I was thinking about the future of bicycles. I saw that spokeless prototype and was super into it. But the more I read about it and the more it became obvious that it doesn’t work. It’s a beautiful concept and it looks rad as fuck. That’s it.
Spokes exist for a very good reason. Bicycles are old. Tons of very smart people tried to make them better and in 2018 we’re still riding on wheels with spokes and air in tires. It simply is the best balance between performance and cost.
I bought my bike in 2009, nine years ago. I changed the handlebar because I’m a bullhorn typa dude but I haven’t changed anything else besides changing tubes and tires when needed (maybe every two years when not riding over glass/getting shit stolen).
I rode around 14,000 miles (22 000 kms) without an issue AND about zero maintenance. That’s how good the current bicycle technology is! That’s how reliable it is. Excruciating heat, rain, super rough concrete, hills, potholes, my weight, every single day. No problem. Designers need to listen to the real world and what previous designers and engineers created.
I want some Kaneda bike-looking bicycles with built-in lights and spokeless wheels with airless tires as much as the next hipster or whatever. But the reality is that they’re kind of just a dream. Our world’s physics is telling us that we can try but 200 years of collective experience (first bicycle, 1818) is telling us that we already have the best tech.
And that’s pretty beautiful. We can just enjoy riding and only care about enjoying.