The day I rode back from the T.O.B..final stage..

[yenrod]

in Liverpool.

I was on the way back - about halfway and I seen:..

Cept it was black and looked old and some of the bits where coloured/painted gold.

I would have talked with the bloke except I was wanting to get on/keep on riding... as it as lateish and I wanted to do a ride, still.

Very interesting.

 

[Aperitif]

A BMW bike?! A first for me.

 

[rich p]

What am I missing?

 

[Aperitif]

Shaft drive rich - least that's what I think it is.

 

[rich p]

Oh yes. No chain and ringy things

 

[peanut]

wow its been done.
I have been toying with this idea for several years but not followed through.
This has to be the future.Its probably fixed but it would be simple to add a hub gear to the rear wheel . Wow well spotted Hawkeye

Mmm looks like it was first designed in 1880 !....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaft-driven_bicycle

looks like you can buy one for 300 squids
http://www.zerocycles.co.uk/bikes.php

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/main.jhtml?xml=/gardening/2002/11/16/obike16.xml

 

[Andy in Sig]

There've been reports on that system for a while in the German bike mags. I saw one in a bike shop in Berlin (just off Savignyplatz if anybody is over there) and it looked convincing.

Another recent development is a toothed band rather than a chain. Apparently this was tried years ago but flopped because no suitable i.e. non stretchy, materials were available. They reckon they've cracked it now. The advantages are that they need no oil and they can't slip. Obviously they have to be used with hub gears. The German bike press seems convinced that they are far better than conventional chains and it is only a matter of achieving public acceptance of new technology.

 

[Joe24]

I saw one at the Get Cycling show in Nottingham. I rode one, didnt give it a proper test though.
Look strange without the chain ring though.

 

[ChrisKH]

There've been reports on that system for a while in the German bike mags. I saw one in a bike shop in Berlin (just off Savignyplatz if anybody is over there) and it looked convincing.

Another recent development is a toothed band rather than a chain. Apparently this was tried years ago but flopped because no suitable i.e. non stretchy, materials were available. They reckon they've cracked it now. The advantages are that they need no oil and they can't slip. Obviously they have to be used with hub gears. The German bike press seems convinced that they are far better than conventional chains and it is only a matter of achieving public acceptance of new technology.

In theory it should be the same for cars, hence the development (and downfall) of the Daf. I'm a bit of a sceptic as I used to have one years ago.

 

[Paulus]

I don't like the saddle angle though.

 

[yenrod]

http://www.zerocycles.co.uk/bikes.php

Very affordable !

 

[Fnaar]

Can you still put mudguards on it?

 

[Shaun]

Took me a while to figure out what was different about it too.

I can't help wondering though whether they have their own distinct sound?

We're all familiar with the ssssssssshhhhhhhhhh of our chain/derailleur[sp?]/gears, but what noise do crank driven bikes make?

 

[Kirstie]

This has been tried before. When I went to the cycling museum in camelford they had a shaft drive bike dating from 20 - 30 years ago...had no idea someone had tried it again cos IMO it's a pretty duff idea for somewhere like Britain unless the whole system is sealed really well.

 

[Fnaar]

Took me a while to figure out what was different about it too.

I can't help wondering though whether they have their own distinct sound?

We're all familiar with the ssssssssshhhhhhhhhh of our chain/derailleur[sp?]/gears, but what noise do crank driven bikes make?

they go "crank... crank... crank..." of course