CeramicSpeed Driven - Fully explained

[@Miguel256f]

So many videos and none of them show it switching gears.

[@matpio7]

coz it is just a prototype, switching gears will be provided in future, but it looks ease with splines on the shaft

[@Miguel256f]

in fact switching gears will be the hardest thing on the system. bicycles with single speed shatf drive have been around for more then a century. so no point of making videos of something "revolutionary" and claim performance numbers without showing something really new working.

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

there is a video on it switching.. it makes a lot of noise

[@RedWingsninetyone]

Harry Tzianskis The God of Speed can you link it? I haven't seen it either.

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJjSXqx7lr13sKM here you go guys! 😁 Shane Miller

[@MegaPoxie]

How hard would it have been to put peddles on it and have someone demo it on a roller? Ah, that would have shown how weak the rear gear hub was! Nice idea though.

[@brokthehammer]

Because its just a static model, none of it realy works

[@johnmadsen37]

MegaPoxie the teeth would start breaking off.

[@Royalchess1]

...and put two PRO cameras mounted at the pinion during an actual ride...fit the one pinion on a road bike and another on a mountain bike.

[@nitemareman1]

It's in beta. Everyone wants everything finished or it's junk, right?

[@MegaPoxie]

nitemareman1 He said he "has a functional, engineering prototype" Would have been nice to have seen that one and to see it working since he is making claims. The concept is awesome, just would have liked to have seen the functioning version as there are real strength issues with that rear cassette.

[@flt528]

"The world's most efficient drivetrain." ... Yeah, when you twirl the crank with your pinky! 2 points of rolling friction is great until you put some force on it, then you realize that you need those 8 more points of contact in order to handle the torque necessary to power a bike/rider forward. Aesthetically, it looks pretty, but mechanically it looks ugly to me because you're changing the axis of rotation twice.

[@fahb68]

That is true

[@АлбертАйнщайн-з1р]

I agree with you. This is not IC engine to reduce the friction is a fakin bike!

Not to mention friction in two bearings at beginning and the end of the axis.

[@johnmadsen37]

GR28 yeah. The tolerance on this is crazy. They are just doing a regular drive train so they need to go helical for more contact surface area. This is nothing new or special. They are way behind of current tech so they are actually a bit stupid.

[@phalanx3803]

also there using open bearing that would need to change out here in Australia the is loads of dust even in the big city's those bearings wont last long

[@bombero42]

It won't work under load. The entire load is on one little aluminum tooth at a time. Another huge problem is that as soon as you put load on it the rollers will put pressure on the sprocket to move it away from the rollers. That flimsy aluminum would soon bend. And then there is the problem of changing the pinion diameter. If you do that you have to move the pinion either closer or farther away from the sprocket.

[@darrenbutler160]

bombero42 you're so right . I think it will fail at the outer reach of the rear sprocket . Beautiful piece of jewellery though

[@bombero42]

@@darrenbutler160 One for each ear (:-)

[@bigsqueeze7883]

yes and no. LOOKS a bit flimsy, but that could be 110% solved by beefing up the supporting structure with a 1/2lb of extra aluminum. They didn't set out to build the world's lightest bike gears. ;) Their "shift channel" scheme is pretty tricky, but there could also be a more straight forward method of swinging the rear of drive shaft out, then moving to new gear location forward or aft, then moving back into engagement with rear sprocket. But that wouldn't be as sexy.

[@bombero42]

@@bigsqueeze7883 Maybe, but I would still have doubts. One tooth supporting the whole load when a cyclist starts off is quite a bit.

[@darrenbutler160]

Big Squeeze If you think 110 is a real percentage I can understand why you think this will work

[@magsteel9891]

"We haven't done measurements but we feel this will be 15-20% lighter". Seems like an odd thing for an engineer to say.

[@squirming_squirrels]

"we have the scales, but the math still eludes us"

[@jackquick8362]

@@squirming_squirrels Right...

[@KazKylheku]

A 15-20% weight advantage could be negated by making that shaft out of this stuff called "metal".

[@Living_with_it]

We have removed the chain and rear derailleur but we have a battery, multi bearings, actuator, spring and electronics lol, pretty much like for like

[@NeverTalkToCops1]

The telephones work, you just can't dial out.

[@AirCrash1]

OK the problem with the design is this. Put the drive wheel in a vice so it cant turn, now apply large force to pedals watch what happens.....the drive shaft pinion gear is like a big leaver and it will push against the gear hub perpendicular to the wheel, and if you are using an outer gear, it will only have to bend the outside of the ring 10mm and it will jump a gear. You will need to massively reinforce the wheel so no matter how hard you push perpendicular to the gear hub, it does not move. It also means that any gear change will have to be carried out without any force on the pedals, if you are on the pedals when it changes it will crash and clatter through the change channels......What you need is a device that has more points of contact that you can transfer the load in stages...A CHAIN.....There are no free lunches, if you have less points of contact then you have less friction but you have a higher force per point of contact, so you will have to make everything stronger and therefore heavier.

[@germanborgesxrt]

That true, less points of contact is lot more of pression

[@slothypunk]

Paul Murphy excellent observation!

[@tomificationness]

i was thinking the same thing. this looks like all of the pressure, is on one tooth.

[@peterwelsh6975]

Run through some muck and pick up a tiny rock in one of those teeth. Watch the system come to an abrupt halt. Or one good offroad crash bent teeth and/or disk. This system LOOKS cool. Still has far to go. Could be accomplished with solid helical cut gear to allow for linear gear changes under load. Current concept is solar road. 1000 cool factor, utterly impossible to actually put into use.

[@fabianrudzewski9027]

Ever imagined what happens when a chain is a little worn? Yep, it only has one or very few contact points as well. Shifting is a problem, yes. But as there are electronic derailleurs, there will be an electronic solution for the shifting problem. Also the strength can be addressed. If you do some FEM analysis, you can easily design an axially stiff yet light gear wheel. This won't be mass produced stuff. With production bikes in the 20k region today, there will be someone willing to pay the price for the extra percent of efficiency.

[@FunnyHacks]

I really look forward to seeing this in the real world once you've figured out the remaining challenges. All the issues I can see look solvable, which is really promising.

[@NocturnalRS]

I guarantee that would either break or slip under high torque like hill climbing.

[@stevecriscione1567]

That's the first thing I thought. Everything is under a side load now and no backing plate for strength. Cool design but I think it would end up In pieces.

[@mclare9817]

Wait till you snag a plastic bag....You will have to call the A.A. out for a tow.

[@FurryGram]

I think they could solve that by beefing up the cassette, but that would add a substantial amount of weight. Would be cool for someone like me who doesn't race, but anyone who does would want to watch out

[@dawsondeweerd8058]

"We have just invented the worlds fastest drive train" *two seconds later* "Here's our consept"

[@wwindsunrain]

Hmm. And how are you going to keep those bearings clean? Unless they're sealed... and there's your friction. And there is sliding friction. As the teeth of the sprocket come into contact with the outside of the bearings they have to slide back and forth a bit with the rotation of the sprocket.. With a chain that doesn't happen. This system may well have more friction than a standard derailleur. Which is how it is with shaft driven motorcycles - shaft drive has more friction than chain. This is what comes with a change in direction of rotation.

[@davejohnson8960]

So all that force put into 1 to 2 rollers? I would really like to see how this holds up with a serious athlete on a hill climb. Seems...very complex. Batteries and software? And can I keep applying power during the shift? Would have loved to see an actual demo on some rollers.

[@sammyd7857]

This thing would pop the bearings over the teeth if you push too hard

[@LostSpider]

agree and that disk looks actually very fragile considering part of the force will be perpendicular to the disk

[@highpocket888]

That is exactly what I wanted to comment, beat me to it

[@edster3994]

Especially if you have this 20 speed version. The gear furthest from the hub would get really wobbly, I would expect. Then add hammering it up a climb, where you would use that gear.... seems like you'd need a two sided cage version that holds it all together.

[@wholetone4840]

Or hit a bunch of bumps while hard pedaling.

[@mikemace2322]

Exactly what i was thinking... imagine a sprinter going full tilt max wattage in a lower gear with that disc flexing .... bearings jumping teeth like crazy.. that + full suspension= disaster !! Unless the drive rod was somehow also the swingarm ???

[@JoshuaBurton110213]

As soon as he said electric, it burst my bubble. Great idea but how reliable is this? Can it get wet? Rechargeable/pedal driven?

[@1bottlefed]

As said its very light and has low friction. Now if you show it withstanding a rider kicking up a hill without causing deflection of the rear gear cluster away from the rollers on the shaft, you have overcome one obstacle. If it will shift reliably/smoothly going up a grade under heavy load you have overcome another. If it can withstand abrasives and moisture, again another challenge met. Seeing as to how this vid is almost a year old I would have to assume some of these engineering challenges are proving difficult to overcome.

[@sledgenwedge]

Only one question for me is how much torque can it handle before popping out of the track or shearing driveshaft or stripping ceramic ball bearing out of housing basically how much power can it handle.

[@sledgenwedge]

Month later no reply must not be able to handle much power might as well assume that is its flaw

[@RoboticusMusic]

I don't get why you put it on the rear wheel. Adapt this into a "gearbox" that can serve as the front cog with a drive shaft turning a worm wheel in the rear so then the rear wheel suspension can work better.

[@Gogogordy1]

Undoing the inherent simplicity of the drive when you add electronic-wireless-battery powered shifting.

[@jasexavier]

High end derailleur bikes now use electronic shifting, with batteries and servos. It's lighter and more reliable than using bowden cables.

[@MrDoboz]

just buzzwords to sell old tech as "innovation"

[@nitemareman1]

The pinion is rotating so it needs to be wireless.

[@Barbaratio]

It would be nice if electronic derailers could be powered off the bike itself.

[@Mrcaffinebean]

Barbatio I think that would be completely possible. The rotation of the shaft could generate current in the same way an automatic watch is powered by your wrist. I can think of 3 reasons not to do it that way. 1. Perhaps the space is very small and they already and having trouble making the electronics fit. 2. The generator would require some, even if it’s very small, humans energy. It might add up in a long race. 3. It’s possible the current draw is pretty high and would not be offset much but a small generator in the shaft. 4. Added expenses and such. Although I doubt they are worried about that

[@twerpantine]

So it doesnt shift yet, so basically theyve jst dug up a 100+ year old drivetrain and done nothing with it yet

[@jsallen1946]

No, the 100 year old drivetrain actually worked. Major Taylor raced on it. But it was a properly designed shaft drive.

[@ursoulspure]

Weird how some modern ideas were someone's pipe dream years ago. Like the electric car and apparently this drive train.

[@mrnobody9821]

Random Kirks Italians made an electric car in the 50’s or 60’s if I remember correctly. It wasn’t very popular.

[@dusk6460]

@@mrnobody9821 Studebaker made electric cars and busses in 1890. They worked.

[@mamatuja]

It looks nice on that stand, but I see several problems having to do with the pressure between the tiny bearings and the flimsy gears, by the time you're done it will be four times heavier.

[@NoferTrunions]

The rear sprocket doesn't look rigid enough when you are in Low (driving outermost sprocket.) The radial ribs appear to be constant cross-section when they should be exponentially tapered to get the necessary out -of-plane stiffness of the outermost sprockets.

[@smithy3269]

100% not designed by an engineer but an interior designer.

[@NeverTalkToCops1]

Designed by that woman at Theranos.

[@alexmeier3538]

Problem I see with this system: You need very little tolerances in the concentricity of the chainrings and a high stiffness of the crank and bikeframe under load. The drive shaft can not counterbalance any tolerances or wear like a chain can do. So you need a force to push the gear to the "chainring" to prevent "jumping". A Chain creates its own force , which pushes it to the chainring. You can compare that system with a back differential in a car.

[@jacquelinechellis4036]

Its got to be so stiff with no flex and tolerances so precise and it would probably wear out sooner cause of less surface area loading in an abrasive harsh environment unlike a diff. Pretty but unlikely

[@Dug6666666]

Till its putting power to the ground with a competitive cyclist's legs stomping on the pedals, I'll reserve judgement. Perhaps the line at the show was "I'd love to give you a ride but we forgot to bring pedals".

[@supermarioisacat]

Multiple tiny bearings having no seals or even SHIELDS. After just one hour in a REAL WORLD gritty road environment this setup would sound like gravel in a blender. There is no way this could survive the torque generated by the full body weight of a rider standing on the pedals through so few points of contact. Nothing comes for free: one-percent friction results in one-percent reliability.

[@JohnSmith-my6jq]

I fully understand the need to improve and modify things but in certain circumstances reinventing the wheel when you just need a tire is silly. It's like cutting all the sharp edges of a square block untill it rolls and calling it high tech rolling device. The concept is great but I just can't see it standing up to powerful pedaling.. there will be flex and all sorts of issues.

[@NickSchuetze]

That sounds great, but was about the flex on the "cassette" when you get into the outer gears? That mock-up doesn't look like it will take a lot of stress... like it would slip... something my chain currently won't do (say, when I'm going uphill standing on my pedals).

[@roye2479]

I like the concept, but in real world application? If I were sprinting uphill pushing big watts, would the pinion\gears tolerate the stress? what happens in the winter when the roads are covered in rain\snow\salt?

[@abz124816]

go to Florida

[@crazylarryjr]

My only question, How do you control flex? The drive sprocket looks beefy enough, but the rear one looks very thin. Even if you use an exotic materiel like magnesium or titanium, there isn't enough mass to prevent a lot of flex and eventually breakage

[@voaa]

There is no foot pedals so that nobody would come and break it. Now imagine that under a hill climb by 100kg man. Efficiency may be 99% in a small torque, but in human foot force is too much for this. To withstand this, they would need to make this a lot heavier. I hope potential investor will be able to read these comments.

[@patwilliam543]

voaa they said they tested it as 380 watts

[@voaa]

It is torque that breaks it, not the watts. Think of 100kg standing on pedal, torque is about 250Nm, power 0W.

[@cjschmitt4882]

IT'S A FUCKING PROTOTYPE YOU IDIOT!!!! USE BRAIN OR AT LEAST TRY TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THINGS AND LIFE!!!

[@dw2843]

@@cjschmitt4882 So it being a prototype excuses the totally infeasible design? Okay...

[@MrDoboz]

@Phone Number it's a PoC. Proof of Concept. Oh wait, sorry, I mean Piece of Crap

[@mtkoslowski]

*What about a real life example of the rear wheel mechanism being clogged by mud/dirt?*

[@NeverTalkToCops1]

They are still in the dog urine testing phase. Patience.

[@jacesgarage658]

so any dirt or debree will mess it up and how is it so post to change gear

[@DennisMadiastreamer]

Materials are not there yet. Too much load on one bearing "tooth", and rigidity of cassette has to allow for low gear (outer ring) from springing back at high loads. Nice demo, hope someone invests in it as a good lesson to learn mechanics. ( : A text book from 1830's would do

[@harrickvharrick3957]

yeah, but the teeth don't need to be formed like what we see here, what we see is what you'd shape them like if they (still) would have to grab onto a (bike) CHAIN! they didn't think of that yet, but now that we got rid of the chain, of course we'd shape the teeth the way the teeth on PROPER sprockets would be shaped, where on both sides the teeth are shaped in an equal fashion - and MUCH stronger than what we see here. besides, the construction as shown with unnecessary ball bearings in the back even has more week spots where those ball bearings are attached.

[@manoo422]

The whole mechanism would be destroyed the first time someone actually tried to pedal it!!! We will never ever see this on any bike...

[@michaelfinlay1412]

But it is a bicycle, later versions may be beefier and stronger, this is just the concept and not the final design

[@michaelfinlay1412]

Unless the makers use stronger parts it will not work, but it could work with said parts

[@michaelfinlay1412]

@See, the thing is I know, just a cool idea though

[@Nightelfmusic]

Shifting would probably be difficult to get working but motorcycles use shaft drive. Although the gear changing happens in the engine.

[@pauls5745]

@4:35 wireless electronic?? noooo! K.I.S.S. ! a linkage to handlebar. or same tried n true cable hookup. why leave something to imminent failure. "Ugh I forgot to change the battery last ride," etc...

[@joeldayrit101]

Ugh... I'd hate to have to charge that component. If it really had to be electronic, it would be so much better if it ran on a small supercapacitor that charges up when you pedal instead of some battery.

[@NickSchuetze]

Doesn't work with their current shift-channel setup

[@MikeBarbarossa]

Also looked like replacing the battery would be a challenge

[@glenspringle7337]

I guess your not getting Di2 any time soon.

[@ahobimo732]

It has to be electronic because there's only a precise moment when the shift will actually work. The electronics can supposedly perform the shift exactly when it needs to happen. *supposedly*

[@garylewis7729]

I think the outside of the rear sprocket will buckle under pressure

[@dinner85]

Unsealed bearings?? How do they handle grit? From experience that's a fail.. Unless you have a way round it?

[@nickmorton1712]

What happens when you get the usual road crud on it I can imagine this will increase wear and reduce the 99% efficiency you talk about.

[@andreaswiklund7197]

Yeah, but that applies to the old stuff too, doesn’t it?

[@Proculopsis]

This is what's called a "Spoof of Concept"

[@tornagawn]

I’ll stick with 96% efficiency and robust design.

[@NeverTalkToCops1]

96% efficiency is rare, very rare. You can get that, and a bit more, with electrical transformers.

[@iaguilera67]

my question is how do you keep deflection happening in the lower gears, it seems if the gear cluster would flex more in the lower gears you'd potentially have skipping.

[@northseabrent]

Rolling resistance, sometimes called rolling friction or rolling drag, is the force resisting the motion when a body (such as a ball, tire, or wheel) rolls on a surface. ... In analogy with sliding friction, rolling resistance is often expressed as a coefficient times the normal force.

[@YourTransmissionRepair]

"We envision..." Gears & ratios are my life's work. I give it a 'C' for Creativity.

[@pleroma5924]

I need to see someone actually using this tech on the ROAD

[@grahamkingston210]

"Wireless electronics" inside a carbon fiber tube which shields rf......nice art project.

[@joeMW284]

@WhiteShadow2k1 might get complicated - the shaft is rotating. Not saying there isn't a way, but the wireless option would probably be the easiest.

[@BobJones-zf6ie]

@@joeMW284 a wire connected up to a magnetic sensor/signal generator could easily transmit a signal to a rotating shaft without contact.

[@cstill]

Such a short yet absolutely brutal comment - "nice art project" just puts the cherry on top of this masterpiece of text.

[@Wraithsong]

@@joeMW284 a slip collar to control the gear shifting portion could easily be actuated by a simple wire cable. slip collar would just ride in the air as the drive shaft rotated inside of it unless shifting then contact with the inner portion of collar that would be a bearing, push or pull you could shift gears smoothly and easily without worrying about the extra weight the electronics add.

[@nitemareman1]

@WhiteShadow2k1 It would be easy to install a device that would generate enough power to recharge just by riding.

[@catawallupinbear3796]

Enclose the whole thing crank to hub in a mono fork swing arm crankcase with light oil bath and externalize the shift mechanics (within the casing but outside of the driveshaft) and use the casing to oppose the torque of the pinion. Shift timing could be spring loaded and triggered by rotational arrival at shift point. The advantage of having an enclosure is you keep out the dirt and you can use slipperier oil. There would be a weight penalty but durability and dependability would increase. Also oil seals would add to sliding friction at the crank and hub.

[@ercost60]

Nice idea in the clean room but dirt/grit will be the death of this system. And that rear "Cassette" will flex under load and skip, especially mashing up climbs on those larger diameters. And one missed (unsynced) shift will destroy everything. Chains rule the foreseeable future. BTW what's with all the backlash on the "chainring" at 2:00? Ouch!

[@jamiee1519]

"this how we envision shifting would occur"... enough said.

[@johne6081]

Ah ... you lack imagination. :)

[@kawi704racing]

Incredible mechanical engineering. Wow I'm not a bicycle guy, but the simplicity of the design is jaw dropping. Once again amazing.

[@redneckster6639]

You do know, that we went to the moon half a century ago, right? That there can be summerized best by the word "useless".

[@kawi704racing]

@@redneckster6639 You know I have a cat named Alfie? he can be summarized as adorable and useless at the same time.

[@bushgreen260]

What about the noise?

[@ANTHONIMAX]

Sounds like more of 1 percent of los energy. That sound is synonimous of lose of energy.

[@bushgreen260]

@@ANTHONIMAX does it need lubrication?

[@abz124816]

you need a noise reduction headset by Bose.

[@hamobu]

Looks like only one or two gear teeth are used to transfer force and push the bike. Also, since you use the addition energy of a battery to shift gears, can you really compare the efficiency to traditional system that uses only the energy of the rider?

[@Justwantahover]

Apparently they haven't been able to make the gear shift even work. They should stick to just a single gear.

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

Can you grate vegetables on the rear gear?

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

This looks like it would slip if someone tried to push hard

[@StudioPetrikas]

Huh? No it doesn't. Here are no springs or moving parts that would move unpredictably under tension / pressure. This actually looks like there's less chance of slipping than a conventional derailleur system. You would either have to break a tooth or break the bearing mount.

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

Petrikas M. You have no idea what your talking about. it's an absolutely stupid idea. This would slip a hundred percent it would skip. Let me say this again you give me thst bike fir a week and i do some powrr intervals it will get destroyed. Its good for an old ladys adult tricycle not a road bike you imbeciles

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

Petrikas M. The whole unit that arm would pop out under pressure or tension I guarantee that. You see that arm with all those little bearings on it under tension that would Skip and pop out I guarantee you my life. Send me one of those bikes and if one week goes by and it survives I will pay for it twice what it's worth

[@StudioPetrikas]

You don't sound like a very literate person. I'll assume you're a cyclist, not an engineer / mechanic. None of your contra-arguments make sense from an engineering stand point. Empty words in the wind. If you want to discuss further, please construct an argument and back it up with physics.

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

Why dont you tell us how flat the earth is ha ha ha is that why you like this so much? Ha ha ha ha ha 😂 Does it reminded you of your flat paradise? ha ha ha lmfaooo000!!😂

[@pauljarine]

Cool, but you lost me at electronic controlled shifting mechanism. Have you thought of a mechanical device or is this the only configuration?

[@sly5999]

I like it when I see an actual test and I couldn't wait to look at this thing at work...but when the salesman came up with this electronic controlled shifting, they've completly lost me too.

[@matchlessajsbsa2157]

The more I look at this and consider what the presenter said the more I think they haven't actually thought about anything of an engineering persuasion at all...

[@JohnDoe-yj5ng]

They need to encase it somehow so that road dirt, mud doesn't get in there.

[@alvarogil6921]

looks like it produces a tremendous amount of axial force. The lightness goes away once you beef everything up so it does not bend when you stand on the pedals. might work with a tandem drive shaft configuration to remove the axial forces on the rear. The front is a bit trickier. I guess it could work with enough added weight and complexity. Hard to beat a good quality chain for strength and weight.

[@scootergeorge9576]

It may be the world's most efficient when it is proven to be on an actual, bicycle that can be ridden and gears shifted. Also, a problem with the "quick disconnect" drive ratio chance is that the diameter of the drive sprocket will change requiring it to be on an axis either closer or further from the wheel mounded, driven sprocket.

[@jeanjeudi1111]

The cassette disk looks flimsy laterally and would flex under enough load. The system would have to be enclosed to prevent fouling.

[@shngsam8777]

it would be even better if the shifting is mechanical, not electronically controlled. what if it run out of battery during touring.. what if we at the wild and it break down and need repair..

[@shngsam8777]

+Steven Tran i notice the reason, but there might be a mechanical solution that can let us shift at the exact same times.. if war plans from half century ago can have machine gun fire through propeller without hitting it with mechanical construction, sure some expert now can figure out a way too

[@shngsam8777]

+Head Master i totally agree

[@weidongng6895]

Ceramicspeed is very similar to Tesla in the car world. I really love the concept and design they came out with. However, it might only be useful for some people but it's not going to drastically change the whole bike industry, simply due to it's overall practicality compared to the price.

[@gdargdar91]

It should be able to get energy from rotation.

[@shngsam8777]

GDar this reminds me of bicycle light. last time used to have light that get energy from rotation. but recently all lights sold are battery powered

[@mewing6732]

Way more susceptible to slippage. At high torques, that drive shaft is going to flex and the gears going to pop out.

[@sverrirdaiorarinsson5671]

I'm pretty sure that if this is made from proper materials this can be superstrong. I've seen carbon fiber drive shafts that are much stronger than steel ones but also mush lighter. I however question the gear changing mechanism. A wireless battery powered shifter sounds bad.

[@delschier1419]

Looks cool, does it work reliably? How much?

[@jonathancollins9763]

Amazing, great to see new tech. Keep up the good work guys.

[@tomg.542]

And when I'm out on a ride it's that dang "eight points" of chain friction that gets me every time!

[@ts8744]

Over 7 minutes of no shifting! Just look at the thumb nail, no need to watch.

[@feelfreeler]

a lot of useless talk and hot air. I would like to see someone testing it under regular riding conditions.

[@richardcorfield9926]

I wonder if forces perpendicular to the pinions is large under load, both acting on the drive shaft and on the rear "cassette".

[@Hockeyfan9884]

Will it be great for dirt and trail riding collecting rocks , sand , mud and trees ?? And oh, how many thousands of dollars to purchase ??

[@leannemo7382]

1890 patent too.

[@MyKonaRC]

Nothing like going into the shop for new bearings every month or year

[@harubaru1001]

The teeth working unlike a chain-drive one by one i this case. I think, if someone drive that with power it don´t has the durability of a chain-drive

[@logmeindangit]

The load would be SO concentrated on just one tooth at a time as it rotated. Imagine a person pedaling hard, and the forces that would be transmitted to the gears. The multiplied force in psi on each tooth would be immense. I can't see this ever being used in a TDF race. It looks far too fragile. 99% efficient, sure, but how about loading capacity? I just don't see it being strong, not at all.

[@godfreypoon5148]

It's even worse if you consider the multiplied force in kPa.

[@kalijasin]

How can it be 99% efficient when it has a pion, servo actuated motor, battery power, and there is also load capacity and rolling resistance??

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

super-genius...it really is, and great video-coverage on what has to be the way of the future. taming parasitic-drag has always been the determining factor in way more than bikes, in engineering in general...and my favorite part of the video was the actual durability-test in the field for a real-world comparison lol. but im sure in time, this design will permiate bicycling.

[@N0xKn1ght]

How do those gears hold up against rocks and debris?

[@hoey2323]

He sure does say "would" a lot. Not "does" or "is."

[@BR549guy]

Well, I see two issues right off the bat. One, using chains and sprockets, you distribute the load over many more teeth. I used to pull a 52T chainring, which had 26 teeth engaged in the chain. At any given speed, of the 13 speeds mentioned here in the video, there are only two forward pinion bearings in contact with the chainring. All I can say is that your two rings better be made of Green Kryptonite or something. Secondly, in changing out the driveshaft pinions, to put a larger one in the rear, for example, that increased pinion diameter would require you to also set the rear ring further to the left with a spacer of some sort, otherwise, the bearings will impinge on the ring. And in even changing the pinion ratios themselves, you are also altering the contact face angles between the pinion bearings and the rear ring (whatever you call it). My two cents.

[@gattonpc]

I'm sceptic about the practicality of this system.. it looks like a verry practical system in this video.. but go and ride this bike in a mud/dust/rain and see how it works..then we can talk about it.

[@erikb8877]

The Garrett turbos we’re very prone to bearing failure on the compressor side. Only in production for 2 years

[@rejects101]

You could also make it single sided rear arm if the brake was also supported on the same side.

[@jean-philippemathieu1595]

They teamed up with the University of Colorado, Mechanical Engineering Department? Oh Lord! That University just lost all credibility.

[@NeverTalkToCops1]

Colorado is a pit full of corrupt politicians and brutal police.

[@deusexaethera]

This _could_ work, but the design compromises necessary to make it work will eliminate the efficiency advantage.

[@romarioballoon7319]

The original inventor of this called "Mucit Hasan Kum" The person above has invented this system, and the original one works much more efficiently then the one shown on this video. You may see his invention type "Mucit Hasan Kum, Zincirsiz Bisiklet" Regards.

[@ricoreillo1922]

Thanks for sharing! Wish I could see more of the original inventors videos and under stand what he is saying.

[@ricoreillo1922]

I did a little digging and found that a man by the name of Walter Stillman patented a drive shaft bike in 1890. From what I can translate as well there may have been someone by the name of Hasan Bey that may have had a hand in creating someone similar as well before the man you mention.

[@armyofshea7941]

Keep it up. Can’t imagine all the hurdles you have already overcome. Looking at this prototype, it looks like flex could become an issue. If so, milling the gears into the rear tire itself might be an avenue to approach. Swapping rear tires would give you all the gearing options you need. As for the driveshaft, it could also be a more integral part of the frame. In other words, if this doesn’t work as you have envisioned it, instead of tweaking your design, maybe tweak what the bike itself is. Best of luck to you.

[@toy815]

Why not use a cable inside the shaft, with a light spring to engage the gears ?

[@scottyd8]

Probably need your smartphone to shift gears on your bicycle.

[@americanmale2011]

"We are actually envisioning the rider shifting the gears with his mind.. but for now we only have this cool but totally useless prototype .."

[@andreaswiklund7197]

What’s wrong with a not yet fully working prototype? That’s how engineering and inventing works.

[@GT-cx8vd]

Not an engineer here but to me it doesn't make any sense translating the direction of movement twice. Dunno, future will tell

[@williamwhizz6496]

G T nice one.

[@abz124816]

@Colin Walsh don't let find your wallet :)

[@thrunsguinneabottle3066]

The one thing which is most interesting is the one thing which is not explained (or shown). How does the driving sprocket manage to fit the teeth as they are spaced differently around adjacent concentric circles of the driven sprocket? It seems to me like a geometric impossibility.

[@stephanweinberger]

How does a conventional chain do that? :-)

[@bfelker77]

In a conventional chain system the teeth are all spaced equally.

[@stephanweinberger]

@bfelker77 as they are here. The spacing of the teeth is exactly the same as in a conventional chain drive, the are just rotated 90° outwards.

[@bfelker77]

@@stephanweinberger ahhh I failed to: 1)recognize that the 'tooth' spacing IS constant from one ring to another and 2) that you were just funnin', I think 😉. I hereby and forthwith withdraw the Like I haphazardly and ill advisedly bestowed upon the original post in this little thread.

[@thrunsguinneabottle3066]

@@bfelker77 Don't worry about the "like" I still don't see how this works unless you have some kind of elastic chain!

[@flat9design]

I looks like a fair amount of torque (pushing hard up a hill for instance) would cause the rear sprocket wheel to deflect????

[@miladne1092]

sorry to say that this "thing" is going to be a failure on many levels. grinding, breaking, sliding and every thing that ends with -ing is going to be an issue.

[@chrispetela8644]

Milad Ne true and def needs some kid of shield over the back “teeth” whatever from any debris getting in their throw u off plus they want u to swap out pieces for each kind of ride

[@miladne1092]

+Chris Petela that's right... even without the debris the cogs will erode and snap each other.

[@peterlustig4047]

Milad Ne its a one day bike...then by a new one...where is the problem? 😎😊😊😊😊😎

[@thanethanh6405]

Succed- ing

[@miladne1092]

I think they are trying to gather funds, just to cover their losses

[@1CapitanOrgazmo]

This is not possible for one more reason - you need a 100% stiff frame to use this system. Such frames are not possible and not needed. Another concept from marketing department

[@briancurran1140]

Sounds expensive

[@fernando_vater]

Brian Curran looks expensive, sounds cheap

[@hsvr]

Nah sounds expensive looks cheap

[@pongangelo2048]

Brian Curran expensive and difficult to fix.

[@1crazypj]

After reading a few comments I believe it's going to need a special wheel/hub that reinforces the rear 'chain' wheel.? It wouldn't be too difficult to have a tapered conical hub to support it and in carbon fiber it wouldn't increase weight much? With spoke flanges wider apart the wheel would also be a lot stronger than current spoked wheels where spokes on chain side are almost vertical and slightest side force easily 'pretzels' wheel. Conical hub shouldn't need to be same diameter as largest ring, pretty sure there are loading-stress programs to check most efficient placement?

[@Goombah40]

Why roller bearings anyway? Well-lubed pinion gears would work as well as allow for beefier contact points.

[@danielthompson5785]

Just show it working and being used. Under full load, going up hill. None of the technical details matter if it doesn't work.

[@CattanisGarage]

I feel like this looks high quality but mostlikely when you to ride it, itll skip and break apart almost immediately. Talking from experience.

[@briankemp2290]

No very efficient. The torque alone will bend the aluminium drive gear as the points of contact ar minimal. Steel might work however that would be be pretty heavy.

[@antonditt1661]

You are right. A carbon fiber superstructure might work.

[@_multiverse_]

Why are there no videos of this changing gears or being used in the real world? How much torque can the drive shaft handle? How does it put up with dirt/mud? How long do those bearings last? Can they be removed or must you change the whole shaft....so many questions unanswered other than "it's 99% efficient"

[@nazrulislam5595]

I love it,, how much the price,, where I can buy this bicycle,,, please,,

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

Hello Jason Smith did you brake your wrist When the bike slipped gears? falling on your face?

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

The guys name in the video is Jason and his wrist is broken.. did you get it now?

[@hetmanjz]

+Harry Tzianskis "Brake" your wrist, haha.

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

😁

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

;0p

[@Penguin_of_Death]

*break

[@KeeweeRider]

Why, after all that technology has no one weighed it? would be the 2nd to main point!

[@curtisbme]

Because it is a relatively early prototype where they obviously still have lots of issues to figure out before they will be able to give a realistic number. Note all the "how we envision it changing gears" type comments. Any weight they would give at this point would likely be highly inaccurate as to the final product.

[@abz124816]

they did, it is made of depleted uranium. I cubic inch weighs 3,000 lbs. Very Strong :):):)

[@jackamole8627]

I guess they will have to make the shaft and rear gear solid steel and maybe they will get enough structural stability out of it for not much more weight. Keep designing guys!

[@ghanshyamsingh2518]

Brilliant design..... when it would be available in India and how much it would be?

[@bineetjha346]

You can import this now and will cost Rupees 9000000000000000000000000000000000000000/- only

[@TheHeatingEngineer]

I can't help thinking that there would be axial forces on the driven cog that would push it towards the wheel. It looks fragile, and if it is then it would flex as soon as any load is applied and like as not risk significant failure. I would like to hear how the axial forces (if any) are managed.