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Inventor's Bike Folds Into Its Own Wheel

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11–20 of 37 posts

Re: Inventor's Bike Folds Into Its Own Wheel

#11
Can't view all the details from this browser - don't the handle bars project outside the wheel cicumference, or can they be folded further?

Personally I think the emphasis on folding bikes which seems to there appears to be at the moment is wrong. We should be looking at properly connecting the bike with mass transit - trains and buses that are easily accessible for bikes/cyclists.

Re: Inventor's Bike Folds Into Its Own Wheel

#12

He doesn't have a chain connecting the pedals to the rear tire so its not really functional. Check out the video - he never pedals, and when he folds it you can see there is no chain. You can't have a joint that changes the geometry between the rear hub and the pedals. On this bike there is a hinge and they end up being next to each other. On current folding bikes the hinge is forward of the pedals - the locking mech…

Not only does it not have a chain, it only has one pedal.

Re: Inventor's Bike Folds Into Its Own Wheel

#13
No drive? The reassembly part of the video a reverse of the disassembly? I have an awesome gadget which refuels my car as I drive, or I will, as soon as I locate a black box with some wires and pipes sticking out of it, and splice together some video that shows the rev counter and speedo going the right way, while super-imposing the fuel gauge returning to full. Maybe I'm just a cynic and the video doesn't reveal all the secrets.

Re: Inventor's Bike Folds Into Its Own Wheel

#14

He doesn't have a chain connecting the pedals to the rear tire so its not really functional. Check out the video - he never pedals, and when he folds it you can see there is no chain. You can't have a joint that changes the geometry between the rear hub and the pedals. On this bike there is a hinge and they end up being next to each other. On current folding bikes the hinge is forward of the pedals - the locking mech…

For this to work I think the drive-chain would have to be a jointed drive shaft. I actually ride an (un-jointed) drive shaft bike - very handy in very harsh winter conditions.

However, that sort of drive chain would add even more complexity and cost.

Re: Inventor's Bike Folds Into Its Own Wheel

#15
Here is a Taiwanese site called international bicycle design competition http://www.ibdcaward.org (Sorry, this site doesn't show enough information for bike design), Anyway,we already have similar bikes in production for people who take to the train and subway. More information at http://www.brandingtaiwan.org/eng/index.aspx

Re: Inventor's Bike Folds Into Its Own Wheel

#17
post #3

I want to see the hinge that allows the front wheel fold up close. looks like a potential weak point. I wonder how much he spent making the prototype.

Fold up bikes are a great concept. There is one 'but' though, they are not nearly as robust as a regular bike and hopping a curbstone or a pothole can have serious consequences. The pedals are usually a little lower over the road surface than on regular bikes and the wheels are small. They are also less rigid. When I was a kid I would ride a fold up bike to school every day, for two years without incident, then one d…

I used to cycle a lot when I lived in California. I knew several people that used a Bike Friday, and they were as durable and functional as a regular bike. I'd even see them on Century (100 mile) rides. http://www.bikefriday.com/

Re: Inventor's Bike Folds Into Its Own Wheel

#18

He doesn't have a chain connecting the pedals to the rear tire so its not really functional. Check out the video - he never pedals, and when he folds it you can see there is no chain. You can't have a joint that changes the geometry between the rear hub and the pedals. On this bike there is a hinge and they end up being next to each other. On current folding bikes the hinge is forward of the pedals - the locking mech…

Not only does it not have a chain, it only has one pedal.

12 seconds in you can clearly see two pedals.

Re: Inventor's Bike Folds Into Its Own Wheel

#19

He doesn't have a chain connecting the pedals to the rear tire so its not really functional. Check out the video - he never pedals, and when he folds it you can see there is no chain. You can't have a joint that changes the geometry between the rear hub and the pedals. On this bike there is a hinge and they end up being next to each other. On current folding bikes the hinge is forward of the pedals - the locking mech…

You could have a removable chain. Or use a belt and design it so it can fold over or something.

Re: Inventor's Bike Folds Into Its Own Wheel

#20
post #6

Really slick... I especially like that you can wheel the whole package around while it's folded up. It looks like the chain is somehow internal to the frame?

No, the chain is internal to the designer's head. If you can't do the tricky part, just ignore it and hope for the publicity.
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