nulla bike

Thats an interesting idea...to buy a consumer product like a bike to display rather than to ride it.

Why? Bikes are for riding arent they? A product for people with more money than sense maybe?

Oh...Bradford ment to display the bike rather than to store it... I thought he was talking of a non-functioning bike:)

My favorite part about this is the wheels.

...nice concept!

I would only purchase a bike for riding purposes, not to display it.

You are all idiots, and should commit suicide to help the human race.

hahaha my sentiments exactly ramrod, its a bike that when your not using it you wont throw it in storage, its cool enough to look at to keep around your house like art. duh

So many designs, so little purpose. To take one of the most liberating utilitarian devices in the world and destroy its very purpose. Remember- Concept is an IDEA with purpose not a bloody cool rendering

Nice concept, although not original. There have been many hubless, chainless bike concepts. Manufacure and ship it to retailers for under $200. Then I'd get excited.

Interesting...being a trithlete I would question the engineering of the bike. What kind of tire would be used...? How is the valve stem going to pass through the crank mechanism. Show me more...than just a design and I could be impressed. (I have seen the hubless wheels done for motorcycles...nothing new.)

It's a cool idea, and indeed attractive. The main reason these hubless wheels aren't more common is that they're impractical. To make a wheel without a hub/spokes which provide the bulk of the structure and stiffness, the rim would have to be extremely bulky and massive. No serious cyclist would ride it becuase to get all that extra mass rotating and moving required almost 4x the amount of force than to just get mass moving.

I agree with Simon, without spokes, there are some serious structural issues here. To make those rims load-bearing it's gonna take a material with some serious strength, especially to retain that super-slim aesthetic, which seems frankly impossible. I'd be more impressed with a physical prototype, even if it was botched together from old bike parts, as the engineering should form the basis for any good design.

I would suggest that if you're actually going to use a language that is not your first, run it by a native speaker so you don't come across as sounding like a wanker.

This idea is a rip-off.... If you do any research, you would see that this concept was originally done for the Internationl Bike Competition by Blair Hasty. Good try!

The top tube is far too high - how are you suppose to get your leg over something that high? I'd also question the increase in resistance from the hubless wheels. Seems quite an impractical design.

Maybe no wheel hub is a good wheel hub~ nice concept!

As Andy stated, there are some serious flaws. There is no way that the steering on the front tire would feel and act anything other than 'frightening'. Having the control point (handle bars) for that front tire mere inches above the top of the tire is asking for a crash. This provides exponentially worse control than modern bikes. As far as the 'display' aspect of the bike, what's wrong with the appearane of modern bikes? They are a work of beauty in and of themselves. Cogs and chains aren't that 'unappealing' to look at. Sounds like a solution looking for a problem...

Hubless wheels were done by a designer in New Mexico, on motorcycles, more than 10 years ago. It was called the "RAD" bike - sadly, no one ever bought - the motorcycling and bicycling worlds are veryry resitant to such radical changes.

Don't listen to all the nay-sayers. If this is an idea you beleive in, see it through and let the above posters eat humble pie. I'd buy one if you could resolve the engineering issues.

i loved

This is a load of crap - dont even know where to start. Those wheels would collapse under the first hole in the road, thats if you dont tumble over the handle bars into the face of an oncoming bus because you couldnt steer away from it first. Those hubless wheels just simply wouldnt work in this context. Another piece of excess that the world doesnt really need......

Oh look! so cool! Hubless wheels! Like i've already seen a million times by every car designer ever! OH its so elegant! Like, it should totally be in Wallpaper! If your going to design something like this, make sure to explain its just part of your application to Art Center, and not something you seriously believe will work.

About the hubless wheel everyone is drawing a reference to... If you look online, all hubless wheels that are functional have a connection point to the frame/controlling arm, etc. *at least* midway down the tire. Most have them at the absolute bottom of the tire or extremely close to it. That is the only way to help control a hubless wheel in a vehicle and have it behave as one would expect. If this concept is to go further, I'd look at refining those hubs...

This is the reason why design has become what it is today, an excuse to make pretty pictures... get real!

Its almost as bad as a Karim Rashid design.

the problems is when a stone gets stuck between the main mechanism at the back wheel the whole thing locks up and u wud have serious crash especially if going down a hill.

It's gotta be a joke. As for the comments about ignoring the negativity . . . here's a hint. Figure your shit out before you show your ass to the world. That thing is an unattractive, unrideable and unavailable. I love art and sculpture - but don't you dare call it design.

the thing about CAD is it gives the illusion of power because it can make a thing look real..during the DaZZLing period of the raytrace or raycast the design becomes mesmorized and forgets simple design parameters like reality. last thing, why do mag/lev designers always forget that the stem and bars and cranks and pedals are cool parts of the bike...nice slacking f-nut

I like the way you conceptualize your ideas to reality on cad. I would definitely buy it and ride it. This is 21st Century! Your Nulla bike rocks

Nicely presented, I like your artwork - regarding the design, here's the original (or claimed original) designer of the hubless wheel.. http://www.burningart.com/meico/moto/sbarro/

I designed a hubless bike once, only mine was wheelless and frameless also, you just walk along with you hands in front of you lifting your knees up a bit higher than usual. While you're riding it it's performance art and as a bonus you don't have to wear a helmet (although I always do) and storage is unnecessary.

Knowing the designer of this bike personally (fellow IDT student), I would like to say a few things. First off, there are a lot of cocky people here that seem more interested in touting their own design mastery than offering constructive criticism. Secondly, I believe this project was created for a class in computer modeling, so it's anything but a final proposal. Thirdly, I think it's a workable design. The rims would certainly need to change, perhaps extending the rim inward to provide more depth and rigidity, and also allowing space for air valve and debris resisting devices. The front could be reworked to attain proper rake, trail, and stem angles. Would it provide significant decreases in weight and friction? Probably not. Would it start a bicycling revolution? Not likely. But would people buy it? Yes! It's trick b#*ch! And could you design something better in 11 weeks? Prove it.

As an object that you would display - well that`s a nice idea, but would I want to display this bike? Unfortunatley not, it just not sexy enough. It looks like a first attempt at mastering a 3D software programme (at least I hope it is). Go and check out some bikes and work out what makes some of them ooze..... From a technical point of view - maybe it is a bit unrealistic based on today`s technology - but then it`s a new day tommorrow!!!

Dear Sir, I'm a journalist of Gioia Casa and Marie Claire Maison, two italian monthly magazine of design & forniture. I'd like to publish a picture of nulla bike Would You please be so kind to send me the photo via e-mail in high resolution?

the handlebars look mountain bikeish but the wheels look road bikeish......so it doesnt look comfortable. some refinement in your design language and you may have something.

Wow...Uncle ned is a real PR*CK....Everything is design, and everything you see and touch every day is designed somewhere first...Nulla IS design. To say it's not desgin is just crazy, it may not be fully enginered, nor a working modle, but why does it have to be? Why cant design begin and end in the 3D relm? And unfortunately you OPINION about it being unattractive...is like your nose...everyone's got one. My opinion is that your opinion sucks! Try telling Frank Gehry his building CONCEPTS will never stand, and are unattractive...Or are his building not design either? Your bike Kicks ass brad...MAKE IT WORK so that these haters will shut the fu*k up!

OH MY GOD! HELP ME! I'm drowning in a wave of my own agenda! I can't stop from lecturing about what is and isn't design! whats the collective sum of professional experience displayed in these repsonses? Like 2 years? maybe 3? Personally, I like the concept, really. But when you attempt to shift context around an idea, things can get messy.

nice concept with no concept of reality!

sexy!

Try it on a python recumbentbike. http://www.python-lowracer.de/

to pick holes in it for just being a rendering misses the point, to defend it as just a concept rendering misses the point also. Help!

sure looks great, have money to throw away? is this suppose to be art? totally worthless to have - if you plan of having a bike to ride...

I would possibly buy a hubless bicycle if the design was proven. Unfortunately those of us that are on 2 wheels everyday seem to have a bit more understanding of the "technology". (Many good points raised already in the comments, a little research into hubless wheels will make the struggles of this design apparent.) I like the way it looks, but I've seen similar stuff before. Pretty to look at and great for a school project, but not exactly good Kancept material.

My sphincter puckers with excitement at the sight of this fine bicycle. Gruntie

It gave me an idea to design a car with out a motor duh

ruthless cunts, in the context of a modeling class, over eleven weeks, possibly in the midst of other more directed studies. the boy had some freedom, let him run. no need to get nasty. check your egos, and talk about it for what it is.

Being an engineering designer, I know this concept would not work in a month of Sundays, but I dont think all the abuse is needed. Perhaps if Bradford Waugh had mentioned it was a cad assignment, an aesthetic study if you will, criticism could have been more constructive.

workless?

Guys, the Nulla Bike is the second highly rated kancept right now out of hundreds that have been posted so far. So it seems like people like it and would buy it if it was made possible. So the next question is, how could it be made possible. Wouldn`t it be great if someone figured that out? Bradford, what are your thoughts?

I was talking with another designer about this and I love the debate this sparks. You guys like or hate it,with very few middle of the road opinions. I am currently working with a machinist and an engineer on this idea. The idea is possible, at what expense is to be determined. The forces are accounted for in the wheel but minor flaws such as a valve stem, as someone said, need to be addressed. I had freedom and very little time in this project so I ran with it. I am hoping to develope this idea fully if I can get the backing (hint, hint). For now, people must stay angry or inspired and outdo me.

Some people change the world. Those people are the ones who make things possible that were seemingly impossible before. And this site is dedicated to those people. People like Bradford.

I bet Cannondale would be very interested...

Wo kann ich es bestellen? Bitte um Nachricht, würde sofort kaufen! Danke

i love how you waited for all that bickering to happen before responding bradford. Anyway, screw the naysayers. Its obviously conceptual, but where do most ideas come from?! F'n concepts!

As an architect, I can garauntee that most of my initial sketches are unocupiable, but the final designs are always greatly influenced by thinking outside the box. I have learned from this discussion that industrial designers are bigger dick heads than architects by a long shot. Way to support your peers guys.

A similar concept has been designed by swiss designer Franko Sbarro in the 90's as mentioned earlier in this discussion ( btw, check out his newer design http://clabedan.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/sbarro.jpg ) The spokless approach to a bike is definitely worth testing, though it might be hard to make it 1) sturdy 2) light 3) low maintenance and 4) costefficient. Remember Alex Pong and his son who designed Cannondale's prototype of a CNC machined full suspension bike in 1994? It was awesome, but not affordable. So dear Bradford, it is a great idea, it has been done before, I've never seen it on the road so go for it. It "just" needs some serious knowledge about building bikes, angles, forces and all ( which are not very realistic on the renderings...) Unfortunately, it'd be a much harder task to make it function on a full suspension bike (mud, rocks, big jumps, etc... ) though I'd love to see that. As a streetbike, it'd be interesting as a solution to wind resistance, but those rims would juuuust plop together as is. maybe a rigid inspiration of Michelin's new tire in CNC cut aluminum would work ( without the spokes of course... http://www.freedomwriter.com/issue34/images/com7-tires1.jpg )? The details on the bike lack some beauty - bar, stem, pedal, cranks etc could definitely look sexier. Anyway, Good luck Bradford!

ok, supporters always note that the wheel design is workable. You can go to any site with similar concepts (they have been done for years and years) and you will see people saying it is workable. I am still waiting to see it happen. As far as the "it's a concept" statement who cares. I am tired of seeing sci-fi passed off as design. There is a reason maglev designs aren't in the market and it is called economy and reality. It is unfortunate that some of you do not get that. that is exactly why more and more design and development will be outsourced to Asia and India. You can bet your careers on that. last someone said UncleNed is a prick and I agree. I sit next to him. He is world class. anyway, keep touting the maglev wheel. I can't wait to see an affordable, lightweight version because I truly believe it will never happen. rock on jerks

you know, I just want you all to know that uncle ned is pumping QuietRiot at this very time. "come on feel the noise, girls rock your boys, we'll get wild, wild, wild" ...like that one guy said above...everything is design, or the architect guy, "id people are real pricks"...heh, you both nailed it on the head. thinking outside the box is horse shit. design is about people. people live in boxes.

Look up the "black hole" hubless wheel from Wear and Tear.

chainless, hubless, hopeless

wow, the vitriol is astonishing. at any rate, as a visual concept/exercise, it looks fantastic but is nothing groundbreaking or original. please take a look at www.softride.com to see highly regarded (in the triathlon world) bicycles in production with the same frame and beam concept. from an engineering perspective, the drive train design is a total nightmare. CG is too high. leverage on the front wheel would cause it to collaspe on itself simply from the pressure of hard braking, not to mention the amount of friction created in a clamping system trying to fight gravity and a multitude of torsional forces while accomodating surfaces with staggeringly disparate coefficients of friction. again, in the rear, the points of contact are still too high, creating massive amounts of leverage. and no, the load is not adequately spread between the drive side and the upper support strut. if you wish to make this concept even remotely viable, you'll have to drop your points of contact to the very bottom of the rim and provide adequate support up to about... 15 degrees forward??? in order to deal with impacts. sorry, basic physics win out every time. have fun working out the required rim and mechanicals, because that's another ball of wax far beyond your basic physics course. good luck!

Thanks for your innovative design and for using the osmos wheel, for a better world www.osmoswheel.com

Nice idea, but I doubt it would work mechanically. Too unstable.

I think it's a great idea, very smooth and original. As a biker and an artist, I would definitely get it. I dont think it's too unstable at all. Out with the spokes! In with the Nulla bike! P.S. Simon and mr. bikeface don't know what they're talking about. The center of gravity would distribute the weight evenly between the wheels, thus causing less pressure. There are plenty of metals that would hold the weight.

checked out the osmos site... their bike was totally different. Similar idea, their bike looks very uncomfortable and impractical.

Really cool design. I dont think it be great for racing, but as far as a bike for the city, I'd definitely get it. People who bike in the city are often a lot more focused on the looks of the bike. This one definitely take the cake for looks and smoothness. For all the old guys wearing spandex everything, this might actually make them look a little less freaky. I'm also interested in the space below the seat and above the wheel. Maybe put a lock or a bag underneath. A great design, with a lot of possibilities for mods and even production. I'd like to see what the haters on this site have to say about the design when it takes off in a few years.

Solution seeks problem. Non-smoker preferred. GOSH essential.

looks really cool, however a bit uncomfortable. i would like Brad to explain how this thing really works. Awesome design though.

Globeholdings (Osmos) may claim otherwise, but you probably don't have to license their patents. A hubless bicycle wheel design is now public domain: Wear and Tear's US patent for a hubless wheel expired on July 2003, due to non-payment of maintenance fees. Don't let Globe Holding bully you into licensing.

I love the design. problem is, its not that practical. Dont get me wrong, the only reason I am on this site is so I can find someone that sell them, thats the main problem W/ the damn things, no one sells them. one thing that I do know, if I had one on my bike I would be the coolest mofo in town and no one would leave me alone about it. all of you who dont like it F***K off, we dont care about your opinion, if you saw someone rideing that thing down the road you would be shiting yourself

to smart design.

good heavens, when I first looked at this design, I thought someone had sat on their glasses. I feel neither one way or the other, only to say that I HAVE sat on my glasses and it wasn't erm... comfy.

Hiroshi Tsuzaki: http://www.osmoswheel.com/pages/application_cycles.asp

I would like to clear something up: this bike does not utilize sbarro's hubless wheel, the osmos wheel.

i like it!

bucky tube rims for xtra strength maybe?

This bike would break within the first 20 minutes of normal city RIDING. Although, this bike was designed so that people could display rather than store it.

Beautifull looking indeed, it will work? Will it be a free riding I mean, I do not trust the idea of a noncentral weight posted on the wheels.

do you people really think that this will work. i think this guy is kidding.

Beautiful design! In purchasing decisions though, I am firmly a "function over form" buyer, so unless a test ride proved to me that it was as functional as it is good-looking, I likely wouldn't buy it. That said, a large percentage of consumers are firmly "form over function", so this bike would find buyers even if it's only good for a 10-block radius. Nice work!!!

There exist nothing new under the sun. Our creator has done everything, and it is evident in nature, the master teacher and master designer.

This is an interesting design. How about incorporating some integrated spring-and-damping ability into the wheels? No more complex suspension, yet having a nice ride. I'd be more concerned about friction in all those small bearings. Still, I don't see anything that makes it impossible. I do agree with those who say bikes are made to be ridden, not hung on a wall. I hope you get a chance to build this.

hahar that bike looks silly nice idea but i doubt i would use it coz i wud feel a bit of a wally!

Aesthetically I think the bike looks beautiful, but in the real world I dont believe it would work which is a pity. it'd be great if we could have more constructive criticism on here peeps

it doesn't say you cant ride it, it says its for displaying rather than storing away when your NOT ridding it. So you would ride it home then place it where it can be seen rather than placing it in the garage. not sure about the US but in the uk leaving a bike on display is a sure fire way of getting it nicked :)

Nice idea but surley functin comes before form

what is new in this design ! ıt's neither style nor design :( Study more ...

THE CONCEPT DOES IN FACT WORK STOP TALKING NONSENSE HERE! .....http://www.osmoswheel.com/pages/avantages.asp

capital letters, not a good attitude !!!!

Is is possible he meant that it is functional, and interesting enough to leave out on display when not being ridden?

There's just so many trolls on the internet today... Instead of insulting the guy, try giving some constructive criticism... Why do you all assume that if it doesn't apply to YOUR special little life, that the entire concept is junk? No, Lance Armstrong probably won't buy one, but there's plenty of hip cosmopolitan folks who just want to toodle around and look cool who would probably be interested. Here's my own personal thoughts: I think friction caused by the amount of force that has to be exerted to hold the wheel in place could be a big problem. With spokes, the force of weight downward is distributed in varying degrees across all of the spokes. However in this design, the force is primarily in one quarter of the wheel, between the frame mount point and the ground. At least that's how it appears to me. So, you'd need a tremendously strong material in the rim, and probably a very high pressure tire, wouldn't you? With some really nice bearings perhaps a kind of planetary gearing system on the inside of the rim for propulsion, this isn't THAT implausible. If the device pulling the rim towards the frame is not an actual loop, but a clamp sort of thing like a bicycle's brake levers, then the valve stem wouldn't be a problem, it would just go between the two ends of the clamp. I think that perhaps the front steering could be more controlled if the brace points were further apart. Maybe 30-40 degrees apart from each other? The other question I would have would be how would the shearing forces be kept from causing the wheels to wobble? The spokes on a normal wheel not only keep the wheel centered on the hub, but also keep the weel from moving laterally side to side. Seems like the front wheel especially could be very dangerous if it shifted sideways while riding.

it would work, they use hubless wheels on motorcycles. and i think he meant riding it, they displaying it as a work of art...

Why would you want a bike if you cant even ride it? I'd say, a waste of money.

it's beautiful

Its great that this design is getting some great press around the world! http://www.ivelo.com/fr/

the bloke that designed this bike dosent understand bikes, maybe he never rode one, only the look whuld be ok, the rest is inlogical, espensive to make, to much friction, fast wear,too many moving parts, weak conections,etc, maybe my concept whuld inprove the bike, and its to move the seat back, and attach pedals directly to the rear wheel, so to remove the chain etc and make the bike simpler and lighter.

When the plane was originaly invented, many "better knowers" stated that it would never fly, being heavier than air. They had to eat their hat later on. So beware! Dream shapes the future, hence do not try to stop it. Personnaly I love the idea and think it will turn out to be feasible, though with a few compromise/adaptation. Well done Bradford, carry on!

i like the look of the bike, but i would rather buy a bike to ride rather than put on my wall or somthing...nice idea to change the way a bike works, however in this case i think that the wheels would buckle very easily, due to the suport holding the wheels in place being close together.. whats stopping the wheels moving out of place..(especially the front wheel)..

i like your bike.& i am a indipandent designer.& making a new designe. so realy your designe is very imprasive comperisam my concept .

May have been mentioned- Choppers Inc use a hubless rear. Looks great. Works fine. Another company came up with a nice hubless front wheel system. What is wrong with buying into aesthetic design? The area holding the rim would have to be much bigger i think. The wheel rim should be a little deeper without losing the look.

I really dont think you can make that work for any rider over 160lbs..no way will those rims not flex to the point of breaking in any kind of real turning.

my nords are bichordal; thereby its precopulatingly oflandery poop!

I really want to correct myself : I meant to say that your invention is bichordial poop! thank, you..........

I've thought a lot about what I meant to say about what appears to be bichordial poop; This contraption is true pharphescence which transcends worplyness and verbendzing!

Im really lonely and work is slow-- your bichordial poop is stupendious!

do i see a hub inside the hubless wheel...(a place where there is a centre of activity)....changing the hub position to a new pivot point At this concept stage ...its only good for indoor racing activities and sprints obviously not designed for comfort riding. until the designer adds 1.wider and high profile tyres 2.housing for the drive hub which is inside the "hubless wheel" to minimise eg flared jeans or dresses or wearing both at the same time getting caught on the drivewheel hub 3. bring my own coushion for the seat 4 add some suspension and dampeners otherwise the cantilvered toprail with seat attached either bounce you to the back of Bourke or go and see the chiropractor. 5. are they self inflating tyres? 6. as for the front wheel, stem and rake...not to mention the massaging rollers and the load bearing when in full flight turning left into a street......hmmmmmmm...Waugh....Hrrr What Is It Good For! NULLA out of 10 for ergonomics 10 out of ten for cad work. PS..I agree with Stiv 23rd Aug 2006 comments

What a great design. Literally, reinventing the wheel! I'm just your average Joe Public and know nothing about engineering, but I think it looks sick and would definitely buy the bike over the traditional design just to possess something unique. All those people who say that this is not an original idea should consider how original that very statement is, as people have been posting the same comment for 12 months now. I've never seen anything like it.

What problems does the design solve? What problems does it create?

By saying it was designed so that people could display rather than store it was that it was made so people would ride it instead of it just sitting in their garage forever.

By saying it was designed so that people could display rather than store it was that it was made so people would ride it instead of it just sitting in their garage forever.

I think it's an attractive design. Put aside the unfortunate comment of display over function, its an engineering & production challenge. To the people who have shot this down; Why do bicycles look pathetically the same as they did at the turn of the (last) century? Are we too comfortable with "Model A's"? There are motorcycles running around with these wheels, albeit probably heavy. It's a concept folks. I'd buy it, you'd stare at it...

Chop the bars & "Brick" colored Ourys. This thing would barspin like a weedeater!

Wouldn't it kill your back to ride up so high with your head that low?