Until now there have been no obvious benefits to a “hubless” design. We have shown you multiple iterations in past years here and here. But beyond the novelty factor they served little practical purpose. Enter Italian engineer and designer Gianluca Sada. Sada has successfully created a folding bicycling with “spokeless wheels,” making this hubless design highly practical. See the Sada bike collapsed to nearly nothing, next…
The demand for bikes that collapse into storable dimensions is evident, especially in highly urbanized areas, but the unstable handling that tends to result from the small wheels found on most foldable bikes was Sada’s motivation for “reinventing the wheel.”
Not only can the 26” wheeled Sada easily collapse into a remarkably diminutive package, but it appears to ride with the stability of a traditional bicycle. Additionally, the lack of spoke/hub assembly not only eliminates certain maintenance issues but also greatly decreases the required storage space — the wheels simply fit flush, side-by-side.
Sada appears to still be in the pre-production stage with no word on pricing, weights, or availability. While the promotional video shows projections of a handsome travel case that would fully utilize the Sada bike’s collapsed dimensions, even allowing for additional gear storage, details are scarce. For those interested, contact Mr. Sada here.
