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Bicycles

Fluent wheel may not be shocking, but it is shock-absorbing

By Ben Coxworth
May 07, 2014
Fluent wheel may not be shocking, but it is shock-absorbing
SoftWheel's Fluent wheel features shocks instead of spokes
SoftWheel's Fluent wheel features shocks instead of spokes
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SoftWheel's Fluent wheel features shocks instead of spokes
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SoftWheel's Fluent wheel features shocks instead of spokes
The shocks remain rigid when going over smooth surfaces, but compress when the wheel takes particularly big hits
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The shocks remain rigid when going over smooth surfaces, but compress when the wheel takes particularly big hits
SoftWheel states that the Fluent wheel will be compatible with a wide variety of existing bikes
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SoftWheel states that the Fluent wheel will be compatible with a wide variety of existing bikes
A wheelchair equipped with SoftWheel's Acrobat wheels
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A wheelchair equipped with SoftWheel's Acrobat wheels
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After breaking his pelvis six years ago, Israeli farmer Gilad Wolf invented a new suspension system for wheelchairs that incorporates shock absorbers into the wheels. He's now a board member of SoftWheel, a Tel Aviv-based company that refined his creation into a product known as the Acrobat wheel. Although the Acrobat was unveiled in 2012, this year SoftWheel announced something new – a bicycle wheel that uses the same technology, known as the Fluent wheel.

Both the Acrobat and Fluent work in exactly the same fashion.

Three cylindrical shock absorbers radiate out from the hub to the rim, taking the place of spokes. They remain rigid when going over smooth surfaces, but compress when the wheel takes particularly big hits. This means that the hub temporarily moves downward within the wheel, that movement absorbing the energy that would otherwise be transmitted through to the rider.

The shocks remain rigid when going over smooth surfaces, but compress when the wheel takes particularly big hits
The shocks remain rigid when going over smooth surfaces, but compress when the wheel takes particularly big hits

Both wheels also differ from many regular suspension systems in that they react not only to obstacles that are passing directly beneath the bike, but also to those that it's meeting head-on, such as curbs.

According to a report in Wired, SoftWheel plans to start selling the Acrobat wheel in the fourth quarter of this year, priced at approximately US$2,000 a pair. There's currently no word on availability of the Fluent, although the company states that it will be compatible with a wide variety of existing bikes. It can be seen in use in the video below.

Many readers will no doubt be reminded of Loopwheels, a similar product that uses three looped carbon composite springs instead of cylinder-and-stanchion-type shocks. All you mechanical engineers out there, please weigh in with your thoughts – which system ought to work better?

Source: SoftWheel via Wired

SoftWheel's Fluent

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BicyclesWheelCyclingWheelchairsSuspension
17 comments
Ben Coxworth
Ben Coxworth
Based out of Edmonton, Canada, Ben Coxworth has been writing for New Atlas since 2009 and is presently Managing Editor for North America. An experienced freelance writer, he previously obtained an English BA from the University of Saskatchewan, then spent over 20 years working in various markets as a television reporter, producer and news videographer. Ben is particularly interested in scientific innovation, human-powered transportation, and the marine environment.

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17 comments
Julie Long
Amazing.
Daishi
It's interesting how inventions spark at around the same time. Loopwheels and ShockWheel are also pretty recent. This idea would not have made sense back when bicycles still used rim brakes but tis possible with disk brakes mounted on the hub.
I'm not a mechanical engineer but the biggest problem I see is that the outer rim must be made much more rigid to retain its shape without the support of rigid spokes or mags inside it. Even after that is factored if one of these shocks had just a slight difference in tension it would feel like driving on a bent rim because the hub wouldn't be purely centered. This would cause the effect of "high spots" and "low spots" almost like using a slightly oval wheel that would absorb some momentum.
I think the net result is probably heavier than fork shocks with a lot more cost. The only real benefit I see is that it has potential to shock absorb in multiple directions but unless you smash into a lot of curbs and stuff vertical shock absorption seems fine.
I see it as a gimmick that people might notice and point at as cool/different but I don't see it as an improvement over the existing design.
SumoDes
Good point there Daishi, Also there is another issue that will pop up during taking a sharp turn. The banking forces will try to induce axial force trying to incline the wheel.But nevertheless a beautiful idea,does have potential.
Mel Tisdale
SumoDes makes a valid point when they say that side forces will present a problem in keeping the wheel rotating in the same plane as the bike frame. This will become more pronounced as the suspension system loosens with wear.
I am not at all sure that this is a sensible solution to the problem of shock absorption when one reads that it only comes into play "...when the wheel takes particularly big hits." A normal bike suspension operates on all surfaces, from the smooth to the "cor blimey."
Seeing as you are asking for votes, mine goes to the Loopwheels design. It is simple, durable, low/zero maintenance, rigid outside of the designed plane of rotation and, I suspect, a lot cheaper.
hawkinspeter
This idea is completely retarded.
When you are driving a wheel from the hub, you need the wheel to be as stiff as possible to transfer that energy to the rim and the tyre and thus propel you. If you try to put any kind of springs or dampening between the hub and the rim, then you are losing energy compressing/decompressing with every single pedal stroke.
So, for only $2000 you can get overly heavy, poorly performing wheels that probably require a lot more maintenance than normal bike wheels. You'd be better off just putting a big cushion on your saddle.
However, this idea can work well on a wheelchair as you are providing the driving power from the rim, so shocks between the rim and the hub won't be a problem. Just don't ever put these on a bike.
wle
these have been ''invented'' over and over again for at least 100 years. expensive weak heavy energy-wasting
\no road bike needs shocks, period\
wle
SLB
SumoDes and Mel -- in normal operation, the wheels on a two-wheeler (unless it uses gyroscopic stabilization) don't experience much sideways force. There's a little bit when entering and exiting a turn, but during most of the turn, the bike's lean exactly compensates for its lateral acceleration. The force on the wheel is strictly radial. If this were not so, the bike would fall over!
I agree, though, that the dampers in this design would have to be made to very tight tolerances. The advantage of using dampers over springs is that dampers can have a nonlinear response, where they don't move much at all up to a certain level of force; it's hard to do that with springs. These do seem to be a lot more expensive than the Loopwheels, though.
Michael Logue
Looks like another case of a solution looking for a problem.......
Mirmillion
Bound to be a little loopy after loosening up but a nice design nonetheless. Maybe best on small diameter or slower moving wheels where torsional play and centripedal forces won't cause a sort of self-steering phenomenon.
I'd be happier if this design had used a spiral array of carbon fiber blades which flexed from any angle of impact but also provided protection against side forces due to high lateral rigidity.
Bruce H. Anderson
I wonder about the distance between the hub and the wheel, and what forces may be applied to the shocks. Longer distance equals greater forces. Loopwheels are 20" and made with folding bikes in mind. On the video the Softwheel doesn't look much larger so maybe it won't be an issue. Taller Loopwheels are a possiblilty, and Sam Pearce said he might have something new in 2014. I would favor the Loopwheels based on simplicity.
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