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Man Reinvents The Wheel

Posted by samzenpus on from the not-even-billy-maze-can-save-you dept.

Guan Baihua has reinvented the wheel, oddly. The 50-year-old retired Chinese military officer has patented a bicycle with odd-sided wheels. The bike took him 18 months to develop and features a front wheel that is a pentagon and a back wheel that is a triangle. "There are too many identical mass-manufactured things. More and more, people like weird and rarely seen stuff. Making this bike gives people an alternative," he said. A single-cube ice tray, a hammer featuring a self-lubricating handle, and a social networking site are rumored to be Gaun's next big projects.

8 of 9 comments (clear)

  1. Meh by MrLogic17 · · Score: 1

    Back when I was a kid, Mr. Wizard was showing off a whole bunch of "equal diameter" shapes. Rolls just fine, but since the axis (or axel in this case) moves around you get a rough ride.

    1. Re:Meh by Swizec · · Score: 1

      If only we had a way to develop a mechanism to counteract the variations in relative distance between the rider's center of gravity and a perfectly flat horizontal surface. I think if I ever invent such a system I'll file a patent under "suspension". That's bound to make me rich.

  2. Re:Well he did get our attention by v1 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    If you think about it a bit, it's entirely possible to make the axel move too, since you have a stationary point relative to the rotation. (the bicycle frame) Imagine a raced mechanism at the hub, with an axel hole offset from its center. I'd have to think about it for a bit to see how it'd have to be constructed, but I'm confident it's possible. Should make for a smooth ride. There would be a lot of friction at that spot, you'd have to find a way to bearing it.

    It'd almost be entertaining enough to just be riding down the road on that thing and see the looks you wold get, people trying to figure out why you're not rattling your fillings out with wheels like that. The handlebars would also have to be on a piston that would counter the motion as well.

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    I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
  3. Re:Well he did get our attention by clone53421 · · Score: 1

    LOL'd when I read your sig.

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    Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
  4. a few things by Pharago · · Score: 2, Interesting

    i'd like to see that taking a high speed turn or two if it mades it the first time, and how the wheels' shape affects it's braking ability

  5. Poul Anderson beat you to it by Aranykai · · Score: 1

    Back in 1963 in a story titled Three Cornered Wheel.

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    If sharing a song makes you a pirate, what do I have to share to be a ninja?
  6. I approve. by Kingrames · · Score: 1

    I approve of his design only because he used a prime number for the number of sides on the wheel.

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  7. Not new by Lord+Lode · · Score: 1

    It's not a new idea to have a bycicle with non circular wheels and it has been built before. So how can he get a patent for that? There's prior art.