On Sep 19, 6:03 pm, Halcyon <
[email protected]> wrote:
> Same with the next link also
> http://www.news.com/2300-1008_3-6167611-1.html
I rode an auto-shifting 4-speed bike that was in stock at my LBS about
9 years ago.
The intended application was pretty clear - it was a step-through
frame with a basket mounted on the handlebars. A bike for somebody who
doesn't "get" the whole gears thing and couldn't be bothered with it.
As such, it worked really well. Just get on the bike and ride. Easy to
start, and the faster I rode the faster it would let me ride. If a
hill slowed me down, it would select a lower gear for me.
I assume it worked by measured wheel speed - knowing what drive ratios
it had, it chose a gear to give appropriate cadence range. High-tech
stuff that would be within the capabilities of most digital watches :-
D . A little battery-powered box pulled cable to engage the
appropriate gear.
It was a pretty new concept back then, and I'm surprised it never
seemed to take off.
I'm even more surprised to see it reported as "news" in 2007.
tim