Gifts for GuysGifts for WomenGifts for GeeksGifts for DadsGifts for ChristmasGifts for the MancaveGifts for GirlfriendsGifts for Musicians
“What amazed me about Loopwheels is what an unbelievable confidence boost they gave me. They made it so much easier to get over uneven ground, and made me feel so much happier about getting out and about with my friends and family after my accident.”
.
They deliver such a smooth ride it is like my world has suddenly become a much flatter place!
About 1% of the population in the developed world uses a wheelchair. We have hardly scratched the surface of that market yet. People in wheelchairs are living longer and healthier lives, they are more active at home and in the workplace, and some are using electric motors. There is a real need for loopwheels.
Home About Membership Benefits History Audi International And Associated Club Sponsors Chapters Events News Marketplace Audi Club collection Store Audi Club On-Demand Archive Store ACNA Classifieds Resources Chapter Resources Best Practices Chapter Incentives Driving School and Event Guideline Safety Inspection Checklist Event Master Forms Insurance Summaries General Audi Official Sites Audi Online Communities N. A. Racetracks Sponsors National Annual Reports BoD Minutes Bylaws Code of Ethics Discount Monthly Call Documents Policies QQ Past Issues Join/Renew Contacts Member Login e-tron connect: quattro Magazine Q2_2020: Project e-tron – Lowering Suspension & New Wheels e-tron connect: quattro Magazine Q2_2020: Project e-tron – Lowering Suspension & New Wheels
The wheel fits to any bike with minor alterations. The added wheel suspension works with traditional fork suspension. Baigh explains his design in the video below. The LoopWheel is another design that features bow-spokes, only these are in elliptical shapes. The carbon composite springs isolate the rider from the high-frequency road noise preventing aches caused by jolting.
RELATED PRODUCTSSchwinn Hinge Folding Bike - $183.53Stowabike 26" Folding Dual Suspension Mountain Bike - $199.99Serfas Full Suspension Hybrid Bicycle Saddle - $31.94Pocket Rocket Master Blaster Bike Pump - $17.25Sunlite Cloud-9 Bicycle Suspension Cruiser Saddle - $26.49
I played with the idea using steel springs in wagon wheels for a Ring of Fire series fanfic (I highly recommend the books if you like time travel stories) but I am not convinced that loopwheels are a better solution than a springy seat post. Michael Lau April 18, 2013 02:48 AM Frank van Schie April 18, 2013 06:31 AM
@Michael Lau Presumably yes, since part of your energy will go into moving the hub within the wheels. But since they're springs, you'll get most of that back, so it's probably close enough to a wash to not matter much. Especially on a purely A-to-B type bike like a folder. Edison Ong April 18, 2013 06:40 AM
Shock resistant caster Material: PP wheel bonded to elastic rubber Size:100mm x 32mm ; 125mm x 35mm Load:110kg,150kg Bearing: Roller Bearing Purpose:Shock resistant casters,Shock proof casters,Industry caster wheels,trolley casters
It's unclear at this point whether you'd lose any forward motion energy due to torque flex, but that can be tuned out of the system if required in any case. It's also unclear how much a pair of wheelchair-sized ASWs would cost at this point. We assume they're not cheap compared to a regular rim and tire setup. Here's some annoyingly infomercial-style video comparing regular wheelchair wheels to an ASW setup over curbs and grassy, uneven terrain.
The Shock wheel features multiple engraved grooves racing down each of the five wide spokes of this design. Forceful by nature, the Shock demands to be seen and belongs on a bike equally as opinionated. Be flashy and coquettish in chrome, or bold and visually striking in a platinum cut, the Shock is meant to turn heads and coax out a whistle of appreciation. WheelsAir CleanersAccessoriesBrake SystemsHand & Foot ControlsPrimary DriveTrike AccessoriesPhatail KitSportbike & MetricReplacement PartsApparel Build ShopPM EditionCustom RidesDesign Families Installation SheetsClean & CareTesting & TUVWarranty Find your DealerBecome a DealerDealer Log-in Performance MachineRoland SandsXtreme MachineEmploymentEventsMediaConnect Privacy Notice | Terms of Service | Careers Educators Mentor Partner/Sponsor Judge Toggle navigation Brand Omni Wheel with Shock Absorber Contact Official Rules Privacy Policy Terms of Service
People out there lucky in the sense that they know how to ride a bike but unlucky in the sense that doing so jars their spines and brains and generates great discomfort in the crotchal region, say hello to Loopwheels. Loopwheels are 20" bicycle wheels with built-in spring systems between their hubs and wheel rims that provide suspension and cushioning from road bumps and potholes. So that everyone who finishes a Loopwheeled bike jaunt does so with lumbar vertabrae, tailbone, and rectum as intact as they were before the ride began.
Tag even a small pothole with a car shod with a 205/60R15 tire, and you might experience a cut sidewall, but the tire's fatter sidewall has the ability to withstand a lot more abuse before the wheel gets damaged. Hit that same pothole in something equipped with 19-inch wheels and low profile 255/45R19s, and you'll likely not only blow out the tire, you'll be in for some significant wheel repair since the tire simply doesn't have the sidewall flexibility to protect the wheel. Older steel wheels are less prone to damage from such a strike, but lightweight alloy wheels are essentially designed to deform on impact.
When you have plenty of bicycle to work with, such as is the case with a mountain bike, it’s not such a big deal to design it with front and rear suspension. When the bicycle in question is a diminutive folding city bike, however, it gets a bit trickier. That’s why UK industrial designer Sam Pearce has created Loopwheels. Instead of relying on a suspension fork and rear shock, it lets the bike’s 20-inch wheels absorb the bumps.
Loopwheels come in front- and rear-specific versions, one of the key differences being that the springs in the front wheel are twice as compliant as those in the back. This is (presumably) to help keep the wheel that does the steering from being knocked and bounced around, plus it compensates for the fact that more of the rider’s weight tends to be centered over the rear wheel.
The “Triple Absorber” aims to lessen the stress placed on MTB riders. Normal wheels pass bumps through into the frame (and rider), causing fatigue.