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Flat Pack Chainless Bicycle from IKEA
- rbinv 10y agoHow is that chainless?
- nom 10y agoIt uses a belt :)
- peterwwillis 10y agoBelt drive, no chains.
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- jamessb 10y agoIt has a belt drive [1], rather than a chain. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt-driven_bicycle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt-driven_bicycle
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- Lockyy 10y agoFrom the manual: > This bicycle is powered by a belt drive, which is a rustproof, durable and maintenance-free alternative to a regular chain. Seems like it's a similar but different system to produce the same outcome. It also says to not oil it, just wash with water. The bike also has no gear cables so it looks like it's designed to minimise maintenance as much as possible and that's a part of it.
- jgrahamc 10y agoIt doesn't have a chain. It uses a belt drive. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt-driven_bicycle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt-driven_bicycle
- peterwwillis 10y agoIt's two gear, so it's not great for inclines, and the belt and frame are less durable. I'm not sure it's worth the money once you learn bicycle maintenance (but you could say that about a lot of IKEA furniture and woodworking/metalworking)
- legodt 10y agoIf the belt is like standard belt drives (I need to look further into this, not sure if Ikea cheaped out or not), it should actually stand up to time better than a chain would. Belts are simply carbon cord embedded in a molded casing of nylon and polyurethane, and, more importantly, do not have any moving parts or linkages. It's just a belt! So you don't have to worry about the metal pitting over time or road salt settling in and destroying your drivetrain like you would with a traditional metal chain. This is more important to the European market where bicycle riders my not have cars, but owning a bike that you aren't afraid of taking out in the rain is another benefit of the belt. My biggest concern though is that like all parts, the belt will fail eventually. A quick look online shows that new belts cost around $250, over half of the retail price of this bike!
- mtdewcmu 10y agoCan anyone figure out why it's so expensive? Here's a fancier-looking 26" bicycle on walmart.com for $79.97 - $249.00. [1] [1] https://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Roadmaster-Granite-Peak-Men-s-Mountain-Bike/51233650 https://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Roadmaster-Granite-Peak-Men-s-...
- dsr_ 10y ago25 year frame warranty, 10 year belt warranty. Basically, the cost of replacing it three times is built into the price.
- antfarm 10y agoThe IKEA bike has a belt drive, disk brakes, aluminum frame, automatic 2-gear system, etc. The one from walmart.com is just plain cheap and low quality, nothing fancy about it.
- collyw 10y agoBelt drive - I can't see much advantage to that. Aluminium frame - probably the Wallmart ones are as well. Disk brakes - cheap V brakes would be fine for the sort of cycling you will do on that thing. (This seems to have the cheaper cable pull disk brakes, rather than more powerful hydraulic ones). 2 gear system - hardly worth having only two gears in my opinion. Maybe it's just because I am a bit of a bike snob with a fairly decent mountain bike, but I thought this looked pretty expensive for the type of riding it would be used for.
- tomatsu 10y ago> Belt drive - I can't see much advantage to that. Maintenance-free, always as efficient as a properly lubed chain, clean, and quiet. They are fantastic for commuter bikes. > cheap V brakes would be fine Disc brakes are unaffected by wet/muddy rims. > This seems to have the cheaper cable pull disk brakes Mechanical disc brakes are perfectly fine for road bikes. They require less maintenance, too. They are very simple. > 2 gear system - hardly worth having only two gears in my opinion. IGHs also require less maintenance than a derailleur. 2 gears isn't much, but I'd rather take that than a single-speed one. I would have preferred a manual 5-gear IGH, though.
- tyingq 10y agoZooming in, the belt says "Conti Drive System" on it. More info on that here: http://www.conti-drive-system.com/ http://www.conti-drive-system.com/ They seem to be competing with the "Gates Carbon Drive", here: http://www.gatescarbondrive.com/ http://www.gatescarbondrive.com/ I know nothing of bicycles, but I do recall when automakers started replacing timing chains with timing belts. The results weren't always great, especially with interference engines where misaligned timing means bent valves.
- doikor 10y agoThis is more like the belt drives we have had available in motorcycles for a long time just a smaller/lightweight version of it (due to much less power involved)
- yupyupp 10y agoBelt driven bikes have actually been around for quite a while. They aren't nearly as common as chained bikes but are generally less greasy/dirty. They are also usually good for people who don't do a ton of bike maintenance because (unlike a chain) a belt will never rust.
- BoorishBears 10y agoI remember us using the hardware for a belt driven bike in a solar car race, I recall it offered higher efficiency than chain drives that were available. Edit: Actually I think the main draw was the continuous gear ratios you got, somewhat comparable to a CVT
- yupyupp 10y agoThis is true. There tends to be a lot of power loss due to friction from rotation of the links around the pins in a chain.
- natermer 10y agoChain drives are about as efficient as you can get, actually. Can be more efficient then meshed gears.. But only if the chain is properly maintained. Belts may not have pins, but it still needs to simultaneously stretch and compress to go around pullies. The deformation and friction losses add up. With the solar-powered EV the fact that belts lend themselves to a simple and reliable CVT (constant velocity transmission) probably made up for drive train losses. They could run the motor at the optimal RPM regardless of speed, which can make a huge difference. With bicycling 'race bike image' and fashion plays a huge role in what people are willing to buy. People tend to want to spend the money on aping 'Tour De France' bicycles. So high seats and low bars for a 'racing position'. Clipless peddles, high dollar light-weight components... Especially going from 32 spoke wheels to as few as 8 or even 4 spokes are all symptoms of this trend. And that's just road bikes. Mountain bikes have their on trends with the heavy suspension components used for downhill that soak up all the energy from the rider, etc. It's the bicycle equivalent of trying to use a Nascar or Class B Rally car for getting groceries. You end up with a really expensive, fragile, high-maintenance, really uncomfortable bike totally inappropriate for touring/commuting/trail riding. Belt drives don't have a place in racing, so they usually don't have a place in most people's bicycles. The reality is that belts drives are a trade off between maintenance and efficiency. This Ikea bicycle uses a 2-speed automatic geared hub with belt drive. It features built-in lights and a very upright riding position. It has front disk brake and rear coaster brake (you have to peddle backwards). It looks fairly heavy and ruggedly built. The advantage of this is that it offers very simple controls and should be extremely low maintenance. It should accept abuse and neglect and run for a long time. So things like... A family bicycle for running to the local store. Going on flat, level trails. It would be very nice for a 'campus bike' for universities or corporate areas were you spend time going from one building to another. Rental bikes. It should lend itself to any situation were you are dealing with fairly flat ground, leisurely pace, and multiple people sharing the bicycle. It won't ruin clothing, it won't spray water and dirt everywhere. You pants are not going to get caught in the gearing. You are not going to have rusted chains or dragging brakes. If it falls over you don't need to un-bend things or re-adjust derailleurs, etc. The things to worry about this is the same for most Ikea products: Non-standard components, sizing and shockingly cheap components that sabotage the rest of the product. if it uses rugged and standard sizing/components for everything then it will probably be awesome... if not then it could be a turd.
- catpolice 10y ago43 lbs, ouch.
- woodruffw 10y ago33, although that's still quite hefty by modern standards ;)
- mrfusion 10y agoI have a 30yeae old bike and I've never done anything special with the chain. Should I be worried?
- legodt 10y agoTake it in to your local bike shop if you are really worried. The biggest factor in your chain's health (assuming you have kept it in a nice dry place over the years) is how much you ride it. It's a mechanical part, so it shouldn't simply go bad in an inert state. If you are riding it regularly though take it to your local shop and have it looked over. A new chain w/ installation should only run you about 20 or so bucks for a low end chain.
- yupyupp 10y agoSimply spraying some lubricant (like Teflon spray for example) onto the chain, running through all the gear combinations, and wiping the excess lubricant off the chain every couple months goes a long way. It helps your bike make less noise, extends the life of your chain, and helps keep your chain from turning totally black with grease. (Which means you're less likely to get grease stains on your pants when you ride.)
- bluedino 10y agoYou must not ride it much. Chains and gears are wear items on bicycles. They should be cleaned and lubricated regularly.
- collyw 10y agoThe gears and chain generally wear at the same rate. If you put a new chain on a worn out old set of gears they will likely slip.
- stusmall 10y agoThe chain wears out muuccchhh faster than gears when properly maintained. If you let your chain stretch too much, then you'll wear out gears quickly. This isn't them wearing out at the same rate, it's a worn out chain ruining your cassette and chainrings.
- mrfusion 10y agoWhat means flat pack?
- mtdewcmu 10y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ready-to-assemble_furniture https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ready-to-assemble_furniture
- legodt 10y agoIkea's primary brand tenant is their ability to ship and store all of their goods very efficiently because they break down to pack into very flat boxes with little wasted space. For example, a big bookshelf is sold in only flat pieces so the package you leave the store with is the size of a box of cereal. This is how Ikea makes money over their competitors and is able to warehouse huge inventory at their retail locations. Customers also love it because it means you can buy a couch and load it into the back of your small car since it isn't assembled. In this case I assume it means the bike is disassembled in key places to maintain an extremely low profile and densely packed box.
- xgbi 10y agoIt is me or there's no rear brake? Without suspension at the front, this asks for front flips whenever I touch the brakes too hard..
- tyingq 10y agoThe product description says front disc brake plus rear coaster brake.
- brndnmtthws 10y ago90% of your braking 'power' comes from the front brake. Under hard braking in ideal conditions, this is closer to 100%. You can safely remove the rear brake from most bikes. This is a common misconception [1]. The same is true for motorcycles. [1]: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html
- crazygringo 10y agoThat is not a misconception at all, at least not for bicycles, and it's highly dangerous to suggest so. Have you ever tried braking while going down a steep hill? (e.g. San Fran hills?) You know, to stay at a safe speed? Front brake will flip you over in an instant, I know because I've done it, even at slow speeds, when my rear brake cable snapped. After a couple tries I walked home, since bicycling without a rear brake was clearly suicidal. And your linked article just talks about the rider flying over the handlebars because the rider isn't "bracing themselves against deceleration" -- whatever that means. I'm talking about the bike itself flipping.
- Eridrus 10y agoCan second this; flipped my bike going down a ramp while I was young; learnt my lesson.
- Unman 10y ago> Front brake will flip you over in an instant, I know because I've done it, even at slow speeds That's because you simply do not know how to ride a bicycle. In such a situation you need to get your weight back behind the saddle and modulate the application of the brake. O.P. is one hundred percent correct that you do not need a rear brake -- and I speak as someone that rode for several years in without one including in SF.
- woodruffw 10y agoI've been keeping an eye on this bike's development for a while, and I'm not disappointed with the outcome. It's still more expensive than a box-store bike, but I hope that availability at IKEA will make it more appealing to college students. Internal gears and a belt drive will make for more interesting maintenance, but anything beats the hi-ten 18-speed monstrosities that currently dominate college campuses.
- lolptdr 10y agoWhat's wrong with the hi-ten 18-speed bikes? Less elegant design?
- Eric_WVGG 10y agoSelling the wrong bike to the wrong person. A casual cyclist should have something that is simple, comfortable and reliable. High-tensile steal will equate a rough ride. 18 gears and a transmission has a hugely larger number of points of failure, that's just math. And requires regular maintenance, which casual cyclists don't/won't do. IMO most riders would be best served by Dutch style built-like-a-tank cruisers (which the IKEA is) or lightweight, ultra minimal single speed "hipster" street bikes. But the typical new rider gets a mountain bike for the road, or something designed to look like a racing bike that will be rattling and rusty after one winter.
- 21 10y agoI'm not sure what you mean by regular maintenance. For 10 years I've been casually using an $800 Kona flat-bar bike, 24 speeds, and I didn't need to change anything on it. It was pretty much maintenance free. I did last year took it in for checks, just to be on the safe side, but they said that it is fine and nothing needs fixing.
- woodruffw 10y agoI was referring to the fact that most box-store bicycles are made out of cheap hi-ten steel and have 18-21 speeds. There's nothing particularly wrong with either, they're just indicators that the bike is overall of low quality.
- ashark 10y agoLike all their other stuff, this is useless to me unless the local store happens to choose to stock it. Ikea's distribution/delivery system is super annoying.
- cwiggs 10y agoDoes anyone know if the trailer can be used with other bikes? I don't see anywhere on the site where it explains how it attaches to the bike. edit: nevermind, i missed the manual. It looks like it will attach to just about any bike as it just attaches to the bicycle's rear wheel.
- kpozin 10y agoIKEA's disclaimers are more apt than ever. > WARNING - Serious or fatal crashing injuries can occur from furniture tip-over. To prevent this furniture must be permanently fixed to the wall.
- SixSigma 10y agoThat was required from the exact tip-over happening too often
- seattle_spring 10y agoOn a bike?
- johnny99 10y agoI used to be a bike mechanic, and have gotten to work 90% by bicycle for the past two decades, so I'll take a stab at some of the questions: - Belt drives are great. They're sturdier than chains, cleaner, and something I love, quieter. The angle of the belt doesn't change, the way a chain does, which means you can add a chain guard, as this bike does. Which keeps it yet cleaner. You can ride to work without worrying about grease on your pants. - Whatever people ride in the Netherlands, a half-decent bike is a lot more pleasant than something slapped together. The gears don't grind, the brakes work, they weigh less--which hardly affects speed, but makes them easier to lug around, take up stairs, etc. Fancy carbon is unnecessary for commuting or about-town, but $500 for a quality bike that will be easy to maintain is reasonable. I speak as someone who has three frankenbikes in the garage--slapping something together is fun, but it's like getting an $800 car. Likely to be a headache. - That said, bike shops tend to be snobby, and try to get you to buy more than you need. Regular people don't need carbon, or 30 gears, or to spend >$1k. - It's nice that this is an integrated system. Fenders are great (again, keep you clean), and are often a pain to get on without them rubbing or making noise. Having them built in is a big plus, and makes the price more reasonable. Likewise, the trailer, racks, and bags that are made for this are all reasonably priced, and presumably work together well. - If there are hills near you, 2 speeds suck--I live in SF and I'd be pushing this thing up hills all day. I'm also not a fan of coaster brakes. But this is a geo/personal thing, ymmv. - If you're going to order a bike online and want something cheaper, two people in my office bought a Schwinn Discover on Amazon for about $270, and they're great bikes. They came in good shape, partially assembled, but benefitted from my doing a quick tune-up. Even if you paid a shop to do that for $50, still a lot cheaper than the Ikea bike, which itself could probably use some fine-tuning.
- tzakrajs 10y agoMy belt driven Scott Sub 10 slips teeth under really high torque. I dont know if this is typical of all belt driven, but they seem less robust under torque genrally.
- xorcist 10y agoI got one of those! I've done most of my commuting on it during the past year. Mine doesn't slip under load. Perhaps check with your bike shop that it is tensioned enough?
- mianos 10y agoI saw this in the store on the weekend. The bike is very very heavy. All well and good if you live in Holland but if you don't, this is an expensive sea anchor. (I commute every day on a bike worth less than fifty bucks and ride 5k a year on my road bike).
- zobzu 10y ago- 15kg is not light even for a tank build. - 2 speeds 26in wheels addes to that weight ensure that you can only ride flat terrain, specially if you aren't a fit experienced cyclist... - disc brakes are great when good quality but also require regular maintenance and truing unlike traditional brakes - bikes twice the price don't have 25 limited frame warranty. they have life warranty. so basically whats good about this bike? well, the belt drive. thats it. at this price, i dont know if I'd recommend it given the issues and that nobody has really tested the bike yet
- antisthenes 10y agoYeah, as a person who grew up riding fixies, because nothing else was available and then having finally tried riding a proper multi-geared 24 speed bike, I'm never going back to anything less than 8 speeds. The flexibility it gives is amazing. You can basically ride on 30%+ inclines by shifting speeds (albeit slowly). I don't see myself being able to do that on a heavy 15kg 2 speeder, and if I have to get off a bike, then by definition it failed its purpose.
- gonzo 10y agoStill riding my 1992 Gary Fisher "Super Caliber".
- milkey_mouse 10y ago> WARNING - Serious or fatal crashing injuries can occur from furniture tip-over. To prevent this furniture must be permanently fixed to the wall. Somehow I doubt permanently fixing one's bicycle to the wall will help.
- peterburkimsher 10y agoBelts and chains both break. Ordering a replacement belt will take several days, if not weeks. Removing the broken link from a chain takes a few minutes with a portable tool that I carry with me. I can still get to the office on time. Failure-mode operation is more important to me than keeping my hands clean. Sure, my bike's noisy and dirty, but it's a whole lot faster than walking.