Saturday, September 25, 2010

Chainless Bicycle

Some people choose not to ride a bicycle to work or school because it would simply be too inconvenient; not every place has a bike rack outside, and sometimes the chain grease can make for a messy commute.
Well, now you don’t have to worry about those problems, thanks to a new chainless bike that can be easily disassembled.
Designed by Hungarian engineers, the Stringbike uses two steel cables attached to pulleys, which move on swinging discs as you pedal. The discs replace a traditional round gear system, and they can be changed depending on your needs.
The pedals and discs swing in opposition, as the position of pedals determines the position of the discs: one is always pulling the bike forward, while the other lags behind. This allows for a continuous transmission change, instead of having to shift gears. Higher or lower gear is obtained by a higher or lower placement of the pulleys (see the animated video below for a clearer visualization of how the bike works).
The Stringbikes are also convenient because both wheels can detach quickly and easily as there are no chains to align. And since there are fewer components, eventually these bikes will be cheaper to produce than traditional ones.

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