FAQ
The Shark Wheel FAQ will answer all your questions about shark wheels. If your question is not in our FAQ, please feel free to contact us.
Shark Wheel LLC is a company located in Lake Forest, California dedicated to making the most unique, innovative and technologically advanced wheels in the marketplace. David Patrick’s scientific discovery led to the literally reinvention of the wheel, which is flat on six sides and displays many performance advantages compared to the traditional wheel. This biomimetic invention is nearly identical to the shape of a shark’s jaw. When in motion, the wheel appears to be a rolling cube, although it feels perfectly circular when riding.
The thin profile of the Shark Wheel enables it to have low rolling resistance and achieve the same speeds of a traditional wheel of comparable width. The Shark Wheel, however essentially transforms into a wide wheel when it loses traction on soft terrains, such as sand or gravel. It displays the same characteristics as a thin wheel and a wide wheel in one design.
Yes.
It was a great experience and something that was not easy to prepare for. We only had a couple weeks to build all of our prototypes (stroller, wagon, etc) and had to build them by hand.. so they weren’t perfect.
But, the sharks saw the potential, the revenue, and the opportunity. They also understood the performance advantages we bring to the table. Shark Wheel in the Shark Tank!
The design is based on the shape of actual shark jaws.
1. Finite dynamic analysis test and real world testing of wheel in Canada. Third party tested the Shark Wheel’s performance under friction and tested its longevity. The Shark Wheel lasted 10% longer than any wheel they have ever tested. A traditional wheel has one defined center point and wears unevenly under friction. The Shark Wheel has a constantly changing center point, and is 540 degrees (as opposed to a traditional wheel at 360 degrees) and therefore lasts longer.
2. Stress testing at UCLA school of engineering. A traditional wheel has nearly all of the stress on the bearing. The Shark Wheel disperses stresses along its six undulations evenly. Less stress is placed on the center/bearings and therefore the bearings will last longer when using the Shark Wheel.
3. Abrasion resistance testing showed a 15% wear advantage over three industry leading wheels in an apples-to-apples comparison test. The same diameter, durometer and formulation/material were used.
4. Rebound testing showed a 15% advantage in the same apples-to-apples test as stated above. Rebound translates to speed and the Shark Wheel showed a speed advantage against the same industry leading wheels.
5. Current tests are underway at San Diego State University Mechanical Engineering Department. Off-road performance has shown to be Shark Wheel’s biggest advantage.
Yes.
A manufacturer in China has tried to rip off our technology. Not only are they violating our patent, but we are in the process of shutting them down.
We released a video on how to build a Shark Wheel. But, we released the wrong way on purpose! They went ahead and copied the faulty design and their wheel is extremely dangerous. And bumpy. Stay far away.
They actually sell an entire skateboard with fake Shark Wheels to distributors at $7 for the whole thing including shipping from China. Imagine the quality. Be very careful of low priced Shark Wheels – they will be fakes.
Yes.
Shark Wheels work with all standard bearings and trucks.
We highly recommend Shiver bearings (Abec 9 with built in spacers and speed rings), as the lubricant they use is top-of-the-line. We learned that lubricant is one of the most important aspects of bearing performance and Shiver uses the same lubricant that NASA uses. The more you ride it the better it gets because it works with heat. We sell Shiver bearings on our site for only $24.99 and they are comparable to $100 bearings.
David M. Patrick’s scientific discovery has led to shapes that have never been realized before. The shape is derived from shapes present in the natural world. The sine wave shape is seen in how sharks swim, snakes slither and even how humans walk with an alternating gait.
That is why our wheel follows the path of a shark’s jaw. When we realized the shape allows for a very wide wheel with low friction, we knew we were onto something. The wheel has all the benefits of a thin-profile wheel and a wide-profile wheel in one shape. Low friction and grip no longer have to be mutually exclusive.
60mm California Rolls: Red, Blue, Green, Orange, White, Black.
60mm Ghost Formula: Clear with Blue Hub, Clear with Red Hub.
70mm Sidewinder: Transparent Green, Transparent Purple, Transparent Blue, Transparent Amber, Green, Blue, Orange, Red, Turquoise.
70mm Mako: Black, White
Yes.
You will see a product line in the fall of 2016 consisting of:
- 97a derby
- 986a hybrid
- 978a outdoor
Estimated release date is Halloween 2016
We plan on going into every market with a wheel. It is just a matter of time. From military vehicles to wheelchairs to luggage, we want the Shark Wheel to be identified as the only non-circular wheel.
Shark Wheel will only enter markets where we have a distinct performance advantage.
Shark Wheel is currently developing wheels for:
- Luggage (for sale November 2016)
- Pallet jack wheels
- Medical industry
- Wheelchair wheels
- Casters
- Farming wheels
- Scooters
Skateboard wheels:
60mm California Rolls
60mm Ghost Formula
Longboard wheels:
70mm Sidewinder
70mm Mako
Coming soon:
54mm street/park wheel
75mm downhill wheel 80mm cruising wheel
The Shark Wheel design is not a gimmick. We have four defined performance advantages that are generating rave reviews. The Huffington Post, The Los Angeles Business Journal, Yahoo.com, MSN.com, The Atlantic, Popular Science and many others have written feature articles declaring David M. Patrick’s Shark Wheel as the ‘Reinvention of the Wheel’.
- Lightning Fast: The design allows for a thin contact patch touching the ground and therefore less rolling resistance, resulting in a quick ride. The material we use is made in California, has extreme rebound, and ranks amongst the best in the world.
- More grip and sliding control: The alternating pattern equates to increased control — the width is increased, but the friction is decreased! The sine wave design provides three lips per wheel for superior lateral grip. A traditional wheel only has one. When you want to slide, they break away predictably and recover easily.
- Multi-terrain: The sine wave pattern smoothly funnels most debris, pebbles, and dirt aside, instead of ‘steamrolling’ over it like traditional wheels. This allows for firm contact with the ground and a shockingly smooth ride. Some people have sent us reviews saying they like going over debris on purpose now instead of avoiding it.
- Perfect rain wheels: The alternating pattern of grooves significantly reduces hydroplaning by channeling liquid away from the surface of the wheel, allowing for a firm contact patch with the ground. Also, the rounded outer edges allow the rain to pass around the outside of the wheel smoothly, providing more aerodynamic functionality. The sine wave pattern beats the traditional grooved circular wheels in the rain wheel category for speed and grip.
Yes.
The wheel has six sides that are completely flat. It is not an optical illusion.
The wheels look snake-like in motion from the rear view, and like a rolling square from the side view and 45 degree angle view. It is hard to understand how they can feel perfectly circular-it helps to see them in person and test them out.
Yes.
We are actually building prototypes right now. We anticipate a significant advantage and an obvious difference in rough terrain performance.
International orders may incur additional charges by their local customs agencies. Tax and Duty De Minimis per country varies so make sure to check your country’s laws. For example, one country may charge you a tax if your order exceeds $40, while another country may charge you a tax only if your order exceeds $5,000. Please check so there are no surprise taxes from your customs agency.