Acoustic Modal Testing of Bicycle Rims

The stiffness, strength, and safety of a bicycle wheel depend critically on the stiffness of its rim. However, the complicated cross-sections of modern bicycle rims make estimation of the stiffness by geometric methods very difficult. We have measured the radial bending stiffness and lateral-torsional stiffness of bicycle rims by experimental modal analysis using a smartphone microphone. Our acoustic method is fast, cheap, and non-destructive, and estimates the radial bending stiffness, EI_11 , to within 8