Bike saddle case

thingiverse

A fashion, aerodynamic, trendy bike case to be used under the saddle to carry some goods like spare tube, tools, etc. This model was developed by Orlando Fanti using Fusion 360 You are free to download, print, distribute, modify since keeping the credits. Use it at your own risk! This is the version #5, but the first to be published. The previous versions presented problems in printing or in the field application and tests. We designed both files (the body and cover) to be printed without supports (attention to the orientation). Also the parts were dimensioned to the maximum printable size of Flashforge Creator 2 that is a small volume printer, so should be no problem to print in other equipment. Our model was printed in ASA, using 0.15 mm layer and 20% infill to give some good mechanical resistance. Didn't tested with other materials, probably they will print fine, please have in mind the outdoor usage and exposure to the elements. The holes in the body are to use a line (shoelace or similar) to attach the case to the bike and saddle. Remember to pass the line also in the bottom to distribute the load more evenly and avoid cracks in the hull. Use your creativity to tie the line as desired. I used a single shoelace line for this assembly, note you can run the line internally in most parts to hide it. Small hands recommended, thank you my beloved wife! :-) The cover has openings and a half cylinder in to allow the use of tail light, so you can position it in a more visible position to ensure the safety. (See in the pictures) Yet about the cover: after print was quite hard to attach the cover to the body in the first time due to interference between the threads. Using a tool we repeated the open/close movements a few times (~50x) until have a smooth open/close of the system. This may vary depending of printer precision, used material and occurrence of some thermic deformation (ASA is prone to have some). After this adjustment it is working fine! Because this is a big print, we designed thick walls to ensure necessary resistance, thinner walls in previous versions resulted in cracks during printing, assembly or use. We didn't reach a good solution for a hinge-based lid, this caused the model to have structural fragility and the lid happened to open all of a sudden during ride in uneven surfaces (e.g. off road). For sure a different design can address these issues in the future. For now the solution is the thread system, which is not the most friendly to open/close but assured a good global compromise keeping resistance in the hull structure, reliable for offroad rides and fail proof to undesired open of the lid. Finally we suggest to use stickers for a better look after assembled, bike owners use to have many coming with all sort of equipment like cameras, helmet, bike, shoes, and so on. If you print, enjoy, dislike, have suggestion or question, please leave your comment so we can learn and improve. Have a nice ride! orlandofanti@gmail.com Keywords: bike, case, saddle, bag, bike case, saddle case, bike accessories, bike bag, bike case, MTB, cycling, ASA, ABS