4 ms·

If I got one dollar for every time someone says the bike chain will be replaced...

by epx 7y ago

wyre 7y ago
Ya, the chain isnt leaving until something that can compete with it in a combination of weight, modularity, maintenance, cost, and performance. Carbon belt drives are an alternative, but are not shiftable without internal gears like a Rohloff hub or Pinion gearbox/bottom bracket which are expensive and heavy, and regarding the Pinion, needs a proprietary bottom bracket built into the bicycle's frame. Belt drives are more much more expensive than chains, and also require a special frame, but they last much longer, and require virtually no maintenance. They are not nearly as efficient though which is why they aren't found on track bikes. Belt drives are great for riders that enjoy just riding along and want to invest in a nice maintenance-free alternative. When Driven reaches production I would bet that it will go the way of the belt drive. It will have incredible improvements over a chain, but will be very expensive. I wouldn't be surprised if the total cost of the crankset, driveshaft, cog, and shifters are north of $3000 or more, not including the price of the wheel or frame. Pricing out almost everyone, except for the select few that find the improvements worth it. It won't be released until it is able to be raced professionally and I definitely think it will be seen in races where seconds matter. It won't replace the chain as we know it, but this alternative will be on certain bikes owned by people that care about its benefits.
- blunte 7y ago
  At scale production numbers, the cost should be much lower than 3000. And for bikes that aren’t as sensitive to weight, cheaper heavier materials can be used. I believe it can replace the chain in all but the lowest bikes. It will start expensive, but so did many other technologies we now see on common priced bikes.
- ip26 7y ago
  Belt drive does lend itself to CVT, so we might see a belt drive CVT bicycle someday, avoiding the need for an IGH.
soared 7y ago
Agreed. The bike chain is the thing that replaced shaft-driven bikes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaft-driven_bicycle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaft-driven_bicycle

If I got one dollar for every time someone says the bike chain will be replaced...

by epx 7y ago

If I got one dollar for every time someone says the bike chain will be replaced...

wyre 7y ago

Ya, the chain isnt leaving until something that can compete with it in a combination of weight, modularity, maintenance, cost, and performance. Carbon belt drives are an alternative, but are not shiftable without internal gears like a Rohloff hub or Pinion gearbox/bottom bracket which are expensive and heavy, and regarding the Pinion, needs a proprietary bottom bracket built into the bicycle's frame. Belt drives are more much more expensive than chains, and also require a special frame, but they last much longer, and require virtually no maintenance. They are not nearly as efficient though which is why they aren't found on track bikes. Belt drives are great for riders that enjoy just riding along and want to invest in a nice maintenance-free alternative. When Driven reaches production I would bet that it will go the way of the belt drive. It will have incredible improvements over a chain, but will be very expensive. I wouldn't be surprised if the total cost of the crankset, driveshaft, cog, and shifters are north of $3000 or more, not including the price of the wheel or frame. Pricing out almost everyone, except for the select few that find the improvements worth it. It won't be released until it is able to be raced professionally and I definitely think it will be seen in races where seconds matter. It won't replace the chain as we know it, but this alternative will be on certain bikes owned by people that care about its benefits.

blunte 7y ago
At scale production numbers, the cost should be much lower than 3000. And for bikes that aren’t as sensitive to weight, cheaper heavier materials can be used. I believe it can replace the chain in all but the lowest bikes. It will start expensive, but so did many other technologies we now see on common priced bikes.
ip26 7y ago
Belt drive does lend itself to CVT, so we might see a belt drive CVT bicycle someday, avoiding the need for an IGH.

soared 7y ago

Agreed. The bike chain is the thing that replaced shaft-driven bikes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaft-driven_bicycle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaft-driven_bicycle