Anyone have any opinions on chainless drives? You know the shaft type drives? I found the article and would like to know what you all think...

Chainless bicycle.(Brief Article)
Whole Earth, Winter, 2002

I've renounced chains on bikes now that I've fallen in love with the chainless bicycle. Drive shafts for bikes were invented at least a hundred years ago; what's new are their new low cost, clever shifting, and improved efficiency. A chain can be more energy efficient if--big if--it is kept well lubricated, aligned precisely, and fine-tuned with constant attention. But a modern sealed drive shaft beats the efficiency of the average neglected crusty chain--like my old ones. 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).

There are three of four high-end custom versions of the chainless bike, but as far as I can tell they use the same patented drive shaft as the inexpensive model I've been riding. This make is a slightly clunky Taiwan-made weekend bike. Get the maximum seven-speed version. It uses a Shimano Nexus non-cog gear hub, but it's not as fancy as the German fourteen speedhub reviewed right. For serious trail blazing, I'd prefer the combo of the speedhub and drive shaft (if they made a bike like that), but this bike has gotten me everywhere I've wanted to go--without the hassles of a chain.

--KK