You know the old saying ‘Don’t try to reinvent the wheel’? Well, Sam Pearce, from Nottinghamshire, England, really managed to do this with his loopwheels.
The idea came in 2007 and in 2009 the first basic prototype was created. Still, it took Sam four years to develop and test the loopwheel that we see today. He managed to create a wheel with suspension inside it, so that it would be capable of softening the impact from any direction.
[adsense300gray]The loopwheel is a 20″ bicycle wheel which has integral suspension offered by the spring system located between the rim of the wheel and the hub. Therefore, the rider is protected from potholes and bumps in the road. A loopwheel features a hub gear and hub brake, but the spokes have been replaced with a spring system. Compared with a traditional spoked wheel, it offers a comfortable and amazingly smooth ride.
Carbon composite material has been used for the springs, for durability and strength. Each wheel has three springs, working together as a self-correcting system. This ingenious spring configuration allows for the smooth transfer of the torque between the hub and the rim. The spring rates differ for each wheel: the rear is more stiff than the front wheel.
If you want, you can choose to use only one loopwheel and a conventional one with spokes. It can be used for bikes which do not have suspension or in addition to those who have suspension forks to offer a more comfortable and smoother ride.
