I saw this wheel as a prototype for the 1st time in 2005, then again during Daytona Bike Week 2006. At this time, the manufacturer didn’t seem ready or inclined to mass produce such a piece of jewelry. Then, Capricorn Cyclo Works advised me that they are now manufacturing a limited edition of the “Involution” wheel in chrome & black nickel or whatever finishes I want. Or that I could submit my own design and that they would work with me to create a crazy one-off wheel design.
So, I went to their website and I encourage you to do the same to see 3 of their wheels in motion. I watched their videos a few times. My head is still spinning and I still don’t know what time it is. Capricorn Wheels.
All I can say is wow!
I wonder how the gearing can hold up under road speeds. The rim engagement must have to be extremly precise to hold all those gear sets and centerlines in alignment. A few mm’s out of align and I can imagine the thing chewing it’self up. I wonder how it effects gyroscopic precession?
That’s amazing…
Gearing holds up well under normal road speeds, due to the care taken in balance and alignment, as you suspect Joel. We haven’t noticed any gyroscopic peculiarities yet, but the Involution is designed to be a custom wheel, so the designs can vary greatly.
The true “secret” to the wheel, however, is that the gearing that you see is decorative, and not critical to the function of the wheel in its basic form. We have even engineered a slip mechanism, so that IF something should become lodged in the action, the wheel itself would continue to turn normally; so the gears and such are not critical to function.
Ahhh,
I’m begining to see beyond the incredible illusion.
There is actually structural support independant of the gear drive, et all. I’m both intrigued and relieved!