Gear Research!

Knoir said:

Hello, I am from a team of engineers at the university of sheffield, currently doing research on encased cycle gear assemblies. [font=&quot]The casing currenlty designed prevents the ingress of moisture and dirt which means that gear changing remains as smooth [/font][font=&quot]and precise as on a new bike. However, there is a SMALL increase in overall weight, and drag. What others systems do people use at the moment? Do you find gear maintenance a problem, and would an incased system actually improve your cycling lives??

Let us know what you think.

FWIW/IMO. The total weight of your gear box probably has to be less than 1 kg. (including the internal cogs) to be commercially viable -- NO PLASTIC gears -- and, it has to be user-or-shop serviceable (maintenance and/or changing the gears to achieve different ratios).

The weight of external gears is generally much less than 1 kg., and, they ARE user serviceable.

Just what is your idea of "a SMALL increase in overall weight, and drag"?

The only recent attempts I know of have been limited to being used on DOWNHILL bikes where weight is not a negative factor.

Knoir said:

Hello, I am from a team of engineers at the university of sheffield, currently doing research on encased cycle gear assemblies. [font=&quot]The casing currenlty designed prevents the ingress of moisture and dirt which means that gear changing remains as smooth [/font][font=&quot]and precise as on a new bike. However, there is a SMALL increase in overall weight, and drag. What others systems do people use at the moment? Do you find gear maintenance a problem, and would an incased system actually improve your cycling lives??

Let us know what you think.

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I have absolutely no problem with gear maintenance, just clean the cluster every now and then. If you could come up with a chain that needed no lubrication it would be something I would be interested in. I really don't think that many serious riders are going to be enthusiastic about anything that increases weight and drag, regardless of how small it is. Speaking for myself, I have no interest in an encased gearing system.

It's town cyclists who will be most interested in this kind of system. I imagine that most townies are not cycling-mad enough to get involved in this kind of forum. You need to survey on foot, on the cycling paths and at the traffic lights.