Originally Posted by steelbikeguy

I think you meant to say "Operators are standing by to take your money".

That reminds me of another great idea that keeps getting reinvented... the hubless wheel. This is where the there is a huge hoop that is a bit smaller than the rim, and there are bearings between the hoop and the rim. Sure, it looks interesting, with a big hole where you would usually see a hub and spokes, but it ends up heavier and more expensive, etc.

There's a nice, brief BBC article that explains "The magic of a hubless, or more accurately centre-less, wheel is that they aren't actually lacking a hub".

As an engineer, I fully understand the fun of designing stuff and seeing it turn into a useful item. I suspect that's what causes these things to be reinvented time after time. Someone should tell them to check the patent office to see if it's been invented before, or check some old books. If nothing else, they should talk to an engineer and find out that you don't want to actually take a product to production, because that means dealing with customers.

Steve in Peoria