zlacker

>>tromp+(OP)
The correct answer is:

the largest number representable in 1 bit is any number (including +infinity and beyond).

This article describing various Rube Goldberg machines, there is no need to agree on different ways of representing numbers when one can set a single bit to 1 to represent any desired pre-defined number, or 0 to represent its absence (or the number 0).

>>nivert+Ob2
A Rube Goldberg machine is one intentionally designed to perform a simple task in a comically overcomplicated way, usually consisting of a series of simple unrelated devices.

Programs like Melo and w128 are the opposite, performing a hard task with the simplest means, using only a few highly inter-related parts.

Your proposed representation is exactly the kind of cheating, to get the results you want, that the article purposely avoids.