Chainless Bicycle
I've renounced chains on bikes now that I've fallen in love with the chainless bicycle. I've been riding a chainless for about 5 years now. Drive shafts for bikes were invented at least a hundred years ago; what's new is their new low cost, clever shifting, and improved efficiency. Since there is no chain, contemporary chainless bikes use a hub transmission on the back wheel instead of a stack of different gears to "shift gears".
A good ol' standard bike chain can be more energy efficient if -- big if -- it is kept well-lubricated, aligned precisely, and fine-tuned with constant attention. Mine never was. But a modern sealed drive shaft beats the efficiency of the average neglected crusty chain (like mine). Getting rid of a chain removes the least stable part of a bike, the item most likely to need adjustment or fail, and the dirtiest component. Shifting is a breeze on these drive shafts; just click into discrete gears. I don't mind tossing the bike into a car (no grease) and I can ride with long pants (no pinched trousers). Removing a rear wheel for repair or a flat *is* more of hassle with a drive shaft, but not unduly so.
There are some high-end custom versions of the chainless bike, but they all use either of two drive shafts. The bike I bought is a slightly clunky Taiwan-made $300 weekend bike outfitted with a Sussex drive shaft -- the most popular type. It connects to a Shimano Nexus non-cog gear hub. I got a 7-speed version. Mine is not a high-performance bike, but it has gotten me everywhere I've wanted to go -- without the hassles of a chain. This bike is no longer manufactured, but the Dekra Chainless is very similar, although it uses a different brand drive shaft (which I have not used).
Dynamic Chainless Bikes (which now owns Sussex) produces more sophisicated, higher quality, and more expensive ($600 plus) chainless bikes. These slick bikes have a lighter second generation Sussex dive shaft, an 8-speed hub, and better components. Dynamic makes chainless mountain bikes, which other Cool Tool readers have recommended, and I am tempted to try.
-- KK
Dekra Chainless Bicycle
$350
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by Dekra Bikes
Dynamic Chainless Bikes
$600 and up
Available from Dynamic
Shaft manufactured by
Sussex Enterprises Co., Ltd.
Favorite (15)
Stefan
I own one of these, the Dynamic Sprint road bike. I rode it from Olympia, Washington to San Francisco. It was a little bit of a short gear range but it did the trick, even loaded for touring. I also used it for my daily around-town vehicle for about a year. The maintenance is just as simple as Dynamic advertised: a bit of grease in the gears every 6 months (or less with light riding). The one service call I have made, for an odd break in the pedal, had speedy, courteous service.
The one thing I would have liked on the frame is braze-on fender mounts. Also, changing the rear tire after a puncture is a bit more difficult than on a conventional bike, but not unduly so, especially if you have the knack of fixing the tube without taking it all the way off the wheel. I wish they were made in the U.S. instead of Taiwan but I guess that's globalization.
I love this bike, especially shifting it; you don't have to be moving to shift. I never worry about a chain. At about $730 (when I bought it) it was a hell of a deal, especially for any kind of road bike. The elegant, spare frame also tickles my aesthetics.
John Macossay
As of this date (Oct 2008) Dynamic does indeed still sell the seven speed chainless (equivalent to a 10 speed derailler). I recently bought one. My one complaint was the cheap rubber rim strips that Dynamic supplied. The rim strips protect the tubes from being punctured by the end of the spokes -- however the rim strips were the wrong type for the tires and had to be replaced.
I like the crisp shifting, cleanliness, and low upkeep of the shaft drive. Note however, that with an internal hub bike you must ease off on the pedal pressure when you shift, otherwise the gears may slip. This is a function of the hub and not the shaft drive, but keep it in mind if you buy one and find the gears slipping.
Victor G. RIvera
I love this bikes so much, that I bought two!!!
My first purchase was a Switchback 7. I rode this bike 890 miles last year, mostly of hilly terrain, and singletracks. This bike is very rugged, and with the enclosed gear drive I don't have to stop to clear the chain when we ride trough the weeds. The bike survived being run over by an unattentive old lady, dragging the bike 10 feet under her car. Dynamic provided excellent customer service and spare parts to rebuild this bike to better than new condition. I did most of the repairs, and I can attest that repairing this bikes is not difficult at all, just slightly different than with a standard bike.
My second purchase was a Runabout 8. I love this hybrid bike. It is very smooth, and climbs like a mountin goat. I already have 300+ miles on it and have experienced no problems.
Overall, I am very satisfied with both of my purchases, and rate Dynamics customer service with an EXCELLENT rating. *****
Thanks,
Victor
PS- Chains are for cutting firewood!!!