DailyDirt: Un-chained Bikes

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Mon, Jul 23rd 2012 5:00pm — Michael Ho

Bike enthusiasts do a lot of kinda crazy things (like developing human flight), so it's not that unusual for bike designers to come up with some interesting innovations in transportation every so often. If you've ever been annoyed by a bike chain eating your pant leg or just getting you greasy, here are a few solutions that completely eliminate the need for those pesky metal links.

Hungarian bicycle designers made a chainless bike that uses high density polyethylene (HDPE) strings in a pulley system. This design also lets cyclists (or potential thieves...) remove the rear bike tire very easily since no chain is attached to the rear wheel. [url]
Dynamic Bicycles sells a chainless bike with a drive shaft with shielded internal gears that aren't exposed to the elements. No strings or chains in this design, just some gears turning a shaft connected to a Shimano transmission hub on the rear wheel. [url]
The Lunartic bike concept is belt-driven and also has a hubless rear wheel. Suspension seems like a problem for this bike design, but there's no annoying chain to deal with. [url]
Western Michigan University students have created a hydraulic bike that uses fluids instead of a chain to transfer pedaling power into forward motion. The BroncoBike doesn't look exactly lightweight or compact, so it's probably not a very practical alternative to a traditional bike chain (yet?). [url]

If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post.

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Filed Under: bikes, broncobike, chainless, hydraulics, transportation
Companies: dynamic bicycles, shimano

8 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 23 Jul 2012 @ 5:16pm

olympic bikes?
if chainless bikes are so much better, why don't they use them in the olympics?
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JoeCool (profile), 23 Jul 2012 @ 7:38pm

Re: olympic bikes?
Because then anybody could compete. "Coming down the stretch, it's six-year-old Mikey for the win!!" ;)
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Son of a Shaft, 23 Jul 2012 @ 7:38pm

re:olympic bikes?
Efficiency. Drive shafts are less efficient and heavier than chain drive
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WinterNellis (profile), 23 Jul 2012 @ 8:48pm

Easier to steal?
I don't think the author has ridden much. There really is no difference in removing the wheel between this and and normal d�railleur bikes. Quick release hubs are the norm (which this doesn't have but I'm sure they'll come up with a modification).
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Pixelation, 23 Jul 2012 @ 11:04pm

Seems to me that rocket engines would be faster...
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drew (profile), 24 Jul 2012 @ 2:21am

Chain drive for the win
Fun as all of these ideas are, the thing is a simple chain drive is cheap, easy to manufacture, easy to replace or repair and hugely efficient.
If all you're trying to do is keep your trousers clean just fit a chain guard...
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Son of a Shaft, 24 Jul 2012 @ 2:47am

re:Chain drive for the win
A full chain case will protect trouser from getting grease stains and the chain from all sorts of weather. A good chain that has a yearly maintenance will last for thousands and thousands of miles.
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raimund (profile), 24 Jul 2012 @ 9:17am

Gates Belt Drive
a good alternative to chains that's actually out there and proven is the gates belt drive: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt-driven_bicycle

it's not faster, but for recreational biking it's better
- pants don't really get caught
- near silent
- weather proof
- maintenance free
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