I'm not sure I understand.

I agree with divot2. Thaty's what I thought it was for (smile!).

The exposed gears are part of lightening the weight of the bike. Note the holes everywhere on the bike. That removes weight also. This is an extreme weight loss case where every ounce of weight means a win if they got rid of enough or a loss if they didn't.

I realize that but What about exposed running gear in that environment. Among many other issues. Purely art I think

The studded tires are for racing on ice.

Great for lawn aerification