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Re: [OM] For you cyclists...

Subject: Re: [OM] For you cyclists...
From: Charles Geilfuss <charles.geilfuss@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 9 May 2014 14:35:17 -0400
  I don't disagree with what you are saying, Ken, but if you look at the
photo of the bike in front 3/4 profile (leaning against a red wall in train
station) it clearly shows what appear to be two rubber rollers (black
material) on top of the tire and one roller pressing against the inside of
the rim.

Charlie


On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 2:26 PM, Ken Norton <ken@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> >   Well, I have to agree with Nathan on this one. It is a very clever
> design
> > with a lot of Wow factor visually, but I have a problem with the rollers
> > and how they interact with the rim and tires, particularly the front
> tire.
> > I tried zooming in on one of the web images, and while the resolution
> isn't
> > good enough to get a good look, it appears on the front wheel to have a
> > single roller on the inside track of the metallic rim and two rollers on
> > the outside track that press against the tire. Now I'm no engineer, but
> it
> > would seem to take a lot of pressure by these three rollers to maintain
> the
> > stability of the front wheel/tire. Is it enough pressure to seriously
> > deform the tire; how does it compare to the weight born by similar tires
> on
> > a conventional bike (~75 lbs./tire)? Or are the tires solid rubber, which
> > would work but would be a return to the bone shakers of yesteryear. It
> > would be nice to have a closer look and a short test ride.
>
> I wouldn't think that the tires are involved at all in the rim/mount.
> The tires should be standard tires, but the rim would have a special
> lipped profile for the rollers to lock into. In thinking about this, I
> believe that it's a viable design because it's actually not too
> dissimilar to how a modern roller coaster mounts to the rail.
>
> My biggest concern would be taco'ing that front wheel.
>
> With modern materials, that rim could be ultra strong. Wouldn't be if
> you made it out of just aluminum, (not al you min ee um, but al loo mi
> num), but combining carbon fiber with ceramic might do it.
>
> As to Nathan's concern, I am in agreement that for me it would have no
> practical purpose. But those who commute to work in the cities through
> a combination of rail and bicycling could make use of it. But that
> then is the rub in that a commute bicycle has to be built like an oxe
> to handle the dailing beating in all sorts of weather and road
> conditions. The typical commuter folding bicycle may not ride as nice
> as a regular race bike, but is built pretty solid. And furthermore,
> most people who would use a bike in this manner would want fenders on
> those wheels to keep from getting soaked.
>
> --
> Ken Norton
> ken@xxxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.zone-10.com
> --
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>
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