It seems bizarre but Chinese inventor Guan Baihua has made a bicycle with one pentagonal and one triangular wheel!
Sounding like something out of Back to the Future or the Flintstones, Guan believes there is a real market for his invention as it requires more physical exertion to ride than a regular bicycle. Making it presumably more appealing to those wanting to keep fit.
Despite it's appearance the wheels of the bicycle provide a surprisingly smooth experience, not causing any oscillation as the seat remains at the same height throughout. This is down to their ingenious shape. Named after German inventor Franz Reuleaux they are Reuleaux Polygons. The side are not flat, but curve outward to echo the shape of a circle and if measured by diameter remain the same all the way round, defined as a shape with a 'fixed radius'.
Franz Reuleaux originally originally invented these polygons to be used in machines that turn one type of motion to another, but what you may not know is that you most likely come across these Reuleaux Polygons every day in the UK. The 50p and 20p coins are both Realeaux Polygons, made so that when dropped into a slot machine their diameter can be exactly calculated along with its size and weight to determine its value.
They can also be seen in Urban Planning, architects adopted the shape for manhole covers when not wanting to use the convention circular design. Problems occur with shapes such as squares which have a longer measurement of their diagonal, making them very easy to drop down the hole if turned; which is physically impossible with a Reuleaux Polygon.
Guan has high hopes for his bicycle but is already planning his next entrepreneurial quest, a social networking site to rival the greats of Facebook and Twitter, so they'd better watch out! This guy is nuts!
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