Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carry load

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by tasty_freeze on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @12:03AM (#21056414)

So this new system saves about 2% of effort, which is large savings for competitive cyclists.

For 99% of cyclists, though, it doesn't matter. The overwhelming part of your work goes into air resistance, then rolling resistance at lower speeds, and probably the chain in last place.

In the last few seconds of video the mechanism can be heard -- oh boy, it is loud. The pawl in bikes can range from nearly silent to annoying, but this one seems to be even worse.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by jascii on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @02:43PM (#21063315)

They claim 99.2% efficiency (in lab conditions) and compare that to 97% for a chain drive. In lab testing, bicycle chain drives have been found to be 98.6% efficient: https://web.archive.org/web/20080306054536/http://www.jhu.ed... so that would be an improvement of 0.6% rather then the 2% quoted..

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by bobowzki on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @12:39AM (#21056613)

And also most people's bikes aren't perfectly maintained.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by loeg on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @01:40AM (#21056888)

Probably this system also loses efficiency if not perfectly maintained.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by almostarockstar on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @05:13AM (#21057962)

Looks like it has less exposed moving parts that a classic bike. Could be easier to maintain / clean / lube.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by loeg on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @03:16PM (#21063580)

Not the naked variant — it's about the same as a chain derailleur. Maybe with the cover. It doesn't exactly look easier to clean that giant sharp dinner plate. Idk.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by jerrya on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @01:17AM (#21056795)

But perhaps for the average cyclist this "split pinion works under load shifting mechanism" is easier to use and more reliable.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by hpaavola on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @01:25AM (#21056834)

To me it sound like it is possible to shift only one gear at a time and only when pedaling. So if you stop at traffic light with high gear, you can not switch to lower gear while waiting for the light to switch.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by adrianN on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @01:30AM (#21056850)

Most chain drives can't switch gears without pedaling either.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by hpaavola on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @01:38AM (#21056879)

Internal gear hubs typically (always?) can change gears when not pedaling, derailleur gears can't.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by loeg on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @01:43AM (#21056898)

And most chain drives are derailleur systems, not IGH, so you're both right :-).

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by dom_hutton on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @02:27AM (#21057122)

And most IGH systems are chain drive as well, so all three of you are correct :-)

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by basch on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @09:11AM (#21059735)

if chain includes belt.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by pmontra on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @04:06AM (#21057636)

My experience with Shimano gears is that if I change when stopped or while not pedaling the change completes when I start pedaling again. The only important thing is to go easy on pedals if starting from still and don't change both the front and the rear gears.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by tinus_hn on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @04:31PM (#21064308)

As a category of bikes that also can’t do this is quite popular this isn’t a deal breaking issue.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by rhinoceraptor on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @10:12AM (#21060369)

You definitely can, just hold the front brake and push the handlebars forward to lift off the rear wheel. It's even easier if you're using clipless pedals.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ceramicspeed chainless bike can nows shift gears and carr... by dzhiurgis on Tuesday September 24, 2019 @03:34AM (#21057461)

> For 99% of cyclists, though, it doesn't matter.

What matters is clean look. Chains are dirty and look dangerous. Good bikes (like Dutch omafiets) cover the chain, but if scaled manufacturing cost of this system is $30 extra, people would pick this one.

[ Parent | on HN ]