Originally Posted by Ziggurat
can someone explain the purpose behind the ultra-complex drivetrains like the red bike above
is it to avoid chain issues with long-travel suspension??
any other (pics) examples?
There's a bunch of reasons. Getting rid of the pesky fragile derailleur is a big one. Another big one is to get rid of suspension bobbing due to pedal inputs. The main component in that Nucleon is a Rohloff Speedhub so you get all the advantages (and some disadvantages) of an internally geared unit.