Nuseti...Now This Is Interesting...

[townbikemark]

I am reminded that it's never been a better time to be a cyclist with all the interesting new innovative kit...this might even interest me in mountain biking...

http://www.gizmag.com/nuseti-inner-driv ... pictures#1

Much as mountain bike technology has advanced since the days of friction shifting and elastomer shocks, most MTBs are still equipped with dangling, fragile rear derailleurs and dirty chains. Switching to a belt drive or a hub transmission are a couple of options, but Polish mountain biking medalist Gregory Zielinski has created another. His Nuseti bike features what he calls the Inner Drive System (IDS) – a 16-speed planetary gearbox that's incorporated into the bottom bracket, and a chain that's enclosed within the frame.

[Revolution]

Wow! Fascinating.
Certainly thinking outside the box.....or even inside the frame

[Freddie]

Hate to be a pedant, but Sunbeam (I think..) had something similar (geared bb and drivetrain enclosed in frame) around 1910, maybe before.

I have to agree, it is an interesting time to be a cyclist, with a lot more variety in bikes and components than say 10 years ago, but you'd be surprised the "innovations" that are already 100 years old.

[jb]

I haven’t seen Sunbeams offering but I'm willing to bet it weighed a ton. When designers bring new materials and manufacturing technologies to make previously attempted ideas viable then it can rightly be claimed to be a new innovation.

[RickH]

There was also the Pinion 18 speed BB gearbox being touted around 2 or 3 years ago ("first look" review link) & which still seems to be in production, albeit on a small scale.

No internal routing of chain though, but fit a belt drive (example) or a chain case & you're most of the way there.

Rick.

[[XAP]Bob]

I like these concepts - the BB based gearing is nicely placed, although the axle will need to deal with very varying loads (i.e. pedalling forces basically from one side then the other rather than varying force, but always in one direction from the chain).