What do MTBers want?

[belly_up]

Maybe something a bit simpler then, how about an international standard derailleur hanger? how good would that be!!

The reason we're all still on chains and not drive shafts, is that it is about the most efficient form of drivetrain around. Cars lose about 20 - 30% of their flywheel power through their drivetrain, which isn't a problem for them, cause they have lots of power. but we on bikes do not. Shaft driven bikes are also a pain on FS bikes, due to the constantly changing chain lengths. You can overcome this on single pivot designs, by mounting the bevel gear at the pivot point, or by having a URT, but nobody wants that
Other designs can overcome this by having a 2 piece splined shaft, but that adds more cost and weight and failure points etc.
But the big problem i can see, is that for the system to be workable, it needs to be compact, and that means a big bucket load of torque going through some little drive gears, and it'd be quite expensive to make them strong enough, and the drive shaft for that matter.
But i do have another idea that might work for that.......

 

[belly_up]

Something you might want to think about for the kicker design, is a "rollable" top surface, ie something like the top on this table:

Not necessarily aluminium, but same idea in timber, or carbon fibre, or play dough or whatever.

And the frames on those things might be good for some inspiration too. ie, kicker with lightweight foldup frame, and rollup top surface.

 

[S.]

Maybe something a bit simpler then, how about an international standard derailleur hanger? how good would that be!!

The reason we're all still on chains and not drive shafts, is that it is about the most efficient form of drivetrain around. Cars lose about 20 - 30% of their flywheel power through their drivetrain, which isn't a problem for them, cause they have lots of power. but we on bikes do not. Shaft driven bikes are also a pain on FS bikes, due to the constantly changing chain lengths. You can overcome this on single pivot designs, by mounting the bevel gear at the pivot point, or by having a URT, but nobody wants that
Other designs can overcome this by having a 2 piece splined shaft, but that adds more cost and weight and failure points etc.
But the big problem i can see, is that for the system to be workable, it needs to be compact, and that means a big bucket load of torque going through some little drive gears, and it'd be quite expensive to make them strong enough, and the drive shaft for that matter.
But i do have another idea that might work for that.......

Chains are reasonably efficient ways of transmitting power aren't they? As far as I can tell (I'm not educated much in this area of design) the main problems with them are chains slipping/dropping, and derailleurs being damaged... not in the actual power transfer itself.

However, if you have ideas for how to make something new, keep em coming!

 

[Ty]

with the nexus (low end shimano) couldn't you pull it all apart and get engineering shop or someone with simlar talants to make a tough steel (or simlar hard/strong alloy) gearset for it, it could be sold as an upgrade as a kit, it's only 7 speed but as socket said you can have a range far wider than the current 34-11 if you wished.

or is the nexus hub body too weak for this kind of idea to work?

 

[S.]

with the nexus (low end shimano) couldn't you pull it all apart and get engineering shop or someone with simlar talants to make a tough steel (or simlar hard/strong alloy) gearset for it, it could be sold as an upgrade as a kit, it's only 7 speed but as socket said you can have a range far wider than the current 34-11 if you wished.

or is the nexus hub body too weak for this kind of idea to work?

I've heard people on other forums say that they don't hold up to hard riding, whether they've actually tested I don't know, but I got the impression that the entire thing was too flimsy (hub body included). Your idea would farkin rule though...

 

[Scott]

we have introduced a sub $100 workstand - send your cheque and the milk crate is on its way! Choice of colours!

serious?

i'm very interested.

 

[S.]

we have introduced a sub $100 workstand - send your cheque and the milk crate is on its way! Choice of colours!

serious?

i'm very interested.

You'd pay $100 for a milk crate in the colour of your choice? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[Scott]

hey... i like milk... especially if its a cool colour

mooo

 

[Grip]

we have introduced a sub $100 workstand - send your cheque and the milk crate is on its way! Choice of colours!

serious?

i'm very interested.

Hmmm? Thought you might be. Tell you what... just so we can all move on I'll do you a special deal on that $100 OK? You promise to put at least HALF a GripSport sticker on your bike and we'll send you a stand for only HALF price. And to make it even easier we'll just send it to your local milkbar and you can pick it up from there... any night after closing time... I'll get them to leave it round the back somewhere. What colour was it you wanted? Oh don't worry about it I'll send a whole range up. God I'm a nice bloke.

Cheers

 

[belly_up]

with the nexus (low end shimano) couldn't you pull it all apart and get engineering shop or someone with simlar talants to make a tough steel (or simlar hard/strong alloy) gearset for it, it could be sold as an upgrade as a kit, it's only 7 speed but as socket said you can have a range far wider than the current 34-11 if you wished.

or is the nexus hub body too weak for this kind of idea to work?

I've heard people on other forums say that they don't hold up to hard riding, whether they've actually tested I don't know, but I got the impression that the entire thing was too flimsy (hub body included). Your idea would farkin rule though...

no reason you can't get a machine shop to make a stronger hub body too, but then you're making a whole new hub, and you might as well make / buy a rohloff.

 

[S.]

with the nexus (low end shimano) couldn't you pull it all apart and get engineering shop or someone with simlar talants to make a tough steel (or simlar hard/strong alloy) gearset for it, it could be sold as an upgrade as a kit, it's only 7 speed but as socket said you can have a range far wider than the current 34-11 if you wished.

or is the nexus hub body too weak for this kind of idea to work?

I've heard people on other forums say that they don't hold up to hard riding, whether they've actually tested I don't know, but I got the impression that the entire thing was too flimsy (hub body included). Your idea would farkin rule though...

no reason you can't get a machine shop to make a stronger hub body too, but then you're making a whole new hub, and you might as well make / buy a rohloff.

Yeah... a Rohloff would probably be cheaper too!

 

[belly_up]

but i don't see the prob with getting a nexus and trying it out standard, you never know, it might be stonger than you expect.