>>>I wonder what it is like to ride one of these bikes.
>>>
>>>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2321942/The-British-engineer-really-HAS-reinvented-wheel-Loopwheels-abandons-spokes-springs.html
>>
>>Interesting. But not my style of bike - and I see they are (at least currently) only intended for this compact type. Also looks like they may be quite heavy compared to carbon fibre (or traditional spoke wheels).
>
>With larger diameter wheels (i.e. 700c) I'd be concerned about lateral stiffness, too. Also since the ends of each loop are offset horizontally I wonder if there would be any weird handling effects. Not to mention aerodynamics - these days aero rims with low spoke count/bladed spokes are pretty hard to beat. Sure there's no suspension but people riding those wheelsets are willing to suffer a bit for speed :)
>
>The Loopwheels do look interesting for the folding/commuter bike market. Still, I wonder how much improvement the rider sees over, say, a suspension seatpost.

I simply prefer a (fairly) light weight touring bike. A bit heavier, but less rigid, than a racer. Useless off-road but I don't do that.