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Is a Bike With Collapsing Wheels Really a Good Idea?
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BlueBeard
10/08/09

In reply to Is a Bike With Collapsing Wheels Really a Good Idea?
Aside from being an interesting bit of engineering, what's the point?

Notice how the hub magically disappears in the second photo? You will have to remove at least six bolts, if not twelve, from each hub to commence the folding, which means you aren't going to pop off your wheels and throw them in your backpack when you run inside the store for a snack.
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comics0026
10/07/09

In reply to Is a Bike With Collapsing Wheels Really a Good Idea?
I like the color skeam, but the design seems a little... off...
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Kemonomimi
10/07/09

@comics0026: Scheme would be the term you seek.
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Rex the Decadent
10/08/09

@Kemonomimi: You will never succeed in your nefarious spelling skeams.
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Bokusatsu_Tenshi
10/07/09

In reply to Is a Bike With Collapsing Wheels Really a Good Idea?
It's a great idea, as long as the tires are tweels:
[xspblog.com]

It's taking Michelin too f*cking much to release this to the market...
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Purple Dave
10/07/09

@Bokusatsu_Tenshi: "With a regular tire, when the tread wears out you replace the entire thing, creating a lot of waste. With the Tweel, when the tread wears out you just replace the tread and gradually work those poor polyurethane spokes to the point of total structural failure, resulting in a spectacular death-inducing crash that everyone else can enjoy with a bowl of popcorn and maybe some marshmallows to roast over the gasoline pools as they burn."

Yeah, cute idea, but I'm guessing there might be at least one reason why they haven't actually brought this to market. I mean, besides the fact that when the treads peel off because you didn't pay attention to how worn they are, it'll probably be like driving on ice.
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Edited by Purple Dave at 10/07/09 4:05 PM Purple Dave approved this comment Purple Dave was starred Purple Dave was unstarred

The Monarch
10/07/09

In reply to Is a Bike With Collapsing Wheels Really a Good Idea?
Let's not forget about this product [www.duncfitz.co.uk] . It seems a bit more practical -- no loose parts, easily collapsed (when you want them to).

[www.youtube.com]
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Kaiser-Machead promoted this comment Edited by The Monarch at 10/07/09 12:31 PM The Monarch was starred The Monarch was unstarred

Kaiser-Machead
10/07/09

@The Monarch: You can't lecture us on practicality, considering you squandered your trust fund on a flying chrysalis.
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The Monarch
10/07/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Well I spent it on that and a pretty bitchin Monarch Mobile...
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Thorax707
10/07/09

In reply to Is a Bike With Collapsing Wheels Really a Good Idea?
I thought you weren't supposed to reinvent the wheel.
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Geisrud
10/07/09

@Thorax707: someone is always trying to do just that.
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Kaiser-Machead
10/07/09

In reply to Is a Bike With Collapsing Wheels Really a Good Idea?
I'm a fan of simplicity, as in I'd prefer to have a thing that has fewer (to no) superfluous moving parts that make some attempt to increase convenience.
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Hello Mister Walrus
10/07/09

In reply to Is a Bike With Collapsing Wheels Really a Good Idea?
Wouldn't it be more practical to just have a bike with smaller wheels?
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Gary_7vn
10/07/09

@Hello Mister Walrus: No, the bigger the wheel the easier it is able to go over objects like curbs, homeless people laying on the sidewalk, and Smart cars.

The "reason" mountain bikes use 26 inch wheels is because Gary Fisher, who invented the mountain bike, only had 26 inch wheels around at the time. He is now experimenting with larger diameter tires.

Small wheels are lighter, and are more responsive, which results in better acceleration, as you have less mass to get up to speed. Also, the larger and heavier the wheel, the more gyroscope effect, which is a good thing.

This is an interesting idea though, certainly come in handy for people who want to travel with their bike, which is a bitch now.
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piranah
10/07/09

@Gary_7vn:

so thats why road bikes use bigger wheels? smaller wheels are more nimble, but are harder to get up to speed/ accelerate quickly.
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stinkycatfish
10/07/09

@Gary_7vn: 'He is experimenting"? Uh, 29in mtb wheels came out a few years ago and have progressed beyond experimenting. And, I don't think it was Fisher that did it.
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Gary_7vn
10/08/09

@stinkycatfish: Okay, "was" experimenting, now that I think about it, it was a while ago that I read about that. I hadn't heard of the 29 inch wheels. Sounds interesting.

I think Gary still has some unbroken speed records...
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Gary_7vn
10/08/09

@piranah: Yes. And I should have said "Lighter" wheels as that would be more accurate. That and road bike tires are really hard, and have less rubber on the road. So if the whole wheel is lighter it takes less energy to get it up to speed, and it has less inertia.
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x40sw0n
10/07/09

In reply to Is a Bike With Collapsing Wheels Really a Good Idea?

Is it just me or does this look like it's made of lego technics?
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otko
10/07/09

@x40sw0n: Yours looks more like it jumped outta Excitebike.
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Pope John Peeps II promoted this comment Edited by otko at 10/07/09 11:46 AM otko was starred otko was unstarred

Pope John Peeps II
10/07/09

@otko: oh excitebike. rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRREEEEEEEE...
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qbrad
10/07/09

In reply to Is a Bike With Collapsing Wheels Really a Good Idea?
There are no brakes. Looks like a fixie. And what does one do with the hub once removed? Is this tool-less? I have to concur with my commenting brethren, this looks useless and absolutely not designed by someone who actually uses a bike for any purpose other than keeping in one's apartment to impress hipster visitors who also know nothing about bikes.
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rewind
10/07/09

In reply to Is a Bike With Collapsing Wheels Really a Good Idea?
I could definitely see this in military applications. Think of special forces being able to whip out the bike for quick traversal of terrain, or even other utility applications.
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Lizard_King
10/07/09

@rewind: Heh. Which part of attaching the hubs looks quick to you?

I'd like to see a soldier with Ikea-esque pictogram instructions putting one of these together for the first time.
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mattycakes
10/07/09

@Lizard_King: As long as the tiny, nearly useless wrench is included with the bike, then we're all in the clear!
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GitEmSteveDave_DefinesTurgid
10/07/09

@mattycakes: Uh, sir, I kind of left the Allanky on the chopper.

I'm getting to old for this shit.
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rewind
10/07/09

@Lizard_King: The traversal would be quick, not the construction. Special Forces guys typically do things right, not fast. Not talking about trying to construct this thing mid fire-fight. Maybe to throw at someone lol.

Soldiers can field strip their rifles, so I assume this would be a tad bit easier.
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Edited by rewind at 10/07/09 12:09 PM rewind was starred rewind was unstarred

armyvet
10/07/09

@Lizard_King: Why does everyone assume that soldiers are incapable of assembling anything more than a one-piece puzzle? There are a lot of intelligent men/women in the Army. The average weapon has more than a dozen moving parts that constantly needs to be assembled/disassembled to be cleaned. I wouldn't say that these instructions are Ikea-esque in nature at all. To insinuate that a soldier would have difficulty in "putting one of these together" for the first time is insulting their intelligence.
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Lizard_King
10/07/09

@armyvet: To insinuate that I was insulting a soldier is a bit offensive.

Does this not look like a product worthy of pictogram instructions? It's already been compared to a Lego Technik model.

Do you not see 6 fasteners per wheel for the hubs? My comment was on speed, not capability. Had the military designed or it was designated for this purpose it would be designed differently, Im sure. I'm also sure orange would be out.

My post was more of a comment of how ridiculous a piece of equipment like this would look being assembled in a field somewhere, by a soldier. Not a stupid soldier, Not a soldier struggling with instructions, Not a soldier scratching his god-damned head trying to figure it out. I have all the faith in the world for someone to figure this out, but I have no faith it will be quick.

As the poster stated above you, Special Forces guys would build this with a priority on right, not fast. I agree 100%, and I don't think my original statement conflicts with that.
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Edited by Lizard_King at 10/07/09 12:29 PM Lizard_King was starred Lizard_King was unstarred

GitEmSteveDave_DefinesTurgid
10/07/09

@Lizard_King: It's actually 12 fasteners per wheel. Kind of a oxy moron there, isn't it. 12 Fasteners that slow the whole process down.
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Lizard_King
10/07/09

@GitEmSteveDave_IsWaving: I can't see from the pics, but I wanted to assume that maybe the fasteners went through to both sides of the hub. I can only see 6, I imagine there is 12 per wheel.
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GitEmSteveDave_DefinesTurgid
10/07/09

In reply to Is a Bike With Collapsing Wheels Really a Good Idea?
That disk brake will be hot when you try to take it off.
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OCEntertainment
10/07/09

In reply to Is a Bike With Collapsing Wheels Really a Good Idea?
Hmm. It actually doesn't look half bad. It seems the wheel can't actually fold up unless the "spokes" are slid into the wheel itself. Which really just leaves the strength of the materials/breaks in the wheel itself as my primary worries. Well, that and my inherent paranoia.

That being said, unless I plan to store my bike in my pocket, I fail to see why. Similar folding bikes that just fold in the middle would suffice for most storage/travel purposes. Seems more trouble than it's worth.
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Lizard_King
10/07/09

In reply to Is a Bike With Collapsing Wheels Really a Good Idea?
Wow, that has GOT to ride like shit. All forms of non-pressurized tires I've ridden have felt like a flat tire filled with water. Not to mention the lack of structure of a tensioned wheel.

I've seen my fair share of complicated gadgets in the bike industry. Most of the bizarre ones are from designers who are not engineers nor cyclists and are trying to answer a question no one asked. This looks to have a great deal of engineering involved, but I remain skeptical of the end result.
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BergenCountyJC can't beat MW2
10/07/09

In reply to Is a Bike With Collapsing Wheels Really a Good Idea?

This would go great with my fold-able helmet!
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Sticks Calhoun
10/07/09

@BergenCountyJC: Now all you need are some foldable casts!
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UberJumper
06/18/09

In reply to Montague Paratrooper Tactical Folding Bike Can Survive 1000-Foot Jumps
"You are drifting to your left! To your left is a long obstacle lying ACROSS your line of drift!

do something.... ABOUT IT!"

*grabs right side risers and pulls a slip*

I wonder if that's for use on ramp exits only? Hmmm I don't think that's small enough to go out a side door.
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UberJumper
06/18/09

@UberJumper: never mind me, 1000' AGL is standard for ramp exits, 1200' for door (both non-combat of course).
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