Not really something I've paid attention to in the past, but they do intrigue me a bit.
While I'm all for a bit of inspired, left-field design and innovation I can't really see the appeal of these bikes. To me they seem like a bike redesigned to accomodate the shortcomings of using small wheels, while the wheels don't really bring any tangible benefits. I guess we have less room taken up and lower rotating / total mass, but these are about the only things I can come up with.. are they really deal-breakers in real world use? I guess the front suspension is probably pretty handy too.
Anyone care to enlighten me as to why one might choose one of these quirky little rides over a more traditional alternative?
While I'm all for a bit of inspired, left-field design and innovation I can't really see the appeal of these bikes. To me they seem like a bike redesigned to accomodate the shortcomings of using small wheels, while the wheels don't really bring any tangible benefits. I guess we have less room taken up and lower rotating / total mass, but these are about the only things I can come up with.. are they really deal-breakers in real world use? I guess the front suspension is probably pretty handy too.
Anyone care to enlighten me as to why one might choose one of these quirky little rides over a more traditional alternative?