What's going on here???

[zimzum42]

I have no idea!

 

[zimzum42]

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Designed by M C Escher?

Wonder what that's meant to do, sell more chain I guess...

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Designed by M C Escher?

Wonder what that's meant to do, sell more chain I guess...

My first thought too and then Hmmmph - keep that clean

Could be a gear reduction/increase thingy but why?

 

[levad]

The drop out doesn't look like a purpose made single speed drop out. My guess is that it is a chain tensioner only fitted at the front "be different" and cause threads like this to be started.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Looks like one sprocket will turn in the opposite direction to the other

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Looks like one sprocket will turn in the opposite direction to the other

I thought that - one must be freewheel. I think. Or do I.

 

[darkstar]

Brilliant advertising for the company!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Brilliant advertising for the company!

One link works the other not. The FredWilliams site doesn't seem to have this machine on it (during my brief look I couldn't find it)

 

[levad]

Looks like one sprocket will turn in the opposite direction to the other

That was my second thought, I have just drawn it out and both rear sprockets will turn in the same direction. I think this is because the chain crosses 3 times

 

[mr_cellophane]

Looks like one sprocket will turn in the opposite direction to the other

A reverse gear for bikes ?

 

[Headgardener]

I think you have it wrong Levad the chain only crosses twice therefore the inner cog is a reversed freewheel IMHO.

 

[levad]

I think you have it wrong Levad the chain only crosses twice therefore the inner cog is a reversed freewheel IMHO.

Guilty as charged I have had another look and, in words (don't they paint a thousend pictures or something) ... the chain goes ...

Top of Chain Ring (CR) to top of Outer Rear Sprocket (ORS)
Bottom of ORS to bottom of Front Sprocket (FS)
Top of FS to to bottom of Inner Rear Sprocket (IRS)
Top of IRS to bottom of CR.

Simple.

Therefore the ORS and the IRS turn in opposite directions so this bike is either fixed and does not move at all, or one of the rear sprockets turns freely making the bike not a fixed and contravening the advertising on one of the stickers on the chainstay

'Tis neither one thing nor 'tother, neither fixed or free

 

[661-Pete]

Are the two rear sprockets different sizes? It looks to me like the inner one is smaller.

I vaguely remember seeing a drawing of some vintage (possibly Victorian) 2-speed internal-geared hub with no control wire: what you had to do was pedal backwards to get the lower gear. This may be some attempt to replicate the effect. Both sprockets are freewheels in the normal orientation. If you pedal normally the outer sprocket is driven and the inner one idles. If you pedal backwards the inner sprocket is driven and the outer one idles.

Or I may be totally wrong.

Anyway, I wouldn't like to try riding this!

 

[Piemaster]

Sure I've seen this somewhere before. Think the outcome was that forward motion is a result of pedaling in either direction