Are Gearbox Bikes The Future Of Mountain Biking? | Advantages, Drawbacks, and Future Possibilities

The latest mountain bikes are crammed with great technology, but let's face it the Achilles heel for many of us is the derailleur which hangs off the back of the bike in rock bashing territory! Some brands are now using gearboxes for their larger travel bikes. Doddy visits Starling Cycles in Bristol, England to find out why they are now choosing to spec them and their advantages and disadvantages.
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[@matteo.ceriotti]

I appreciate the honesty of this guy from Starling bikes. For once, someone who is not just saying everything is the best on his bike.

[@mikaelforsmark6867]

This was probably the most interesting video so far by gmbn tech, well done! I really want to see more of niche brands doing things the big brands are too cautious to do. New color handgrips and a fifth compound in the tires is nice to see as well but it’s people like this who will start the big changes in the industry. More videos like this please!

[@superspecky4eyes]

Couldn't agree more, most interesting video GMBN has put out in sometime. 10/10

[@rainbowsudario2399]

@@superspecky4eyes yelh

[@rainbowsudario2399]

@@superspecky4eyes yelh

[@smsheard]

Its because that brand is awesome. Like orange back in the day or Pace. Its of its time and it will denote the history of bikes.

[@ohwell2790]

One bash on a rock thru that aluminum and all the oil gone on the rear tire. It will need a bash plate all adding to the weight. I like the idea for very long distance ridding in all weather conditions, but down hill and racing maybe not.

[@mick2d2]

It’s great to hear that there are still people starting their businesses in a shed. 8)

[@polishguywithhardtospellna8227]

Sheds are so underrated 😅 Garages took over 😋

[@gophop]

Maybe the next wave of lock downs will take care of that.

[@KirbyJ89]

@@gophop update a half hour ago about some new African variant. It’s never gonna end we’re just gonna have to reach a point where we say fk it and go back to life 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@deenster]

I'm seriously thinking of becoming an engineer solely because I want to help develop this technology to perfection. Maybe I am too ambitious as a high-schooler but I feel like I'd enjoy working on this

[@Simon-nx1sc]

always keep following your dreams ;)

[@deenster]

@@Simon-nx1sc thank you man :) we need more people to encourage living like that.

[@cedriceveleigh]

100% become an engineer and think outside the box about big problems. As an engineer, I can tell you that high school is not too early at all to have big ambitions like that.

[@deenster]

@@cedriceveleigh I appreciate you man. I am sure my end goals or ambitions are to be some sort of designer, innovator, improver, creator, engineer and so on. I just need to get through highschool as good as I can because some ways of teaching are simply stupid and boring imo but what can I do. It's on me to grind and score

[@deenster]

@@cedriceveleigh

[@CarkeekW]

Zerode Taniwha , next level , can't wait for motor integrated into the spinny bits and belt drive with stainless cogs .

[@ryanmiddlemass2395]

Dont forget Zerode is a great Kiwi brand as well.

[@duncan-mcrae]

@@ryanmiddlemass2395 That was one of the reasons I bought one. Support Local. The founder lives about 45min drive away from me. I test rode his personal pre-production paint in the Redwoods and was sold.

[@gryphon1six801]

I love the idea of a gearbox bike and absolutely think they’re the future, I’ve always thought derailleurs were a bit of a clumsy and problematic solution. For trail bikes we’ll definitely need 10 gears and less drag though.

[@willlange9978]

Another new Zerode Katipo owner here… gotta say that Starling was interesting and the eccentric drive is probably ideal for swingarm pivot co-location, but if you’re looking for a fully developed gearbox bike Zerode is it. The Katipo fits right in with Yetis and Santa Cruz bikes in terms of build quality. Concerning the drag, well… it’s reduced noticeably in just a few hundred miles. There is zero drag in gears 1-3 and barely noticeable in 4-6. Drag is probably 10-20 watts in 7-9, but who cares about drag bombing downhill? 576% range is also kinda fun! Belt drive, twist shifting, and power pausing seem to agree with me as my tech climbing ability has definitely improved. No more bent shifters either. Taking nothing from Starling, Zerode is just a way more polished machine and rides incredibly well - at 34# with aluminum wheels. The Kitsuma full lock out shock also makes long climbs feel like you’re on a gravel bike. It was really expensive, but no regrets yet… let’s see how things hold up! If you ever get the crew to Bentonville, Doddy, you can try it yourself ;-)

[@rvdoever]

Never heard of Zerode, thought it would like a turd, but it actually looks amazing. Problem I have it with it, is that it kinda looks like an E-bike, I would hate to have people thinking you're on an E-bike.

[@davidking3699]

My favourite bike is a Shimano Alfine hub gearbox with a gates belt drive... the belt drive is a whole other level of convenience... no maintenance of the chain (this Starling bike still needs the chain cleaned, lubed etc...), carbon belts lasts thousands of km's... the are clean and quiet... can just be hosed off, and don't rust or stretch... a Carbon Belt drive would really bring this bike into the 21st Century...

[@Kevin-kg7by]

Honda did something similar but utilized a typical chain drive system(though you could shift without pedalling). Glad to hear someone is pursuing a similar concept!

[@huntertodd7915]

If the seat tube was mounted more vertical to have center pivot but move primary sprocket in line with chain stay and do a mild bend back for the correct seat post angle I think it would be much better. More more ground clearance and less likely to damage gear box. Would also if bend point is just past the top tube weld could possibly be some amount of frame shock absorption. Also I think this set up especially with single pivot would work amazing for a belt drive.

[@UlliMueller]

The Starling Spur looks fantastic! I'd love to ride a gearbox mountain bike, unfortunately where I live it needs to be an efficient trail bike. Can't wait for a light & agile gearbox option becoming a reality.

[@edifierbass7821]

The Gear box advantage it can give you a lift, it gives muscle when torque is needed going up hill or with heavy load just like the principle of a hand drill it has a gear box drive

[@rhysstatham7407]

Having owned Rolhoff 14 speed hub friction is a downside although there are many advantages.

[@Phonophobia]

And the Rohloff has planet gears, not standing gears like most gearboxes do, which on paper should have less drag iirc. I've ridden Pinion compared to Rohloff back to back and you notice a difference between those two in terms of efficiency. Both belt driven, same manufacturer and model so pretty much as close as the comparison can go. BUT I'd still like to see some chain driven gearboxes in the future (:

[@the.communist]

Plus weight n complexity as downsides

[@johnlesoudeur3653]

@@Phonophobia Of the two, which did you find more efficient, the Pinion or the Rohloff. I have had a Rohloff for over ten years with no problems at all (hardtail and now fully). There is also the Kindernay XIV 14 speed hub. I have read that Nicolai are also developing a gearbox.

[@mateuszsobanski203]

Joe and Doddy could talk passionate about bikes for weeks. Here's the first episode if a new series 😉 - "Did he make the dogs bollocks? -"No, he made the donkeys knob 😂😂😂

[@colinricketts1415]

I think Dave Hemming raced a rigid dogs bollocks in the early 90s in down hill races before suspension started to work. I hope I haven't made that up, I'll have to go and dust of the older copies of MBUK now! probably be a gravel bike now :)

[@samuelbonacorsi2048]

I love my pinion gear box on my hybrid bike.

[@tumbavhati501]

It would've been more interesting if Dodd had taken a test ride. But anyway i like it a lot. Welldone GMBN

[@stefanthegerman3575]

I really love steel frames. I own a benest dh frame and this frames reminds so much on these🔥

[@buckroger6456]

Have you tried a titanium frame?

[@RedRageIrl]

Such an interesting video! I love to see small bike makers, making works of art!

[@djsonfire0001]

Cant wait to try my porche inspired pinion gearbox out! Thanks priority... The location of the outer cog would be fun jamming downhill!

[@dvoob]

for reference, if derailleur systems are 97% efficient, gearboxes are in the 90-93% efficiency range. Would love to see this on an xc bike, but like he said it'll likely be a gravity focused product until that friction is improved. All the pros are awesome, but the con of losing 20-30 watts & spending tons more on a frame isn't worth it just yet.

[@bobstovall5449]

This is fascinating. I've worked on automotive gearboxes since I was (quite literally) a child but never on anything smaller than a motorcycle. CVT has always been an intriguing idea for me. Has anyone ever attempted to develop a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) type drive to a bike as a way to avoid the constantly meshed set of gears?

[@johanfolkesson5170]

Same here! In fact, I’m so much of a transmission nerd that I was at the CTI symposium in Berlin 2013 and still remember stumbling upon this funny little ball-bearing-like thing from NuVinci. It’s quite clever and I love it just for that, but not great for high torque. This is probably a weakness of cvts in general, but even more so with this one it seems, and they seem to target e-bikes now (and in 2013 too I believe which made them stick out from the crowd at the somewhat prestigious automotive event) Now what I think you’re after is something mid-mounted (so am I), and in that configuration it should be possible to make a more conventional cvt, with conical pulleys, but I haven’t seen that for bikes.

[@simonm1447]

There's a hub CVT (Enviolo) but the efficiency is just around 80 %

[@riottownrecords]

Man I love your videos. Learn something new every time.

[@dad7720]

Lovely to see hand built bikes still being made in Britain. Good luck to Starling.

[@mikebond9315]

As a downhiller and rock climber I absolutely hate derailleurs

[@stephencutajar2548]

Rohloff hub gearboxes are pretty much in use with Bosh motors in E-bikes, but they haven't got the range and efficiency compared to the derailer type and probably never will, so there will always be a compromise.

[@TrIpMo1981]

But Pinion and Effigear have more range then any current SRAM / Shimano group-set.

[@fairboop]

been waiting for this video a while now nice

[@th_js]

Me too

[@snbsmtb]

@@th_js same

[@gavintosneycrafting9133]

Same

[@SuzukiKid400]

Fantastic video. I really enjoyed watching that.

[@SprSonik13]

I’m all in on e-bikes when they make a gearbox/belt driven 5” travel bike with a small(ish) battery pack and efficient motor. No “ebike rated” parts, just a fast and agile shredder.

[@petec9686]

How about a simple bomb proof 5-6 speed gear box with a simple 2 or 3 speed speed planetary rear hub. Seems to me this would give you all the range you'd ever want with close enough ratios

[@RigmodsModding]

Millyard bikes might have something to say about shimano patenting chain drive gearboxes.

[@deadnorth8333]

Thanks to the Brits all the starlings in the U.S. originated from around100 birds released in central park in the 1890s geez thanks

[@alexmorgan3435]

The best set up is Pinion gear box with a Gates belt.

[@alfaradbean]

Like the steel frames, he is genius

[@Galatzo]

The combo gearbox+belt might be the future

[@ArthurDeKeersmaeker]

We need a motor with a gearbox like this for ebikes. So we can use drivebelts with full suspention mountainbike, instead of snapping the chain after 2000km

[@ronbradshaw7404]

You need the absolute thinnest oil viscosity possible, best quality and the least amount of it to do the job. Fluid friction is the worst enemy for efficiency.

[@suitinaute]

I was so disappointed when the Nicolai GBoxx didn't revolutionise the MTB world about 16 years ago. Great to see someone is still having a crack at it.

[@pringlewheel]

Amazing video. Was great to see the inside of a small specialised outfit that's quetly pushing bike tech to the next level.

[@SystemicCreative]

Great from a systems simplification perspective. Interesting video, thanks.

[@sitonka303]

I want that bike... Perfect gravity machine. Have been thinking about making my canyon Torque into single speed for same reason

[@niklasxl]

this is really interesting :D are these syncro or dog engagement? and these type of gears would be great to implement together with motors for e bikes :D

[@richardbarton7]

have always thought bikes with a light front end are more fun, can't see why the bb couldn't be nearer the wheel and the pivot a bit further back too.

[@josephpsmithe]

The shifting was the main reason I haven’t bought a gearbox bike. Now I have no reason to not.

[@ravennexusmh]

unsprung mass is why i still run 2 or 3x... i'd rather a 250g cassette back there then a 600g

[@FabFilippo86]

Respect for this dude!! I would love to have a bike like that!

[@stuartshelley18]

Not for me, derailleur is a pain yes but easy to work on both at home and trail side. Sod messing about with one of those

[@bonemasterj]

I want to see them go full ATK and move the back brake to the same shaft as the front chainring.

[@yououtuber4176]

5:00 Gearbox discussion starts here

[@sanabibimtb]

Great video once again, very informative thank you from me and my Channel ⭐️👍❤️

[@pug138]

I like this, good old shop building bikes! Lovely!

[@spiloFTW]

How do you tension the chain? Is there like a flip chip in the rear?

[@chrismcwilliams4031]

Why don't we see internal hub gears on mountain bikes ?

[@crystaldragon141]

Sounds like a good use for magnetic assisted gears. Very low maintenance, very low friction. Don't know if weight would be a problem.

[@nopenope5812]

I would try pinion, but the grip shift has to go.

[@shaunwilliamson9193]

Why if you have a gearbox do you still have a linkage chain surely a belt would last longer

[@richardmilsom3350]

I keep waiting for your presenter to say “this week, I have mostly been….”

[@davidelliott5843]

Check out the Allen Millyard alloy frame mountain bike with central gearbox and fully enclosed chain. Also check out Norman Hossack suspension for bikes. Millyard MTB 001 kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4bEnGyppq-gpK8 Millyard 002 how he made it kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWScoIWVbLuqnJo Hossack front suspension kzbin.info/www/bejne/hp-VpnuPbdqFfLs

[@joeroche552]

Christ I’ve been hearing this since Greg was riding for Honda

[@cholasimmons]

i want to work at Starling ❤

[@allanbuchan6947]

Dave Yates " Diablo "

[@aleksanderradovanovic3441]

I still think Allen Millyard has the best gearbox design.

[@arzemagic]

Enclosed chain too. Single side swing arm

[@aleksanderradovanovic3441]

@@arzemagic yeah. That man is a flatout legend for designing that with little or no fauls.

[@arzemagic]

@@aleksanderradovanovic3441 which was perfect lol

[@aleksanderradovanovic3441]

@@arzemagic Youre right.

[@jasemaxable]

All the guys need a rip on it. Gmbn. Embn..

[@the.communist]

Spur is an already model name used by transition

[@phatrickmoore]

What a sick bike

[@Putrakokop]

🚴 amazing thank you for sharing

[@wesleyseymour8857]

Did yeah get a blast on it?

[@naomimccoykie4782]

Sorry if it was in the video and I missed it, but can you shift under load with a gearbox like this? That's always been the downside of hub gears for me but not sure if this solution is similar?

[@Mr.ZiggedWhenHeShouldaZagged]

When a bike company makes an Ebike with a gearbox above the motor and the output pinion acts as the high pivot "idler" is when I'll give piles of money to a bike company.

[@b-radumuck7903]

Inspirational

[@scotthanback4530]

Beautifully bike

[@boracay12]

How much does it wiegh ?

[@beno9966]

I'm still waiting for new gearbox design. Someone must be close.

[@Flapdr01]

Why not use a belt to save even more unsprung weight?

[@MikeDS49]

No cassette == less dish, stronger rear wheel?

[@adamkwiatkowski4107]

Sticker price must be orbiting somewhere close to International Space Station

[@bandajate5163]

What kind of valve ihave on my tire

[@ShitStefanShoots]

The "Geometron brand" Bike says "Nicolai" on the top tube ... how are the two linked?

[@ShitStefanShoots]

@Andrew Dodd thanks a lot. The Nicolai G 14 is somewhat my dream bike ;o)

[@johnlesoudeur3653]

@Andrew Dodd Looking forward to that visit, I have had a Nicolai CC Helius for over ten years, fantastic bike and properly built...and it has a Rohloff rear hub.

[@radwanderer6165]

Another advantage of gearboxes they didn't talked about: The rear wheel becomes fully symmetrical; the spokes on both sides get the same angle between rims and hub since a singlespeed hub with a single sprocket is mounted, which needs much less space than a casseette with 10 - 12 sprockets :-) Symmetrical spoked wheels can whithstand the same (high) force from all directions.

[@jdjones4825]

I was going to say that.......👍

[@joramvandervorst7715]

You get that with a Rohloff as well, but then you have a lot of weight in the back wheel.

[@ohwell2790]

Have never read that is a problem. Is that a problem ?

[@radwanderer6165]

@@ohwell2790 Let's say it's a weak spot singlespeeders don't have.

[@davidelliott5843]

@@ohwell2790 With a dished wheel, alternate spokes take a lot more force as they are not pulling evenly with the other spokes.

[@jltrack]

It would have been cool seeing Doddy do a quick test run of the bike

[@nosreuter]

@Andrew Dodd Sweet!

[@NicolasRuss1]

@Andrew Dodd Looking forward to seeing that head to head.

[@gpearce11]

I'm very much looking forward to hearing Doddy's opinion. In the meantime, The Loam Wolf has also taken it for a spin, and they've got a review up online. It's an informative read, and if anything has made me want one even more.

[@janukachandrasena5915]

I really want to ride a gearbox bike now! goes to show that most modern bike components came from the world of cars and motorbikes just like disc brakes and suspension forks

[@samuelthomas3167]

Well said my man!👏👏👏👏

[@cccpkingu]

How new are you?

[@mrnorthz9373]

Its just bike companies are consistent on selling the crap out of outdated technologies when much better ones exist and people are stupid enough to buy it. People legit buy think a 5000 dollar bike is normal. The industry is toxic

[@duncan-mcrae]

I own the Zerode Katipo and love having a gearbox; less maintenance, and the ability to change gears without pedaling is awesome. The founder made his own in-house gearboxes ages ago and decided to setting on the German made Pinion. I only ride up hill to go down so I'm OK not being the first to the top.

[@martylondon6729]

can you pm me.

[@duncan-mcrae]

@@martylondon6729 Done

[@buckroger6456]

All I hear is good things about these systems over the years and finally decided it's time to have a custom built bike made for one of these.

[@duncan-mcrae]

@@buckroger6456 cool. I spent over a year trying to get my fox 36 Factory fork to behave. I have just got the lowers, damper and air spring back from Shockcraft in NZ and will be putting it back together soon. It had excess grease and they said the damper was oddly different to what they typically find. They burnished the bushings and through on a luftkappe. Dyno tunes came back near linear. My suggestion, if your getting a fox fork just pay the extra tiny amount straight away to have it tuned by a local suspension expert.

[@buckroger6456]

@@duncan-mcrae good tip. I'm actually looking at a 130mm travel pike for this build. It's going to be a do it all hardtail that I can use for bike packing as well. Going for a titanium build and with custom geo numbers.

[@bobski1151]

This company really hates derailleurs, I like it. 😄

[@josephgrullo9466]

derailleurs is expensive😅

[@61Slughi]

They hate derailleurs? Have you checked their website? Out of the nine models they sell, only one has the gearbox. Seven models have derailleurs.

[@ThatAverageMTBguy]

I'm done with derailleurs. I have ordered a Zerode Katipo with the Pinion 12 speed gearbox and Gates Carbon Belt drive. Less maintenance and less touchy. So many good rides tainted by gears going out of tune. Once the bank account has recovered I'll replace the enduro hardtail too! Speaking to the efficiency issue, it is 100% true that chain is more efficient...when it is straight, clean and well oiled. When the chain line is all crossed up, the chain is caked in mud and tar or running low on lube a well worn in gearbox is more efficient. #askGMBNTech Could you do a deep dive into the science of driveline efficiency as a follow up to this video. I think people will be surprised.

[@thomasowenmazzetti7877]

I got one last year, its awesome, careful that the belt doesn't get kinked, mine got beat up in shipping and the belt broke on the 2nd ride, but they were good for it.

[@ThatAverageMTBguy]

@Andrew Dodd Awesome! Can't wait 🤙

[@keirfarnum6811]

Go back to a 2x with better chain lines, use wax lubes, and your issues are solved. I used to ride XC in backcountry Alaska and I never had any issues.

[@willlange9978]

You won’t regret the Katipo. Shortly after getting mine I realized I absolutely hated derailleurs…. 8 speed, 9 speed, 10 speed, 11 speed, microspline, XD, blah blah blah. No more. Done. Click, click there’s 9 damn gears and done.

[@steveco1800]

@@keirfarnum6811 Yeah my 2x10 deals with mud much better than 1x11. The once mud gets on the narrow wide chainring it gets much noisier and can feel there's extra friction.

[@danmorrison667]

I really hope that gearboxes become the future of mountain biking, as what we have now seems very antiquated and can easily be damaged....plus all the cleaning and maintenance required really sucks.

[@the.communist]

Dont forget extra weight, loss of eficiency n complexity of the geared system as negatives.

[@ClockworksOfGL]

My Rohloff shifting just broke and I’ve been riding a single speed hub until parts arrive from Europe. Not sure if I’ll switch back to the Rohloff anytime soon, it’s noticeably less efficient, more “clunky” than the SS, and almost impossible to service. This failure put a bad taste in my mouth, I don’t like proprietary “black boxes” on my bike. I can rebuild a freehub and derailleur system with my eyes closed, but I have no access to the guts of a Rohloff.

[@creesch]

@@ClockworksOfGL Are you comparing an electronic shifter system to a mechanical gearbox? I am a bit confused by what you are trying to convey here.

[@ClockworksOfGL]

@@creesch - The mechanical shifting of my Rohloff is controlled (internally) by a short loop of cable wound around a small bronze drum. That cable broke after about 1.5 year of use and I’m waiting for a replacement to arrive from England. I still love the concept of internal gearing, but I don’t like Rohloff’s execution so much. Bikes should be inherently simple, user serviceable, not so propriety you can’t fix in a reasonably equipped bike shop.

[@creesch]

@@ClockworksOfGL ah gotcha, to be honest I think a lot of that would change for the better when gearboxes become more mainstream. Derailleurs and such are also proprietary in many ways but are easy to service as they are so widespread so parts are easy to come by. But even there it really depends on the brand and what part of the world you are in. For example, SRAM and Shimano parts are widely available here, BOX parts less so.

[@trkg7356]

Wow! This was really awesome, thank you for choosing a small company like Starling to give us such a great insight on this topic. I found the whole video super interesting 🤩

[@JamesParus]

Gear box would be ideal for electric bike. Engine makes up for little friction and this makes it easier to use heavier chain that would last with engine. And it could be build straight in to the engine.

[@zensmylie5393]

Could be quite a challenge to fit all the motor and electrics as well as a fairly substantial gearbox all around the bb and downtube.

[@the.communist]

Yes as i commented, this system is a motorbike-like system

[@the.communist]

@@zensmylie5393 gearbox n motor should be one compenetrated thing

[@kayakutah]

Shimano is making a gearbox for the rear hub, I think. Combo that with a motor?

[@zensmylie5393]

@kayakutah Are you talking about a hub gear? If so this is a different thing to a “gearbox” and has been used for quite sometime

[@nosreuter]

I think Doddy stumbled on the solution there, namely introducing gearboxes via E-bikes. Then you won't feel the drag and those engines and batteries just keep getting stronger. If gearboxes became a mainstay for e-bikes then I think the transfer over to enduros is smaller and like that it probably will trickle down through trail and maybe even xc eventually.

[@tonykasunic1]

This

[@chimps4gimps]

I’m sure it will have been looked into. As Doddy said, if/when the £ signs align they’ll pull the trigger.

[@SimulatorBoss]

Rohloff hub gearbox with belt is now trending by RieseMuller and others, in a perfect world the electric motor would have a gearbox too,

[@GHinWI]

It’s already done…motorbikes have used geared transmissions for a long time. e-bikes are motorbikes.

[@nosreuter]

@@SimulatorBoss true, indeed..

[@Eltoca21]

I for one cannot wait for gearboxes on mountain bikes to become standard. The technology and weight issues are almost resolved and we are almost there.

[@michaelhayward7572]

Great episode, thankyou. The boss of that company - cool dude. Intelligent, articulate, good in front of the camera, explains and understands stuff for us mere mortals. I wish him and his company the best of luck and success.

[@joemcewan2950]

I'll buy you a pint!!

[@borismartin]

Kudos to Starling bikes for being progressive and making these bikes. Said it a few times but will say it again: gearboxes are the logical future. Actually I’m pretty pissed at mainstream manufacturers for holding the industry back instead of putting more effort into this technology. The last insult was the electronic shifter. That’s the epitome of putting a lipstick on a pig.😡 What’s next? A nuclear powered shovel handle?

[@keirfarnum6811]

How many 8 hour long rides have you done in the backcountry of places like Alaska? The way bikes work now has continued because of their simplicity and the ability to work on them easily. Having a gear box might be great for someone who mostly likes descending on established trails or at ski areas; but for true backcountry XC, riders want something they can repair easily. Maybe when gear boxes are more reliable and repairable, that might change.

[@martinxoxo]

Well, I'm a road biker, but I must say I love my Di2. Regarding the gear box, for the road even 1% of drag would never be accepted, and I believe that here we're talking more about 5% of drag. I doubt that this is acceptable for any more than downhill and real artistic stuff also in mountain biking, like they say in the video. I do think that this can be overcome to a degree by development, but maybe not to the extent to be acceptable in elite road racing.

[@borismartin]

@@keirfarnum6811 Pal, I have no idea in what universe me doing an Alaskan backcountry ride have to do with to be able to see what’s better between gear boxes or derailleurs but I see you know absolutely fuck all about gearboxes. They’re require virtually no maintenance. They are much, much more reliable than derailleurs. But you know what? Listen to Ryan Van Duzer or the Cyclingabout channel in the subject. It’s the same argument like carburetors vs. injectors. People who refuse to look into the subject talk the same stupid shit: “carbs are easier to maintain, what if I have to repair it”, etc., meanwhile countless people completed extreme rides in extreme conditions completing tens of thousands of miles without any problems with their injectors. Why? Because it’s better. No moving parts for starters. Anyway, you don’t have to repair a gearbox because it’s simpler than the conventional technology and much more durable. I can’t imagine a scenario when a gearbox would need a field repair, unless you fell off a cliff and crack the case open, but in that case you’d require more repair than your gearbox.

[@kanon0853]

They’re prolly just milkin’ it. Every part on these bikes have a marketable lifespan. When electric shifters become old news, Sram and Specialized will debut some ‘amazing’ $15,000 S-Works whatever with a gearbox and then all of the sheeple will then need to have one. Follow the money.

[@GC16199]

@@kanon0853 I completely agree with you, they probably sell 10 times more groupsets, chains, derailleurs and what not with a lot more margin then they would with a gearbox with less margin due to the high cost price and where they would sell only once or twice per consumer. Although I could see an interesting idea of integrating it with an e-bike where drag is less of an issue.

[@martylondon6729]

Zerode, Pinion gearbox. Belt drive. Love gearbox bikes.

[@duncan-mcrae]

I got mine no more than 6 months before the belt was an option. It is the same price new, but a fair chunk extra if you get chain and change your mind. It requires a new carbon chain stay.

[@raheslop]

I’ve met Joe from Starling a few times and he’s a great bloke. As someone who breaks rear mechs, I can definitely see benefits of going to gearboxes

[@marcalvarez4890]

More small builder interviews! This was fascinating to me, thank you.

[@gavintosneycrafting9133]

Fed up with how muddy my county is, gearbox is the logical choice for me. The choice is so limited to the point of thinking I'll have to make one myself so great to see starling doing something clever and well thought-out Still a little worried about drag for trail/XC

[@the.communist]

It has positives n negatives

[@fiatfixie4344]

I bought a bike with a Sram XO1 chain on it a couple years ago. It costs about 3 times as much as a normal chain. But Wow! Total came changer. Little to no chain stretch indicated. Up until that point I had been running Shimano XT and FSA stuff that stretched if you breathed on it. I think the key to longevity with some of this stuff is not to skimp.

[@ubauba6530]

19 comments in and the dentists are already out pedalling their brand snobbery. Nothing wrong with a bike frame having a hand-built look about them; especially when the company making them are being pro-active about new technology, instead of using something invented in 1937!

[@orbytl2799]

lol "dentist" comments, usually used by jealous folk who cant afford a decent bike

[@thecremeegg]

Devil's advocate here - would you buy a car with obvious weld marks on the outside and no paint? Probably not. If you're spending a fortunte on a luxury like this, it's not too much to ask for it to look the part

[@ubauba6530]

@@orbytl2799 I have a Vitus Sommet; it's a pretty decent bike. Of course, to the dentists, it's no Santa Cruz.

[@ubauba6530]

@@thecremeegg the one in the video is a prototype. You don't buy those camo'd pre-production cars doing laps around the Nurbergring.

[@Ricobonito1]

I think enclosed gears are the future of bicycles. I like the complexities simplified, no more dangling stuff.

[@galenkehler]

I think gearbox bikes are the future of DH and Enduro. The high pivot trend will naturally shift to gearboxes, with the output taking the place of the current idler wheel.

[@Metalshark100]

probably be the future of all bike systems hopefully. the derailleur system is just so bad

[@galenkehler]

@@Metalshark100 derailleurs are so efficient, gearboxes just can't compete. The 8nly exception is maintenance, if your race is long enough in nasty enough conditions it could tip the scales but that would be very extreme edge case

[@Metalshark100]

@@galenkehler they're just very fragile, easily broken or bent. the maintenance like you said but also when something goes wrong with grinding or chain skipping its another thing to check and make sure its working correctly. i'd be fine with it if it didn't share so many problems with drive train issues. atm trying to figure out whats wrong with a bike i got preowned from someone else as it skips and grinds only on the lowest/hardest cog. doesn't make sense

[@galenkehler]

@@Metalshark100 I've been racing an riding for 20 years and never had any problem with derailleurs like you mention, and given their prevalence in the world, if they actually had those problems then other people would have problems too. You've just got a bad one.

[@stevem4038]

Galen Kehler I agree. Been riding MTB for over 30 years and never broken a rear mech. Plenty of rock strikes and bent mech hangers, but the hanger is a sacrificial part. On a ride carry a spare, swap it out, and you are back in the game. The sprockets do wear but again are easily and cheaply replaced. Tension spring fatigue is the only reason I have ever had to replace a rear mech. All that said, ebikes and internal gears (gearbox) frame mounted does seem an elegant match to my eyes!

[@tri-seeker2753]

Riding a Rohloff for a year. I don't want to make an impression that is solves all pains of the world, but it is SO nice piece of equipment. Of course there are drawbacks, often mentioned weight, but riding a 25kg machine that is barely noticable on paper, letting alone real experience. but main thing is: You can't put a pricetag on ability to shift while stationary. That is just a dream come true...

[@grahamogle6332]

While all of us are different and have different riding styles, I can't remember the last time I needed to shift while stationary in normal riding or where starting off in the wrong gear was significant.

[@tri-seeker2753]

@@grahamogle6332 That is exactly thing of different riding styles and ENVIROMENTS. I don't want to advertise it here too much, but check out my vids. You can spot several occassions of such shifting and at least one rapid downshift when I underestimated uphill and was unable to push enough with current gear...

[@jollyb93]

Physically speaking, derailleurs make no sense. I am really looking forward for seeing this becoming the standard of MTB and eMTBs!

[@JH-gh7gl]

Efficiency is a cornerstone. Single chain- 99%. With derailleurs- 97%, with gearbox- 92,5%.

[@liewkampa2854]

When GMBN upload 3 video at same time, you don't have a choice to see blake first 🤣🤣

[@snbsmtb]

Same