Loopwheels are wheels with integrated suspension that let you enjoy a more comfortable ride on a bicycle or wheelchair. Thanks to this, you can easily avoid potholes and cobblestones, feeling fewer vibrations along the way.
The problem with folding bikes
It is well known that most folding bicycles do not have suspension because conventional suspension forks add weight and bulk. That is particularly annoying on a bike because of the number of bumps you can experience when passing unnoticed over obstacles during a ride. That is where Sam Pearce, a mechanical engineer and industrial designer, stepped in to solve this annoying problem by creating Loopwheels, the wheels with integrated suspension that allow you to enjoy a more comfortable ride on a bicycle.
How Loopwheels work
Loopwheels have a spring system between the hub and the rim of the wheel that provides suspension, cushioning the rider when going over, for example, a pothole. By replacing the spoked wheels with Loopwheels, you get a double suspension, something that is absent in bikes that lack space for a traditional suspension system. This way, you can easily avoid potholes and cobblestones, feeling fewer vibrations along the way.
But Pearce did not stop at bicycle wheels; in March, he launched a version of Loopwheels for wheelchairs.
Wheelchair wheels
In this case, the wheels were designed to move over uneven streets, winding paths, grassy trails, and gravel with less effort. Both the wheelchairs and the bicycles have extremely strong and durable wheels, plus carbon springs that give extra energy to go up or down curbs.
Funded on Kickstarter
To carry out the development of Loopwheels, Pearce ran a campaign to raise funds through the Kickstarter website. Thanks to the generosity of backers, the project bore fruit and now you can get several of the models sold through the official Loopwheels website.
