In 1974, Professor Shawn Buckley at M.I.T. ran a project allowing students to build aluminum bicycle frames. Marc Rosenbaum aimed to create a lightweight, stiff frame for a rider’s acceleration advantage, using larger tubes for increased strength and stiffness. Harriet Fell, a fellow participant, designed her frame following the project’s guidelines. The project later played a role in the Klein vs. Cannondale patent litigation in the 1980s. Controversy arose when Cannondale claimed Klein’s patents were invalid, referencing Rosenbaum’s and Fell’s prior art frames. The intricate design choices and legal battle make this project a unique part of cycling history.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/AluminumBikeProject.html