Folding Bikes - Pinion: 18-speed geared bottom bracket

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.



PDA
fwd-bwd
08-31-10, 05:25 PM
Looks to be a great evolution from the discontinued G-Boxx planetary gear system:

http://www.pinion.eu/images/produkt/pinion_003.png

http://www.pinion.eu/en/produkt.html

Although it's mainly designed for MTB, it just might find its way onto some folders.

social suicide
08-31-10, 07:10 PM
$?????????
stevegor
09-01-10, 01:05 AM
Looks like it needs a specialised frame to mount this set up, which is unfortunate because there are many applications this would be ideal for, in particular folding bikes with narrow rear triangles.

Schlumph still seems a better option.

kamtsa
09-01-10, 02:23 AM
It is described in this patent

http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en/wo.jsp?WO=2010072397

The PDF with the diagrams is available here (download the second doc, Initial Publication with ISR)

http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en/wo.jsp?WO=2010072397&IA=EP2009009193&DISPLAY=DOCS

Inventors are Michael Schmitz and Christoph Lerman.

According to Fig 3, it is organized as 3x6. Fig 22 suggests that it uses two cables which are not shown in the marketing material.
fwd-bwd
09-05-10, 09:00 AM
Yes, it seems a specialized frame and bottom bracket are required to use Pinion (and prior art G-Boxx), and thus may not be economically sensible for many—if not most—bike builders. However, the BB on certain folders are not integrated into the frame but a separate piece attached to the frame, thus making these bikes easier to adopt a gearbox system. Strida, Kent Mini 8, and perhaps some sort of mega A-Bike come to mind. Well, I'm talking about probability not practicality of course. The 7 speed Strida mod has proved that it's possible:

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/bonbon200/26165609.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wAHqrAXfsg
invisiblehand
09-05-10, 07:50 PM
Cool. Too bad it has the appropriate q-factor for a 6' 9" dude ...

Actually, I don't think it has been shown that there is an optimal q-factor. Unfortunately for me, narrow is more comfortable.