bay wheels

The Challenge

Context: Lyft (Bay Wheels) needed a next-gen shared e-bike that could survive the urban jungle.

The “Watson” project wasn’t just a bike; it was public infrastructure.

Vandalism: Parts had to be theft-proof (security torx, hidden fasteners).
Durability: The frame and fairings had to withstand being knocked over, kicked, and exposed to UV/Salt for 5 years.
Integration: It needed to house a massive battery and a complex IOT suite without looking like a science experiment.

I led the mechanical design of the rear “Fender” assembly—the structural spine of the bike’s electronics.

Structural Plastic: We used a glass-filled nylon chassis that acted as both the rear fender and the mounting point for the heavy IOT module and locking mechanism. This replaced traditional bent sheet metal with a rigid, injection-molded unibody.
Cable Management: I designed internal routing channels to protect the high-voltage motor cables and sensitive data lines from wire-cutters.
Serviceability: While secure against the public, the design allowed authorized field mechanics to swap the entire rear assembly in <3 minutes using specialized tooling.

This bike powers the Bay Wheels fleet (and others) today.

Fleet Uptime: The ruggedized design significantly reduced vandalism-related downtime.
Assembly Time: The modular fender reduced final assembly tech time by 20%.

:::note[Specs]