Lou Tortola, an inventor and entrepreneur from Windsor, Canada, was literally thinking in circles when he dreamed up his bicycle frame design. The RoundTail is a radical departure from the traditional double-triangle frame. Lou feels his design takes comfort to a new level while retaining the lateral stiffness and pedaling efficiency of traditional diamond frame bicycles.

His prototype is a road bike but it is not a stretch to see how rings of fire applied to mountain bikes could shake things up. Just the thought of building up a 29er with this frame design has us chomping at the bit.

You can keep track of Lou and his idea by clicking here.

What do you think of a 29er RoundTail mountain bike version? We agree. We'd love to ride one.

"We haven't had that spirit here since 1969." Just when you think nothing could change a bike frame, something like the RoundTail rolls on the scene.

Mountain Bike Action is a monthly magazine from Hi-Torque Publishing in Valencia, California. It has been published since 1986. You can start a subscription by clicking here or calling (800) 767-0345. Contact us via email at mbaction@hi-torque.com