It’s the first thing you notice about this bike: The back wheel is bigger than the front wheel. That’s a big no-no. UCI rules call for both wheels of all bikes to be of equal size. FUCI’s big wheel — which measures almost 3 feet in diameter — stores energy and allows the bike to maintain speed. The big wheel takes more effort to get moving from a stop, so the bike includes a tiny motor to help the rider with that.
Atlanta amateur road bicyclist Craig Heyl took a look at CNN’s video of the bike. He said he appreciates that Specialized is pushing the limits of creative design and technology. But he wonders about the bike’s drivetrain. “The multi cog cassette and derailleur systems is 1800s bike technology,” Heyl posted on the Facebook group page named “Team Hack & Wheeze.” “Obviously it works, but there are alternatives. Why the old school drivetrain on a revolutionary bike?”
Another “Team Hack & Wheeze” member, Tom Morley, questioned how well the bike would steer. “A bike’s handling is a very sensitive function of the various angles in the frame,” Morley posted. “It looks like a really steep steering angle, which would create a ‘twitchy’ or ‘responsive’ steering that would be unappealing for many.” Not only is Morley an amateur bicyclist who rides an average of about 100 miles a week, he’s also a mathematician. “It’s a function of the steering tube angle (head tube angle) and trail,” Morley pointed out.
