Thread: Helix Update?
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Old 02-20-19, 07:07 AM
  #1710  
Gibsonsean
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Originally Posted by kahuna100
Gonna disagree with you on the seat post design, that's a concession to a design feature that led to inadequate reach... there was a post on this exact concern not long ago.

The photos reveal a very prettily put together bike that has other design features that may have been fun to draw and conceive but that won't work in the real world. One photo shows the drive chain nearly right on top of a frame tube, that's gonna slap slap slap every bump. And those helical hinges (hard to drop that "cool" design decision when the name is "Helix") are dirt magnets. Imagine the fold after a wet ride and the sound that the grit is going to make as the hinges rotate together. Sure hope there's a way to open them up to clean/grease (and I wonder about the tolerances necessary to keep them tight after a couple hundred folds with sand in them. Last nitpick from a quick look is the circlip at the stem hinge, another engineering decision that will work, but there's better ways to finish off that shaft and hold it in place.

As a designer, it's easy to critique other's work, and there's no doubt a massive effort in that bicycle. But, and I'll reiterate it's just looking at the photos, the bicycle reeks of a lack of considered critique and some of its significant and foundational design features (helical fold) are not utile for the way that commuters/etc will use their bikes.
The choice to eliminate the collar on the seatpost presumably allows a smaller fold but is a worry from a fatigue standpoint and not replaceable/easily repairable.

The drive chain is not on top of anything when riding as far as i can see. I thought that too for a moment but the photo you are looking at is from below and a check against the photos of the full bike. Chain slap may be a 'feature' while rolling folded. Nothing a clear protective film won't resolve.

The exposed helical hinges have long been an area of concern/discussion on the backer forum, with suggestions mooted for sheilding them. I am pretty confident, given their criticallity, the extensive flagging of concerns and Peter's evident attention to detail, that the design and implementation carefully consider wear on these. We do know that the screw is very hard, the sheath is very slick and replaceable and that fit is very tight. Time will tell on their durability bit the critical design decisions are not necessarily discernable by photos alone.
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