Loop Wheels

[Fnaar]

The company is nowt to do with me, just saw it on BookFace.
Seems a decent idea if you want or need suspension (town based riding, I guess). Personally I don't want or need it.
My reason for posting, however, is coz I was wondering if (as seems to me) it appears based on a premise that ALL cyclists want suspension... whaddya think?

[edit: to be fair, he does say that it's for small compact bikes that can't normally have suspension, like a Brompton, I suppose)

 

[dan_bo]

Canny idea that.

 

[simon.r]

I think it's based on a premise that enough cyclists want suspension to make it profitable to produce the wheels (apparently 26" / 29" versions are in the pipeline).

I don't think I'd go for it, but I'd certainly be interested enough to test ride them.

 

[matthat]

I like the concept for sure, I like suspension on mtb for tracks and trails etc, on my hybrid I've got zertz on the forks which doesn't effect the ride to much but takes a bit of road rattle out of the ride!!

 

[Steve Malkin]

It is a neat idea, but presumably you'd need to be careful if retro-fitting to an existing bike because you'll need a large clearance between the wheel rim and fork crown to allow for the rim getting closer to the fork as the suspension compresses?

 

[Tanis8472]

presumably you would also need a way of changing the brakes too

 

[Steve Malkin]

presumably you would also need a way of changing the brakes too

The wheels must come with built in hub brakes, there's no way a rim brake could work with that setup.

 

[swee'pea99]

Dashed clever, tho' I have to say I can't see it ever reaching commercial production. Reminds me of the kind of thing Clive Sinclair used to be constantly coming up with - ideas that looked very ingenious, but somehow you knew they would never achieve 'credibility critical mass'.

 

[ASC1951]

I would have thought that building wheels with what are effectively suspension spokes means that pedalling power disappears into flexing the loops, even on a smooth surface where you don't need it. There again, I did Classics not engineering.

 

[Over The Hill]

Sorry to be negative but looks a bit daft to me. Wheel has lost the support of the spokes and so has to be made much stronger and heavier , if you then have flex where spokes once were tight then that must put some sideways movement on the wheel.

Really it is not a problem and if needed it is easier to put suspension in the seat post or let a bit of air out the tyres.

 

[MontyVeda]

nice idea... but will they stay true?

 

[Night Train]

There will be a review in the next Velovision (issue 45).

I'm sure they were mentioned a couple of months ago on CC. The inventor is/was Crowdfunding or raising Kick Starter funding for it then. Not sure how they have got on but they were mentioned on The Gadget show earlier this week.

I'd be tempted to trail a pair on a cargo trailer but I'd rather work on trailer brakes then trailer suspension for now.

 

[Shortmember]

If the Loops were made of a lightweight rigid material they could be a viable alternative to the old fashioned complicated method of building a wheel with heavy,bendy and breakable spokes.The suspension aspect is a non starter-it just makes pedalling harder.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Seen this from 1917, looks quite a similar design, wonder if they tried it on bicycle wheels too?

 

[rich p]

Seen this from 1917, looks quite a similar design, wonder if they tried it on bicycle wheels too?

I think that was Cancellara's TT bike the UCI banned.