How is this different from simply reducing the tire pressure? Your body weight is constantly pressing down the rotating axis from the center of the wheel so in

How is this different from simply reducing the tire pressure? Your body weight is constantly pressing down the rotating axis from the center of the wheel so in order to move forward you'll be spending energy on compressing the next section of the wheel equally much? Even if you get some of that energy back once the rear section of the wheel decompresses it's never going to be 100%. It might have some benefits compared to a loosely inflated tire in terms of more parameters to calibrate and less road friction but this will never come close to a suspension locked in the vertical direction on the frame in terms of efficiency. Maybe this is not an important factor for wheel chairs? Edit: Actually the softwheel has an efficiency comparison which claims it's more efficient than both rigid frame and fork suspension, even on flat ground http://softwheel.technology/technology/#softwheel-science-worlds-most-energy-efficient-wheel http://softwheel.technology/technology/#softwheel-science-wo..., maybe if you bike fast enough the wheel never has time to compress so it's still considered round and center?