Is a Gearbox Better for Mountain Biking?

Are gearboxes the future of mountain biking? Maybe... This is my take on what I think of them, and how my Pinion Gearbox has been since owning it on my Zerode Katipo.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.

[@chrisc7764]

I have a Rohloff hub on my ebike and I absolutely love it. I want to ride a Zerode or another bike with a Pinion one day, I think gearboxes are the way to go

[@wolfpack_adventures]

Awesome! I think gearboxes really have a place in the future of mountain biking / e-biking

[@justsayin3600]

My next bike will have a Pinion gearbox. I'm just waiting for the rest of the manufacturers to get on board. 2024 is supposed to be the year they will be available to the U.S. market. I'm over the era of the derailleur. The noise that a chain makes when shifting under load is horrendous. I've got enough leg strength to overcome any argument of efficiency. I love my AXS, so I'm used to e-shifting. To be able to ride it through water and not worry about water trashing the bottom bracket is a plus as well. My dream is a steel, long travel enduro with a Pinion gearbox. REEB are you listening 🎉

[@seanhornchek6440]

Absolutely loved the pinion and suspension performance on my zerode. Sold the bike due to short chain stays and slack seat tube.

[@mitchwarren1600]

You wouldn’t part with dropper posts or tubeless tyres! You won’t want to ride traditional gears and you can get a five year warranty on Pinion gearboxes

[@Canyon_Shawn]

That’s Astonishing! See what I did there?

[@mitchwarren1600]

@@Canyon_Shawn “surrender to reason” and stay in “ constant motion “

[@briancrumpacker]

I ran Grip Shifters for may years, and I put up with triggers now due to availability. The gearbox seems like a great candidate for the Grip Shifter as an instant "choose any gear" option.

[@bitumen83]

With 100% honestly Im writing this. That I have possibility to buy that bike, I wouldnt wait for 2 seconds. Im sick of washing, checking, adjusting-chain, cassete and rear mech. Also buying new chain every season. Unfortunately Zerode is not available so much in Europe and especially in eastern Europe. Concept of gearbox is GREAT and I believe that it will envolve more and more, so that will be possible to change gears under load and it will become lighter as well. Main problem with big players (SRAM, Shimano) is that they are HUNGRY for money and they are producing "new" tech every few years, so that end users are forced to buy it... also as mentioned in video, service period is much shorter on standard mech than on pinion system.

[@RiderP411]

You can build your own frame with pinion mount plate. Sterling makes an effigear gearbox bike. Cavalier bike is equipped with effigear gearbox. Many options here

[@ceriway380]

It's the way to go. Get rid of all that back wheel crap. With all the mud we had to Contend with this winter and spring.

[@kevinbaker8540]

Great vid! The frictional losses you describe may not primarily be attributed to the use of a belt, but rather to the gearbox itself. A dirty or worn chain will often rob more watts from your effort than a belt. IGH and gearbox systems are generally not as efficient as CLEAN traditional drivetrains ...Pinion is no exception. Single digit net losses with a gearbox will be noticeable, but on balance, ....Agreed, gearboxes are the future!

[@hangnrashr]

Do you have to sacrifice on a bottle if you have the electric shifting with the pinion?

[@Cheatingforfun]

This is definitely the future, I’m 💯 looking forward to have it on my Emtb soon

[@PeteMac69]

Makes sense in an ebike for sure. If the belt is draggy, why not run a chain with the gearbox? Either way I won't mourn the demise of the rear derailleur, and Zerode make a good looking bike too🤘🤘

[@YorkshireDavid]

Great bike and concept almost perfect UK bike. That said I think they could have done a better job with the battery pack placement, looks like an after thought. Also could they make a trigger shift using a cable?

[@wolfpack_adventures]

Battery seems fairly solid tbh. I'd love to see a wireless trigger shifter for an even cleaner look

[@rubbermoetroken]

We have a mulet Taniwha for my son at the moment, with the smartshift option. It is f'ing brilliant. However the smartshift doesnt work perfect yet, and is not able to do as advertised. Clearly SRAM Transmission still outperforms it quite easy in terms of assembly of the bike, app integration, app dependence, wireless etc etc etc. I think Pinion is still R/Ding the smartshift and the moment they have it operating wireless, shifting under power working under all circumstances, then they have the chicken laying golden eggs. Hope they get it right very soon as I am happy to get a Zerode too (the moment they update their geo)

[@stanb1604]

This system is good, too good tbh, the only problem is compatibility and price. If the big players (SRAM, Shimano) design one of these and introduce it with an approachable price, this would certainly be more popular. I reckon if the big players do that, frame manufacturers would follow suit.

[@Scomelbasses]

I had a bike with the Pinion C12 and it seemed I could never find the right gear for my preferred cadence. I didn’t mind the twist shift, though it had its issues, but I’m sure the electronic shifting is much better.

[@RiderP411]

Change chainring or rear gear size

[@TobiB89]

Since when are derailleurs expensive? I'm using a 25 € Deore 12-speed derailleur on both of my mountain bikes and have two more as spare - one at home, one in the car

[@johnconnolly2815]

where the heck can you get one of these in USA?

[@philwebb606]

I wonder what other brands will use that gearbox for next year

[@aleixbartomeus4135]

For us mountain riders, gearboxes are the future, it will take some time but it 's the way

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

When you say "I don't see any of the drawbacks" ... Ugh let me play devil's advocate: Weight and frame compatibility are the first majors that comes to mind, price also since you can get a durable and pretty good groupset for very cheap these days, you don't need a 150$ chain and a 700$ cassette 😂

[@streddaz]

You wouldn't put it on an XC bike either, as you are chasing ultimate weight and efficiency. Trail bike up to DH bikes though, they are a great idea.

[@darylbaynes]

Amazing bike. Pinion gearboxes are the future (they're the Porsches of the MTB world!). PS it's pronounced "cut-e-pou" ;-)

[@Thiccolo]

do oil changes 2-3 times a year and really stretch out the lifespan of the gearbox.

[@roydestroy5389]

Really not necessary

[@Thiccolo]

@@roydestroy5389 your right, but new oil makes for a smoother ride and shifting. I just want to have the gearbox for life

[@leoperez5003]

I've been following gear boxes for a long time. Not too many companies on it. The most notorious are Zerode, Nicolai and Instinctiv. The only reason I haven't pull the trigger on one of these is the price. Zerode frameset is 7k euros, Nicolai a bit cheaper at 5k and Instinctiv at 6K. Now wit the Smartshift I'm way more insterested but for me and for sure many riders out there this ricing is a out of reach.

[@roydestroy5389]

Instinctiv have some sorting out to do with their belt tensioner and should ad a belt retainer at the back. Doesn't work well with belt (yet)

[@user-hx1uj2sm3d]

I just got a great trail MTB with the Pinion P1.12, Gates Carbon belt and mechanical shifter. I haven't ridden anything so smooth and solid. It feels like riding a light motorcycle. Drivetrain is almost silent, gear range is massive (600%), handling is amazing thanks to the weight distribution. Shifting is flawless - I don't even think electronic shifting is necessary. It's superior to every derailleur groupset available. Efficiency is on par or better than traditional derailleur drivetrains, especially in high power/torque scenarios and bad weather conditions.

[@justsayin3600]

I don't have a bike with Pinion but reading this I want one even more! I want a long travel Pinion equipped. Even if they made the batteries smaller to give it the feel of a regular bike that doesn't feel like it's overly assisted. I have a decent bike, a 2023 Specialized Stumpjumper Evo Pro with a WRP yoke and a Cascade link, and AXS shifting. My only bike upgrade is Pinion. No more chain slap. No more trashing my derailleur. No more indexing my derailleur. No more crunching my gears. No more replacing my chain, my front and rear sprockets. Let's Go!!!

[@user-hx1uj2sm3d]

@@justsayin3600 Go ahead! A Pinion with mechanical shifting is superior to everything else for MTB. Go used if there is a market in your area!

[@greggoldman893]

MGU!!!!

[@artvandelay1720]

I'd love a low maintenance gearbox bike, but the average bike with a pinion gearbox costs more than my bike + 10 spare deore 11 speed drivetrains. A cheap belt drive bike would make MTB a lot more accessible. Chain drives wear out so quickly that you need to learn to be a mechanic or you'll end up spending a ton at the bike shop.

[@richardkaz2336]

I've found that grip shift to be shit particularly in tricky terrain.

[@ericthedesigner]

transmissions are better for everything! Otherwise there wouldn't be any transmissions.

[@Silverbeardedsurfer]

Get a Pinion MGU imo.

[@user-zt8ps9ew9l]

What’s the cost

[@wolfpack_adventures]

around £1600 or Euro - but they won't fit on all bikes

[@benw4401]

They’re just better, period.

[@danwebber9494]

Lots of ways to avoid saying heavier, less efficient and more expensive.

[@SpaynjXD]

GIVE ME THAT ITS SO QUIET

[@a8f235]

Electric shifting but still cable actuated... That's just backwards thinking in my book. That definitely needs sorting. One thing is total range you got at disposal, but at what increments. More range and fewer gears means bigger jump from one gear to another. That also definitely needs consideration for people who pedal a lot of uphill as well as techy uphill. I see they got a 12 speed at 600% range, and the same applies to that one. Even more range than the 9 speed together with more gears and you will have a bigger jump between gears than conventional 12x drivetrains on the market. Personally I see a minimum of 10 years of further development before this package will gain any more traction.

[@channul4887]

Hopefully your book will remain locked in your drawer for as long as possible.

[@TheS4jordan]

Why ask our thoughts and views you never reply

[@melbournechugging2999]

How can you call this genius when this tech is over a 100 yrs. Old I guess another excuse for mtb manufacturing to rip the consumer off 👎

[@Canyon_Shawn]

Says the poor guy who can’t afford it! 🤣

[@paul4292]

@@Canyon_Shawn what a smart and original comment. Cringe

[@harait]

next time put a cvt on the bike :D

[@wolfpack_adventures]

what's that haha

[@harait]

@@wolfpack_adventures cvt transmission

[@channul4887]

@@wolfpack_adventures enviolo makes cvt gearboxes for bikes. Crap efficiency but for city bikes it's ok.