Here's a strange bike I picked up last night

it's 9 speed, the front chainring is controlled by a tumb shifter grows in size to increase your gears, the brake is a stainlesss steel cable wraped in some "special kevlar" that wraps around the back wheel and tigthens up when pressure is applied to the hand lever. here's some pics

I saw one of these on CL (Seattle) recently. Hadn't ever seen one before. Looks comfy-how does it ride?

it actually rides pretty comfortable, shifting mechanism works good and break stops better than

traditional gum brakes

Sometimes the good ideas just never get the traction they deserve (no pun intended!) Good score for you, then.

Whaaaat???
This bike is crazy....I love it.

Whoa. Can you take a pic of the backside of the chainwheel?

That's bizarre. Anyone know what that is, or if any other bikes had similar componets?

Growing chainwheels and thread brakes?

woah

If any of you have the current edition of the dancing chain, a similar invention called "the Paradox Chainwheel" in 1903 as well as a similar, but less practical device called "the Protean expanding chainwheel" 7 years before (1894) are both mentioned on pages 60-61.
Evidentally the Paradox could be adjusted in increments of 1 tooth from 20 to 26 teeth (though it also had a high as well as low gear, I imagine 26 and 20). Though this may have been used with skip-tooth wheels and chains, thus making the figure 40 to 52 teeth. Oh the inventions of early cyclists.
Does yours work in a similar manner? 1 tooth increments or the like with a push of that lever?
-Gene-

Here's something I found on the shifting mechanism

I saw this on the Dallas craigslist- are you selling it already?

I don't plan on keeping this bike got too many projects, I put it on CL to see what response I got, will probably clean it up and throw it on fleebay

My parents had a close friend that owned one in the early 90s... is was clearly designed by someone that did not ride a bike. Very goofy and an absolute POS.

A while ago I saw one of those badged as a Nordic Track with a dark blue paint job. That cable brake around the rim is some wierd stuff!

The chain tension is the sweetest part. I'd sell that alone!

Why?

Just why?

The brake is a band brake, cheap and effective. Cheap Chinese kids bikes will often have a band brake on the hub, noisy and useless at stopping the bike rolling backwards.

Photobucket sucks! Try sadpanda.us . It's free.

Photobucket is fine. The OP removed his pics.

Here's some pictures of one. https://ustimes.com/Bicycle/geardrive.jpg https://ustimes.com/Bicycle/instructions.jpg https://ustimes.com/Bicycle/PageTwo.html

That should help, since photobucket deleted your pictures.
Edit, since the OP deleted his pictures.

I think it looks cool, for a city bike. I'd ride the wheels off one if its as fun as it looks. The wife might even like it. I bet these are great "girlfriend bikes" for serious enthusiasts to buy, for their wives/girlfriends.