robson. "I learned this by doing all my own work on my bikes long before designing recumbents."

Angela Owens agrees. Although Owens didn't set out to become part of the bicycle industry, she ended up working for a company that designs parts for manufacturers. Her background in CAD, drafting and modeling helped her score her current position.

"Be creative, but know your manufacturing capabilities, meaning don't design something impossible to build," she advises. "Get to know as much stuff about bikes as possible. Work in a bike shop doing grunt work, or as a mechanic."

Mark Schroeder has worked as an engineering director for a large bicycle manufacturer. Schroeder says he got his position because of his engineering degree, hands-on knowledge of bikes and manufacturing knowledge and hard work.

Schroeder's advice is to be a go-getter because the bike industry is small and competitive. At least with an engineering degree in hand, new graduates can find jobs elsewhere.

California bike designer Tony Ellsworth tells those interested in bike design, "Ride. Ride everything. Ride everywhere. Critique and evaluate the characteristics of everything you ride."

Ellsworth also says future designers should have a background in CAD, solid modeling and metallurgy. "After about seven to 10 years [of adjusting and tinkering], you're going to have a great product. Then you have to convince others of how great it is. It is a labor of love."

"It's very tough [breaking into the industry]," says designer Victor Chang. "It's the typical catch-22: no one wants to hire someone without experience, but you can't get experience unless someone is willing to hire you."

Chang says that besides a solid engineering background, cycling companies look for employees who are cyclists. His final warning: "Don't get into the cycling business unless you really love doing it."

Richard Schwinn is a Wisconsin assistant designer. He agrees with Chang. "It is very tough to find design work. Our industry is consolidating and employment by the big brands is falling. The number of bikes sold has yet to match what was sold in the '70s."

Further, Schwinn says, the number of people competing for these jobs is much larger than the industry can bear. "There's a long line of engineers who become bike enthusiasts and decide they want to get into the business."

As pollution and congestion become bigger problems in Europe, Mexico and Japan, Petty suggests bikes may gain popularity. In addition, in the U.S., one trend that may push the use of bicycles is the conversion of old railroad lines to bike trails, called the Rails to Trails movement.

However, if you do decide to go into bicycle design, expect a rocky road ahead.