A bicycle with a wire instead of a chain -- hmmm, not sure!!

[stickyr6]

http://www.geekologie.com/mt/mt-search.cgi?tag=cha...

Edited by stickyr6 on Friday 12th August 01:06

[fatandwheezing]

Do wires not stretch easier than chains?

Either way, I'm more taken with the Chain Clock below it!

[Bacon Is Proof]

What problem is this meant solve?

[CoolC]

I'm struggling to see how the wheel is driven in that set up.

Oh and I agree, that chain clock is very smart.

[TonyHetherington]

Bacon Is Proof said:

What problem is this meant solve?

There are inherent inefficiencies in a regular setup - this looks like gears are done differently by changing the length of the upper cable (I'm guessing here, I stress!).

[P-Jay]

I kind of like it, it's not really practical is somuchas I think it creates more problems that it solves (if any) but it's a clever idea.

If I were brighter or had any engineering skill whatsoever I would try to build a prototype of my idea, hydraulic drive, two pumps one in the BB you drive and one in the rear hub connected by two hoses running inside the chain stay. My VERY basic understanding of hydraulics tells me it would be far more efficient than the current way of doing it and unlike brakes that heat up, providing it was built well enough not to leak would be maintenance free.

What I don't understand it whether you could 'gear' it by restricting the flow of fluid to increase it's flow speed.

[budgie smuggler]

TonyHetherington said:

There are inherent inefficiencies in a regular setup - this looks like gears are done differently by changing the length of the upper cable (I'm guessing here, I stress!).

Efficiency is pretty high in a chain/dérailleur setup, over 95%. Interesting project though.

[dxg]

CoolC said:

I'm struggling to see how the wheel is driven in that set up.

Oh and I agree, that chain clock is very smart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4PAzalfpww

^^^

I still can't work it out. Are there two freewheeling mechanisms in the hub, then?

[dxg]

Actually, I've got it now. There are:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwe2XQf_-BM

[CoolC]

dxg said:

Actually, I've got it now. There are:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwe2XQf_-BM

Ah thanks for that. It's not very clear on them photo's at the top of the page. All makes sense now.