7 ms·

https://www.stringbike.com/stringbike_asthemagicworks.html https://www.stringbike.com/stringbike_asthemagicworks.html shows the mechanism. Looks nice. There wi

https://www.stringbike.com/stringbike_asthemagicworks.html https://www.stringbike.com/stringbike_asthemagicworks.html shows the mechanism. Looks nice. There will be a lot of pressure on a relatively small wheel there, so I wonder what dust or a grain of sand would do there. I would guess making sure the mechanism near the pedals stays operating smoothly takes more maintenance than with normal bicycles. I wonder whether they considered exchanging rotary motion of the pedals for up/down movement so that they could get rid of that complex shape. Also, given that they sell a “seatpole spare string holder“, those strings don’t seem to last as long as a traditional bicycle chain.

kazinator 4y ago
Any serious cyclist carries a chain link tool for fixing a broken chain, along with a couple of spare inner tubes. Breaking a link doesn't happen often, and you'd typically not let a chain get so old that it happens from age; that will trash the sprockets. I've had breakage happen, though, and was glad to be able to get going again, in minutes. Since you can't fix a broken string just by removing a link and closing it, the only protection against string breakage is to carry a full spare.
- adrianN 4y ago
  Cycling is essentially the only mode of transportation that I use but I never carry any spare parts or tools with me. Not even a pump. The only tool I carry is some cash and a credit card.
- elliottkember 4y ago
  A spare string weighs a lot less than a chain. They provide a spare string in the seat pole apparently. Edit: there's also two strings, one on each side. So if one snaps, I think you can ride home with the other
  - kazinator 4y ago
    Right; I've never met anyone who carries an entire spare chain. It would not even slightly make sense. If you put a new chain on old sprockets, it will likely skip, particularly on the rear cassette. This will go double if you're someone who allowed the chain to wear for so long that it just broke. That chain will only work with the sprockets that it is on and vice versa. If you damaged a newer chain due to some freak accident (like cross chaining while shifting under load or something: shouldn't happen on a quality, well adjusted drive train) you probably don't want to replace it; aside from the bent/broken link, it is good. Splice the damaged link out and get moving. Swapping in a new chain could be extra work. It likely has excess links which you have to remove and set aside, and may have stuck links that have to be identified and massaged into releasing.
  - tetraodonpuffer 4y ago
    I just have a couple powerlinks in my bag when riding, which take very little space. It is also unlikely to have a chain break while riding, however having a chain breaker tool and spare links comes in handy if your rear derailleur gives up the ghost (due to a fall etc), as in that case you can bypass it entirely with a shortened chain.
    - FridgeSeal 4y ago
      Mountain biker chiming in: have broken chains, friends have broken chains. It’s not a common occurrence, but basically ever has a chain breaker and spare links in their bags. MTB also admittedly puts a lot of components under far more wear and tear than other disciplines. For MTB especially, it’s not the fact that there’s probably better drivetrain options, but the fact that the current options will happily take a beating, and still let you ride back out. I’m sure the string is real nice and quiet, and has a nice internal hub, but my chain, mech and cassette will get whipped into trees and rocks, will have sand, water, grit ground through it for ~20kms, sustain impacts from going off drops and jumps and they’ll continue to work. I’ve bent mechs, hangers, dinged cassettes, ground chainrings, and they’ll put up with an astounding amount and still get you home. Once home the ease of access make maintenance a lot simpler, everything gets a clean and lube and it’s happy to go again.
  - wiredfool 4y ago
    I bring a breaker tool and a spare magic link. Never needed the link, but it’s small. The breaker tool has saved a couple of riding partners.
    - aliqot 4y ago
      It's always the clip on the magic link. You ever notice that? I've never broken the link itself, always the clip.
- loeg 4y ago
  > Any serious cyclist carries a chain link tool for fixing a broken chain Your definition of "serious cyclist" excludes a lot of serious cyclists. Precisely because it happens so rarely, carrying a bulky tool for a rare problem isn't worth it to everyone.
  - rtlfe 4y ago
    Yeah "serious cyclist" feels so impossible to define that it's meaningless. If I ride to work every day but go to a shop for maintenance instead of buying my own tools am I not serious?
    - kazinator 4y ago
      I'd say you're not serious about being able to back on a working bike in almost any conceivable breakdown situation.
      - loeg 4y ago
        > serious about being able to back on a working bike in almost any conceivable breakdown situation We've seriously shifted the goalposts from "serious cyclist."
        kazinator 4y ago
        Not really; a serious cyclist is someone who depends on and is invested in cycling as a mode of transport, who is not able to meet commitments if their bike breaks down without an real-time remedy.
        kixiQu 4y ago
        So... no one within range of being able to catch a bus is a serious cyclist because they have an out? No one who can call a friend for a ride can be serious about cycling? I don't think this is typically what people would mean by that phrase.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- switchbak 4y ago
  "Serious" cyclists are often using newer chains like those from SRAM. Many of these newer ones don't use spare links, you'd carry a quick link and remove a portion of the chain to get yourself riding again. Small distinction I agree, but you come off a little arrogant with such a strongly worded statement.
- NegativeLatency 4y ago
  I don't carry a chain link tool, too heavy/bulky. Been using a single speed with the same chain for about 13 years now.
- xupybd 4y ago
  I used to bike a lot when I was young. I took no spares. Worst case I walked my bike home.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- bootlooped 4y ago
  I consider myself a "bike ride enthusiast" to get out of these ridiculous standards and expectations.
- askvictor 4y ago
  There's a spare string provided in the seatpost; claims to take 10 minutes to replace and no tools required. But as with all riding, it depends on use-case. For remote cycling, you'll be carrying more spares than commuting, where worst-case you can walk the bike home.
- analog31 4y ago
  I've been cycling for 50 years. When I got a job where I could start riding to work, I carried an inordinate amount of stuff, including full rain gear, all the time. Gradually, I started leaving most of it behind. The reason was that I developed a better sense of the actual risks of breakdown, and the resources at my disposal should something happen, based strictly on my own circumstances. This is also kind of how I live my life. The people I know who've had breakdowns tend to be physically a lot stronger than me, and more "adventuresome" in their choice of riding conditions. For instance I expect my mountain biking friend to have a new story of destruction every few weeks. In some cases, I suspect that neglect or lack of maintenance skills played a role. I bring more spares and stuff when I go on really long rides, or if my family travels to some remote place with the bikes.
feb 4y ago
About longevity, on https://www.stringbike.com/stringbike_support_questionsandanswers.html https://www.stringbike.com/stringbike_support_questionsandan... they say strings last between 500 to 1500km. Bike chains supposedly last from 500 to 5000 miles (https://www.bikeshepherd.org/how-long-do-bike-chains-last/ https://www.bikeshepherd.org/how-long-do-bike-chains-last/) depending on usage and maintenance.
- ElijahLynn 4y ago
  The maths: 500km == 310.68m 1,500km == 932.05m 500m == 804.67km 5,000m == 8046.72km
  - swznd 4y ago
    I got confused a second. you should write "mi" not "m", m symbol for meter.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- rcoveson 4y ago
  It might cost more to manufacture in the USA, but that 61% increase to minimum longevity sure would be nice.
  - loeg 4y ago
    What is this comment in response to?
    - rcoveson 4y ago
      Minimum time to failure seems to be 500 in either unit, so it makes sense to move manufacturing (or at least testing) the the region that uses the larger unit.
      - switchbak 4y ago
gnopgnip 4y ago
With this string design the end of the string is fixed to the freewheel. So they don't have wear related issues that regular chains have like skipping gears, dropping a chain

kazinator 4y ago

Any serious cyclist carries a chain link tool for fixing a broken chain, along with a couple of spare inner tubes. Breaking a link doesn't happen often, and you'd typically not let a chain get so old that it happens from age; that will trash the sprockets. I've had breakage happen, though, and was glad to be able to get going again, in minutes. Since you can't fix a broken string just by removing a link and closing it, the only protection against string breakage is to carry a full spare.

adrianN 4y ago
Cycling is essentially the only mode of transportation that I use but I never carry any spare parts or tools with me. Not even a pump. The only tool I carry is some cash and a credit card.
elliottkember 4y ago
A spare string weighs a lot less than a chain. They provide a spare string in the seat pole apparently. Edit: there's also two strings, one on each side. So if one snaps, I think you can ride home with the other
- kazinator 4y ago
  Right; I've never met anyone who carries an entire spare chain. It would not even slightly make sense. If you put a new chain on old sprockets, it will likely skip, particularly on the rear cassette. This will go double if you're someone who allowed the chain to wear for so long that it just broke. That chain will only work with the sprockets that it is on and vice versa. If you damaged a newer chain due to some freak accident (like cross chaining while shifting under load or something: shouldn't happen on a quality, well adjusted drive train) you probably don't want to replace it; aside from the bent/broken link, it is good. Splice the damaged link out and get moving. Swapping in a new chain could be extra work. It likely has excess links which you have to remove and set aside, and may have stuck links that have to be identified and massaged into releasing.
- tetraodonpuffer 4y ago
  I just have a couple powerlinks in my bag when riding, which take very little space. It is also unlikely to have a chain break while riding, however having a chain breaker tool and spare links comes in handy if your rear derailleur gives up the ghost (due to a fall etc), as in that case you can bypass it entirely with a shortened chain.
  - FridgeSeal 4y ago
    Mountain biker chiming in: have broken chains, friends have broken chains. It’s not a common occurrence, but basically ever has a chain breaker and spare links in their bags. MTB also admittedly puts a lot of components under far more wear and tear than other disciplines. For MTB especially, it’s not the fact that there’s probably better drivetrain options, but the fact that the current options will happily take a beating, and still let you ride back out. I’m sure the string is real nice and quiet, and has a nice internal hub, but my chain, mech and cassette will get whipped into trees and rocks, will have sand, water, grit ground through it for ~20kms, sustain impacts from going off drops and jumps and they’ll continue to work. I’ve bent mechs, hangers, dinged cassettes, ground chainrings, and they’ll put up with an astounding amount and still get you home. Once home the ease of access make maintenance a lot simpler, everything gets a clean and lube and it’s happy to go again.
- wiredfool 4y ago
  I bring a breaker tool and a spare magic link. Never needed the link, but it’s small. The breaker tool has saved a couple of riding partners.
  - aliqot 4y ago
    It's always the clip on the magic link. You ever notice that? I've never broken the link itself, always the clip.
loeg 4y ago
> Any serious cyclist carries a chain link tool for fixing a broken chain Your definition of "serious cyclist" excludes a lot of serious cyclists. Precisely because it happens so rarely, carrying a bulky tool for a rare problem isn't worth it to everyone.
- rtlfe 4y ago
  Yeah "serious cyclist" feels so impossible to define that it's meaningless. If I ride to work every day but go to a shop for maintenance instead of buying my own tools am I not serious?
  - kazinator 4y ago
    I'd say you're not serious about being able to back on a working bike in almost any conceivable breakdown situation.
    - loeg 4y ago
      > serious about being able to back on a working bike in almost any conceivable breakdown situation We've seriously shifted the goalposts from "serious cyclist."
      - kazinator 4y ago
        Not really; a serious cyclist is someone who depends on and is invested in cycling as a mode of transport, who is not able to meet commitments if their bike breaks down without an real-time remedy.
        kixiQu 4y ago
        So... no one within range of being able to catch a bus is a serious cyclist because they have an out? No one who can call a friend for a ride can be serious about cycling? I don't think this is typically what people would mean by that phrase.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
switchbak 4y ago
"Serious" cyclists are often using newer chains like those from SRAM. Many of these newer ones don't use spare links, you'd carry a quick link and remove a portion of the chain to get yourself riding again. Small distinction I agree, but you come off a little arrogant with such a strongly worded statement.
NegativeLatency 4y ago
I don't carry a chain link tool, too heavy/bulky. Been using a single speed with the same chain for about 13 years now.
xupybd 4y ago
I used to bike a lot when I was young. I took no spares. Worst case I walked my bike home.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
bootlooped 4y ago
I consider myself a "bike ride enthusiast" to get out of these ridiculous standards and expectations.
askvictor 4y ago
There's a spare string provided in the seatpost; claims to take 10 minutes to replace and no tools required. But as with all riding, it depends on use-case. For remote cycling, you'll be carrying more spares than commuting, where worst-case you can walk the bike home.
analog31 4y ago
I've been cycling for 50 years. When I got a job where I could start riding to work, I carried an inordinate amount of stuff, including full rain gear, all the time. Gradually, I started leaving most of it behind. The reason was that I developed a better sense of the actual risks of breakdown, and the resources at my disposal should something happen, based strictly on my own circumstances. This is also kind of how I live my life. The people I know who've had breakdowns tend to be physically a lot stronger than me, and more "adventuresome" in their choice of riding conditions. For instance I expect my mountain biking friend to have a new story of destruction every few weeks. In some cases, I suspect that neglect or lack of maintenance skills played a role. I bring more spares and stuff when I go on really long rides, or if my family travels to some remote place with the bikes.

feb 4y ago

About longevity, on https://www.stringbike.com/stringbike_support_questionsandanswers.html https://www.stringbike.com/stringbike_support_questionsandan... they say strings last between 500 to 1500km. Bike chains supposedly last from 500 to 5000 miles (https://www.bikeshepherd.org/how-long-do-bike-chains-last/ https://www.bikeshepherd.org/how-long-do-bike-chains-last/) depending on usage and maintenance.

ElijahLynn 4y ago
The maths: 500km == 310.68m 1,500km == 932.05m 500m == 804.67km 5,000m == 8046.72km
- swznd 4y ago
  I got confused a second. you should write "mi" not "m", m symbol for meter.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
rcoveson 4y ago
It might cost more to manufacture in the USA, but that 61% increase to minimum longevity sure would be nice.
- loeg 4y ago
  What is this comment in response to?
  - rcoveson 4y ago
    Minimum time to failure seems to be 500 in either unit, so it makes sense to move manufacturing (or at least testing) the the region that uses the larger unit.
    - switchbak 4y ago

gnopgnip 4y ago

With this string design the end of the string is fixed to the freewheel. So they don't have wear related issues that regular chains have like skipping gears, dropping a chain