which chainless bicycles to fund?

MiniDoom

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2004
5,305
0
76
looks like both would be a bitch to ride and hard on the knees. I would never buy that.
also a lot of pressure on the wrists.
 

phucheneh

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2012
7,306
5
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Reinventing the bicycle? Really? We got over the concept of tying the pedals directing to a wheel (see: penny farthing/high wheeler).

Those look horribly uncomfortable, probably unstable, and would suffer severely from gearing issues. "Fixies" don't use a 1:1 ratio. Enjoy that 10mph top speed.
 

phucheneh

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2012
7,306
5
0
If it ain't broke don't fix it. Those are a step backward, current bicycles are fine.

Especially considering the biggest issue with chains is losing them as they drop across sprockets to change gears. Fixed gear (freewheel or not) kind of already addressed that. You have to neglect/abuse one pretty hard to lose your chain.

Plus, if you really want to eliminate chains...uh, shaft drive. Which I'm pretty sure has been around since WWII or earlier.
 

PottedMeat

Lifer
Apr 17, 2002
12,363
475
126
my mtb is nearly maintenance free. buy brake pads once in a while, lube the chain, adjust the derailleur.

the only thing i really want is a nearly puncture proof tire.
 

MagnusTheBrewer

IN MEMORIAM
Jun 19, 2004
24,122
1,594
126
Both projects seem rather odd to me. Bicycles are primarily utilitarian. These projects seem to be more about investing in art.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,344
10,746
126
I'm not willing to write it off outright, but that's something I'd definitely have to try before buying. If you made the frame split in the middle so it folds or comes apart, it might make an interesting urban commuter.
 

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
73,108
34,410
136
Maybe hydraulic drive? Pushing the pedals to power a pump to push fluid around an impeller on the rear hub.
 
Feb 6, 2007
16,432
1
81
I always thought gears were the work of the devil. This is right up my alley. Now if only we could figure out a way to get rid of other simple machines. Like the wheel. I'd like this bicycle a lot better if the wheel were replaced with a small irregular shaped piece of granite. And the pedals... well, that's just a lever isn't it? High tech sorcery! We'll get rid of that entirely. I'll grab my bicycle, put it between my legs, lift it so that it gently caresses my man-parts and run down the street the way God intended.

Seriously, who the fuck would ever think this was a good idea? "Hey, you know what sucks about bicycles? They're too fast and those crazy gears makes it possible to ride it on surfaces that are steeper than flat. Is there any way I could get rid of all that and also make it look ridiculously stupid at the same time?"
 

Red Storm

Lifer
Oct 2, 2005
14,233
234
106
I always thought gears were the work of the devil. This is right up my alley. Now if only we could figure out a way to get rid of other simple machines. Like the wheel. I'd like this bicycle a lot better if the wheel were replaced with a small irregular shaped piece of granite. And the pedals... well, that's just a lever isn't it? High tech sorcery! We'll get rid of that entirely. I'll grab my bicycle, put it between my legs, lift it so that it gently caresses my man-parts and run down the street the way God intended.

Seriously, who the fuck would ever think this was a good idea? "Hey, you know what sucks about bicycles? They're too fast and those crazy gears makes it possible to ride it on surfaces that are steeper than flat. Is there any way I could get rid of all that and also make it look ridiculously stupid at the same time?"

lol, and yet there's apparently a fairly substantial urban market for this crap.
 
Feb 10, 2000
30,029
67
91
If for whatever reason I wanted a chainless bike (which I don't, particularly) I would get one with a Gates belt and normal, realistic ergonomics rather than one of these.
 

Ken g6

Programming Moderator, Elite Member
Moderator
Dec 11, 1999
16,719
4,678
75
This one:

velocipede.jpg


It has a better gear ratio!

Edit: P.S. I wonder why they don't have a chainless bicycle with a planetary gear system?