Cavalerie Anakin - Review
Cavalerie probably isn't a brand you are familiar with, nor was I until I spotted French Junior rider, Benoit Coulanges piloting his gearbox-equipped Nicolai to 15th place at the Fort William World Cup last year. Benoit was riding an Effigear gearbox-equipped bike, the brand that gave birth to Cavalerie Bikes parented by Guy Cavalerie and David Roumeas. Never planning on building bikes themselves, they concentrated on designing and perfecting their gearbox unit with the hope of selling them to existing frame manufacturers who would build bikes to house the system. A slow start with a lack of interest from other brands left the pair in a conundrum - what to do next? The answer was to start building their own bikes and Cavalerie was born.
The Cavalerie Anakin is a 160mm travel bike from the Lyon-based brand, which comes from a four bike range including downhill, freeride and fat bike chassis all using the same gearbox and Gates Carbon belt drive system. Custom builds are available, and €3985 gets you a frame with gearbox, belt, seat clamp, headset and a BOS Kirk shock.
Anakin Details
• Intended use: all-mountain / enduro
• Rear wheel travel: 160mm
• Wheel size: 27.5"
• Full alloy frame
• Effigear 9-speed gearbox
• Gates Carbon Belt Drive
• 66 degree head angle
• Frame weight: 5,744g (inc. shock, belt, and rear hub)
• Bike weight: 14.5kg / 32 lb
• Frame MSRP: €3985 ($4465 USD)
• Bike pictured approx. 6200€ ($6946 USD)
• cavalerie-bikes.com / effigear.com
• Intended use: all-mountain / enduro
• Rear wheel travel: 160mm
• Wheel size: 27.5"
• Full alloy frame
• Effigear 9-speed gearbox
• Gates Carbon Belt Drive
• 66 degree head angle
• Frame weight: 5,744g (inc. shock, belt, and rear hub)
• Bike weight: 14.5kg / 32 lb
• Frame MSRP: €3985 ($4465 USD)
• Bike pictured approx. 6200€ ($6946 USD)
• cavalerie-bikes.com / effigear.com
Frame Details
The Anakin uses an industrial looking, full alloy tube set. The bike's high single pivot system uses the main drive axle of the Effigear as a pivot. Another pivot is placed close to the micro-adjustable horizontal dropouts, which drives the seat stay that is attached to a short link hanging underneath the top tube. The rear wheel uses a 135mm single speed hub with a fixed sprocket and a zero-dish wheel with symmetrically angled spokes for added wheel strength.
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Other details include a tapered head tube, 180mm post mount for the rear brake, as well as internal and external cable routeing options. Disappointingly, there is no space or consideration for a bottle cage anywhere on the frame.
A symmetrically dished rear wheel should help increase strength and stiffness.
The brake calliper mount is part of the dropout, so it won't need to be readjusted when moving the wheel.
Geometry
The Anakin features contemporary geometry for a bike that might see some enduro racing: I rode a large-sized frame with a generous reach of 472mm, a 66º head angle, and a steep 75.5º seat angle. The wheelbase sits around 1210mm but varies slightly as the chainstay slides between 421 - 431mm depending upon belt adjustment. An extra-large sized frame has also been added to the lineup and should be available mid-summer.
The Effigear Explained
While it looks like there is a lot happening inside the Effigear box, it's actually quite easy to understand: the axle driven by the crank arms connects to the primary (lower) range of gears via a steel sprocket. Of this primary range of gears, only one is engaged at any one time. The gear selector is inside the axle that passes through this primary range, and the selector slides side to side and pushes out freehub-style pawls to engage the desired gear.
This version of the Effigear box uses a SRAM X0 trigger shifter to change gears. A long 'BIC Biro' type spring in the black tube on top of the down tube is preloaded when changing into lower gears, and this preloaded spring force pulls the selector back when changing into higher gears. A barrel-type changer is also an option which uses two cables to pull the selector in either direction and doesn't require the extra spring on the down tube.
The secondary (upper) range of gears are fixed along with the external sprocket to an axle, and this axle doubles as the bike's main pivot point. A Gates Carbon belt is used to connect the drive to the rear hub. When freewheeling, the belt and gears continue to rotate. Belts are known to be less efficient than a clean and lubricated chain, but the belt drive is said to require zero maintenance, its performance won't deteriorate with use and should outlive a chain by up to three times.
The sprockets are machined from steel, which means they're heavy but are said to last for years. The gearbox can also be downsized to seven gears for downhill use, which will also shave a few grams off. The suggested service interval is an oil change every twelve months if riding twice a week on average. To do this, simply remove the sump bolt, allow the old oil to drain and then refill with fresh oil. The sprockets are shaped to allow mud to be pushed through and away from the contact area by the belt. A small plastic guard has also been installed to stop baggy trousers getting caught in the belt.
The Gates Carbon Drive should make for a bike that's close to being maintenance free, at least when talking about the drivetrain.
My bike had the equivalent range of a 26 tooth chain ring with a 10 - 44 cassette, but different sized external sprockets can be used at the box or hub to give desired gear ratios.
The complete Effigear system weighs 2,640 grams, which includes the box, crank arms, shifters, belt and lubrication oil. Cavalerie suggests this weight is on par with an average double chain ring system, using an 11 - 34 cassette.
This diagram shows how the Effigear box can be built in three different shapes, changing the position of the three main components: the crank axle, the primary gears and secondary range/main pivot to choose the desired pivot and bottom bracket locations different types of bike.
This diagram shows how the Effigear box can be built in three different shapes, changing the position of the three main components: the crank axle, the primary gears and secondary range/main pivot to choose the desired pivot and bottom bracket locations different types of bike.
Shifting
Compared to a derailleur system, the Effigear offers some notable pros and cons. The glaring con is that you can't change into an easier gear with pressure on the pedals, which is tough at first. When tackling climbs, a very short release of tension on the pedals is needed to allow the gear to change. For me, the pros seemed to outweigh the cons, though: being able to select between any number of gears when freewheeling or at a stand still, and solid down shifts when putting maximum power through the cranks.
When I became used to the system, I found myself pre-selecting gears when a climb came into view but still descending. Hopping onto a coffin-sized rock on a Swiss single, I needing to wheelie off, but I was in too hard a gear; I held a track stand, flicked up a couple of gears and popped off the death box. I also found this useful when I bobbled on a couple of stream crossings and lost all momentum - I just clicked up a few gears a pedalled out. A similar situation with a derailleur system might have meant getting off to spin the cranks and get into the right gear, or crunching the chain to move up to the other end of the cassette over a couple of crank rotations.
Being able to shift so freely quickly became a habit, and going back to a derailleur system was tough to re-adapt to. With the exception of powering up climbs which were easier than with the gearbox and something that a rider is going to have to keep in mind when considering the Anakin.
Climbing
The 75.5º seat angle is a great start for heading up steep climbs, but due to the lack of anti-squat in the system, the Anakin did wallow a little, similar to the Pole Rinne Yla I reviewed last year. It's great for pedalling through rough stuff as the wheel is free from chain tension to move over obstacles but it struggled with wallowing when going through large dips and putting the power down, especially when seated. Power transfer certainly isn't as direct as a traditional drivetrain because the forces from your legs have to make it through multiple cogs and the belt. I wouldn't like to comment on real efficiency numbers as some more scientific testing would be needed, but it certainly didn't feel as efficient as a chain. David admits that the system won't be as efficient as a clean and well-oiled derailleur system, but can possibly offer an advantage when things get muddy.
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Descending and Handling
I instantly felt comfortable on the Anakin heading straight into some downhill tracks in Morzine to get a feel for the bike. The 66º head angle and roomy top tube for a large frame, combined with the low and centralised weight, kept things stable and offered a great front/rear balance.
The high pivot point, light rear wheel, and lack of feedback from chain stretch meant the suspension action was incredible, and ploughing into Le Pleneys favourite braking bumps was no issue. Notably, riding this bike with flat pedals was a cinch, my feet just stuck to the pedals while I could feel the back wheel going wild behind me with only a reassuring thud of rubber against dirt - the Anakin is nearly silent.
The linkage and BOS Kirk gave a progressive feel and the Anakin loved to charge the descents, with a rewarding generation of speed when pumping and pushing through holes, compressions, and ruts. A few times I winced as I got way too close to some derailleur dinging rocks but floated through without concern. The bottom bracket clearance is huge as I found when mistiming a fallen tree hop and braced for the inevitable chain ring collision with the object in question. But nothing happened and I just sailed straight over. Even if you did contact the box with the ground, the frame looks burly enough to take more abuse than any bash guard ever could.
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Downsides
Rolling speed seems affected by the continually rotating mass of the box and belt when freewheeling. A freewheel could be used at the rear hub but it's not recommended by Effigear as it requires an extra ten degrees of retro pedalling to change into an easier gear. A zero degree engagement hub would be a great solution but doesn't exist in the correct sizing for the Anakin. This is particularly clear when jumping as the slowing wheel gently pushed your weight forwards in the air, similar to pulling the back brake or letting off the throttle on a motorbike - a slight change of balance is required.
I ride left foot forwards and with my knees pretty close to the frame in corners, and I sometimes take swingarm hits to the inside of the leg and knee on some bikes. What happens when there is a carbon belt drive constantly whirring around in this area? Leg burns. Nothing major, but I did singe the inside of my calf muscle a few times when hitting left-hand corners. This is a real issue, and Cavalerie will have to install some sort of guard to fix the problem. The friction in the system is also less than ideal, as is having to not apply pressure to the pedals if you want to shift into an easier gear.
Pinkbike's Take:
 | The Anakin is not inexpensive or the most efficient when pedalling, but does have a lot to offer in the contrary. Great handling, low maintenance, huge clearance, silence and centralised weight are massive positives. The lack of efficiency will prove to be a no-no for people who like to go for long rides, but for more extreme disciplines where carrying speed takes precedence over pedalling, I didn't feel this is an issue. If you live somewhere warm, dry with fairly smooth terrain lacking in derailleur biting rocks, a gearbox maybe isn't something on your wishlist. It's not the gearbox bike that so many people dream will make derailleurs obsolete, but it's close. The Anakin is a great option for riders who tackle muddy conditions and gnarly terrain that's littered with roots and rocks. - Paul Aston |
About the Reviewer
Stats: Age: 29 • Height: 6'1” • Ape Index: +4" • Weight: 161lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: Rockwell Watches Paul Aston is the latest addition to the Pinkbike Technical team and is a racer and dirt-jumper at heart. Previously competing in World Cup DH, now he's attacking Enduro and has been since before it was fashionable. Based in the UK, but often found residing between mainland Europe and New Zealand allows him to experience a huge variety of terrains and trails.
Stats: Age: 29 • Height: 6'1” • Ape Index: +4" • Weight: 161lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: Rockwell Watches Paul Aston is the latest addition to the Pinkbike Technical team and is a racer and dirt-jumper at heart. Previously competing in World Cup DH, now he's attacking Enduro and has been since before it was fashionable. Based in the UK, but often found residing between mainland Europe and New Zealand allows him to experience a huge variety of terrains and trails.
Author Info:
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Derailleurs are shite... unfortunately there isn't anything better yet
Belt tension so crucial a gates tuning tool for tension exists, I've seen one in 5 years...too loose and belt 'ratchets', too tight and bb/hub bearings prematurely die as well as rapid wear to belt and cogs. Throw some grit and mud on that belt I've seen them delaminate and snap.
Gates belt is solution to problem that doesn't exist! Sedis bushingless chain is killer efficient even when covered in CR&p
Like to see this bike without the belt, chain guard for normal chain would be slim
Gearboxes have a ways to go. They look really promising. And they'll get better by leaps and bounds IF they can get the numbers up to justify the R&D costs. But the current, suboptimal drivetrain system is still incrementally getting better every year, and a lot of those improvements are trickling down to mid- and entry-level groups. Maybe not so much the electronics - but hey, it's hard to argue that current GX or XT level 1x11 systems are exorbitant or don't perform, and next year you'll have that level of performance with a wee bit more weight and lower cost in SLX-level components. And you can already get most of that goodness in super reliable SLX if you're good with 1x10 and a 11/42 Sunrace cassette. So it will be hard for gearboxes to develop to the point where they can really provide a quantum leap on performance - just because the current stuff is so close to good enough, it'll be hard to justify the cost.
Interesting times for sure!
Gearbox still feels better to me, at least for Enduro/DH. But some company needs to stick their head out. If they managed to moveearth and sky to introduce 650B, so can they make gearboxed bikes.
@WAKIdesigns - yep, rear mechs are turds, and yep, improving them is a question of diminishing returns. And yes, it's very much possible that the turd is good enough to keep gear boxes from ever being developed to the point where they'd make a huge difference. But I think that's true even for trail and all mountain bikes. There's enough of a paradigm shift that there'll be resistance to early adoption - and not quite enough pain from the current state. The whole wheel size thing is different, in a way - it's still a bike, all the components are still the same, there are just some different sizes. So it's more incremental, mentally, to think of riding 650b or 29 compared to 26 - whereas the gear box requires some real changes to the bike as a whole.
@g-42 - exactly. It requires big changes, which means a big financial risk to a company like Spec or Giant but the first one to pull it out will really go into history books as a true innovator. Making 650B for masses was a huge move for the industry as well, the difference is that it brought virtually nothing while gearbox would change a lot. I have no clue what they are waiting for. Spec, Trek and Santa Cruz sell DH and Enduro bikes for 10k dollars, ask one more grand and nobody will notice anyways. I bet there would be a market for 19k bike like Spec Venge McLaren edition. Spec paid Öhlins for development of MTB suspension for fks sake.
@WAKIdesigns - gearboxes have two big hurdles to overcome; they have to become something that can be put on a bike with no penalty (weight, drag, etc.), and they have to get cheap enough to be competitive with the rather mature, but still evolving incumbent solution. The extent to which that has to happen depends on whether they can be packaged in ways that make their pros more appealing. Not interfering with suspension, more ground clearance due to lack of chain ring - that's all great. But if some clever bike designer can look at these things and somehow figure out a bike design that even in its first few iterations somehow brings with it some compelling, instantly perceived advantage (so that everyone riding one immediately thinks this is the future), then they'll have something. Until then, it will be very hard for their makers to come up with a good enough case to nudge people off their current drive trains.
Yeah a drastic mechanical would wreck your ride like a broken mech. The point is, it's far less likely to happen with a good gearbox bike. Not too much feedback on the Effigears yet, but they are making improvements all the time. The dude racing with one in his Nicolai on the WC curcuit is doing great with his. Would be interesting to know how many mech issues he had prior.
I know Zerode owners are having way way leass issues than mech owners.
Just look at the design. Not really much to go wrong, nothing that'd make it unrideable. Loosing gear changes would be most likely but not likely realistcily.
more than happy to bet though. As soon as you get a friend with one, tell me who has a mechanical first, you or him. $100US good with you? If we're betting on DH and a Zerode I know about, I'll raise it to $1000US.
You can watch a car go 8 seconds on street tires in a race, but his tires are changed out every round. Top fuel get new motors every weekend.
I see a broken mech ruining a race run at pretty much every DH race, be it WC or local races.
Chains are less likely to fail on a gearbox bike also.
XC racing is a different beast. and a stronegr argument perhaps against gearboxes. An XC racer is more likely to have a spare bike than the average weekend warrior.
Gearboxes are less fkucing about, it's enough reason. MTBs should be as tuff as MX bikes and BMXs, we've been lulled into believing they can't be by marketing pushing weight and miniscule performance gains. With gearboxes they can be that reliable. and ypou can SHIFT ANY TIME ;-)
If you're happy with your mech set up, all good. Shifting isn't that big a deal, and mechs are pretty dang good. I just like shifting whenever and having a bike good to go every ride. I don't even bother washing it, and lube the chains only every now and then.
I really can't vouch for the Effigear gear box as I've not had enough experience with it. I like it's high output sprocket as I like rearward axle path bikes, they make a lot of sense to me. So I would happily buy one. I have seen a Cavalerie Anakin in the flesh and it was an awesome looking bike.
Now, I realize that going fast isn't everyone's priority, and there certainly is a place for gearboxes, but it isn't the right solution for everyone.
Add dust, mud or rain and efficiency will decrease a lot...
efficiency of gearbox + belt transmission doesn't depend on how good it's lub and clean, so stay good all allong your ride
For me, its about efficiency, performance, cost. Just cant beat a single ring, rear derailleur setup. Maybe someday, but this isnt it. Even if my derailleur snaps off, completely fails, I can rig something together to pedal home 90% of the time.
I think your being slightly naive. We all tried to convince ourselves that we don't need bigger wheels for but were buying them because the industry has dictated it.
And as soon as an efficient, lightweight gearbox is mounted to a racing winning bike it won't take long till the trickle turns to a flood. Sure, not all of us need it, or in your case want it, but just like we don't 'need' Boost or 650b a gearbox movement WILL happen.
MTB is in full progression mode right now. And like 26" and front derailleurs, the chances are someday the rear mech will be consigned to the parts bin or the depths of supermarket 'off road bikes'.
You only ned to look how far we've come in the past 20 years. It's only a matter of time.
The derraileur has had, what 70+ years of evolution and perfecting. Gear box's are relatively new to bicycles. Give them time to work out the bugs
Personally I can not wait to say bye to derailleurs an gear systems exposed to the elements
Final resting place, as in Cemetery
Franco-Provençal language
Functional reactive programming
Free radical polymerization
???
No way anyone could use plastics for mountain bikes, it would never last!!
Obsolete??
You're kidding right? There is enough drivetrain drag to affect the bikes flight? Thats insane. I love the idea of a gearbox, but I just can't believe there is that much drag. You sure your formula brakes weren't anything to do with it??
Excellent review by the way. It was very informative.
Freecoaster hubs (as used by bmxers) often require a small amount of backwards torque through the pedals to "unlock" the clutch mechanism. You don't actually have to pedal backwards, as the hub will try to push your cranks round like a fixed gear when you freewheel. You just hold your feet in place, and after a moment of reverse pressure through the feet, the clutch will free up and you get friction-free freewheeling. Something along those lines could help with this 10 degree back pedal issue. Yes this momentary "locking" is the sign of a poorly maintained freecoaster, but the effect could be reproduced in other ways. You basically need some mechanism that makes the freewheel clutch release slightly sticky. It would be simple enough to create something that fitted the bill. This would essentially mean the shifting was just as quick as running a fully fixed rear hub, but with the added drag free rolling advantages of a freewheel.
I have literally just woken up, so there may be massive holes in my idea, lol...
But yes you are right about the hubs, I think Onyx hubs use a clutch-like mechanism
However, the real problem I have is the engagement when you want to get back on the pedals. It's mostly an issue after you do some back pedaling, because if you don't back pedal, the front ring doesn't move since the freehub has less resistance. But, take the situation where you come through some corners, back pedaling to get your feet in position, then want to get right back on the gas. You definitely feel a bit of a "lurch" of unsupported weight on the pedals, then you engage. It is really my only actual quip with the box that I see as a true disadvantage.
edit: I did some rough measuring, and my P1.12 seems to have around 25* of engagement. Pretty awful, especially combined with a freehub
Did you check out Onyx's mechanism? I will do it and double check, but I think it uses what you are talking about.
Also, does anyone know if they have to have the coasting mechanism in the box? Could it just be fixed, or would that create a new set of issues/become a design flaw? @effigear can you tell us? II haven't carefully considered the engineering constraints in this situation, so forgive me if I missed something obvious.
One thing everyone should know about all of these gearbox bikes is that the suspension performance is unreal - noticeably consistent, supple, insane small bump compliance, etc. I'm worried about trying a 100 gram rear tensioner instead of the front one, because I don't want to negatively affect the performance; yes, you can tell it's that much better.
Plus I want to see inside Nicolai bikes!
It is very suited for FS frames. Chain tensioner here is out of the way of trouble.
Shimanno could just make a box housing for their Alfine hubs to be centrally mounted. Even just a narrower hub so it could be used like Zerode does on a AM/Funduro frame would do if a big frame brand got behind it. GT, looking at you.
Would still be great if either Big S did release one. One day. Not sure if patents hold them back much.
Pinion is pretty dialled now though. Weight is their main hic up, but the 12 speed is pretty light with a massive spread of range.
"and then the kick brooAAP, and then RAAATATATATATATATA"
Would very much prefer to be fixing a chain with a powerlink trailside than splitting the frame the frame to put on an expensive replacement belt.
Some well known terms bike mechanic working on belt drive know:-
Crabbing ( belt walks sideways under load)
Ratcheting (belt slips on rear cog under load)
Backlash (take up slack when tension incorrect)
Then we have premature wear to bb bearing, hub bearing, belt components from overtightened belt.
Seen belts split/snap from debris ingress, aluminium cogs strip on steel freehub
Tension tool gauge for gates exists, but not seen in workshops, without this its really guesswork every time a puncture requires removing wheel
we worked on tonnes of Trek Soho at Evans (Soho was the Trek city hybrid).
The belt tension is actually really crucial and there was a sweet spot which is why Gates produced a belt-tension tool to make sure it was set correct. Unfortunately this tool was never widely distributed.
A common problem if the belt was slightly too tight is that the rear cog/paddle would strip out against the freehub body.
They originally had an aluminium alloy piece to save weight, and switched to a steel core with aluminium alloy paddle, which was then supplied to all the damaged bikes. Belts had to be replaced as well as you'd have aluminium alloy shards embedded in the belt, causing it to split! belts were crazy expensive about £100 each.
The problem with these bikes got so bad that Trek started supplying a regular chain, chainring and rear cog with the bikes, so that when the belt crapped itself you could swap the customer over to a chain drive.
I've worked on other bikes with Gates and rear frame alignment has to be spot on, otherwise the belt crabs sideways under load. Frame has to have removable dropouts, or split driveside chainstay so the belt can be installed, this makes the frame weaker and heavier
The later version of the belt comes with the central slot and teeth to stop crabbing and resist dirt ingress better
"solid down shifts when putting maximum power through the cranks"
I'm confused, I always think of down shifts as being shifting into an easier gear? If so these statements contradict each other? Could someone explain? Does it just mean "down shift" as in shifting onto a smaller cog, therefore a harder gear or?
ˈdaʊnʃɪft/Submit
verb
gerund or present participle: downshifting
1.
NORTH AMERICAN
change to a lower gear in a motor vehicle or bicycle.
"an inertia system that activates whenever the rider brakes or downshifts"
2.
change a financially rewarding but stressful career or lifestyle for a less pressured and less highly paid but more fulfilling one.
"increasing numbers of men want to downshift from full-time work""
The reason I was confused ^
You need to read between the lines. Seemed the tester would happily own this bike. The part where he said returning to a mech sucked, spells out the gearbox is better than a mech set up. Shifting any time is so much greater than the cons. You have to light pedal a touch shifting down with a mech also. So you have to stop pedaling to do it with an Effigear, you'r still changing gears faster overall as it's a split second that takes less time then soft pedaling for a second to change with a mech. and you don't need to eccelerate to soft pedal to maintain momentum as much. It's just that it's alien until used to it. That's shifting just one gear, want to shift more than one gear and the gearbox far outweighs a mech. You learn that you can shift any time, so in most instances you don't get caught out having to shift under load. You don't need clear ground free of rock strikes or obstacles disrupting your soft pedaling to shift with a gearbox. This is something you don't consider how annoying it is with a mech, because it's all you know. I shift with my gerbox bikes(all my bikes) in rock gardens, corners, the air, stationary. Now thta gearboxes are ingrained in my subconscious, and not mechs, when I ride a bike with a mech, I am amazed at how much it handicaps my riding, and how primitive it is.
As for efficiency, you can run a chain on this bike. Although it may not be as reliable as a belt(not sure of the truth int that) a chain on a gearbox bike still lasts several times longer than a bike with mech, as the chain is running straight, and not bent and twisted into another gear under load, and not running at extreme angles. Same goes for sprockets and cables. Not sure why these gearbox brands insist on pushing belts, belts are just an added complexity and hard to get item.
Then there's the reliability. You don't realize how annoying mechs reliabilty and servicing are until you've lived with a gearbox bike. You may not break mechs at all or often, but you still know in the back of your head, that that expensive fragile dangly bit is there at the back, and your mindful of rocks etc or even laying your bike down, and you do live with slightly poor shifting or have to do a tweak here or there, or replace a cable.
The gearbox tested was also probably new, they loosen up and get more efficient and easier to use as they bed in.
after 50/60 km i do not feel any resitance in the gearbox
I hate that bike companies keep making up stupid shit that doesn't matter instead of focusing on making good gearboxes.
I do find that I spend a lot more time tinkering with my bike than I did ten years ago. Sticky dropper posts, pressfit BBs, and tubeless tyre troubleshooting all add to the maintenance overhead of running a bike ( though at least 2 of those things save you time once you're out riding) Would a gearbox bike save me much "workshop time"? I'm not sure it would, but that would be my main motivation for looking into the idea further
It would also eliminate that feeling you get when you have just ridden past a pointy rock, and you feel £100 worth of rear mech part company with your frame, and you hope like hell it doesn't decide to get to know your rear wheel a bit better before you can stop.
Great to finally see a review that I haven't had to translate from a French publication.
This is the most honest review I've read so far, and considering that the system ain't exactly perfected yet, €4000 is a bit steep :/
all my friends who tried the bike felt all the same>>>EFFICIENCY
i ride an Anakin for the last two years now, and what i can tell is that i do not feel any resistance when pedalling!
You don't need mud to understand that the gearbox is usefull, here in whistler my buddies break a lot of derailleurs!
And i do not even know what they are talking about !!!!
i love the fact that i do not need ''momentum'' to shift up when sketchy, i press and boom that's INSTANT!
the geometry of the Cavalerie is also a good asset, all the transmission weight is on the BB, all centered tho and makes the bike easy to handle!
I jump quite a bit (whistler bikepark, crabapple hits, Etc...) and i can insure you i do not feel any DRAG because of the gearbox and the belt always spinning!
i love this bike!
More pictures on instagram>>> #cavaleriebikes #Effigear #Dharco
So you get tipped over the bars in the air and burned by the belt along with constant drag when freewheeling, can't downshift mid-climb without breaking your momentum and it catches gravel which snaps the belt? I think I'll wait a while.
This sounds like someone's invested a heap in R&D and developed half a product, but needs to sell something to fund the next round of R&D so releases a half-arsed product that will put people off the technology.
www.zapiks.fr/l-homme-qui-change-de-vitess-1.html
www.zapiks.fr/boite-effigear-bike-cavaleri.html
tap 2 holes under the top tube bamm
Who's going to work on it; who makes the gears! Do I have to send it to Fwance to get it affixed!
How long will it be on the market!
I like the idea of a silent ride and a symmetrical tail. Fancy thinking maybe..
I know that the cog is fixed on the rear hub but there must be a free wheel mechanism in the gear box which most probably has a certain number of point of engagement. Then it is also interesting to know on which axle of the gearbox the free wheel is mounted.
Onyx racing product is a good match with the gearbox if you don't want the chain or belt always turn.
A 120 POE rearhub work perfectly with the gearbox and you will keep the hub POE as the gearbox freewheel keep contact (belt doesn't turn, gearbox pawl remain engaged)
www.zapiks.fr/l-homme-qui-change-de-vitess-1.html
Bike is 31 lbs for an aluminium frame which is on the average (frame is 3.2kg without gearbox)
Many of the finest bikes money can buy are single pivot. It's probably the best all round system.
Weight is centralized and low acting as stabalizing ballast. Less unsprung weight means more responsive suspension. Not testicles hanging off rear axle to get smashed.
High single pivots are awesome. Greta bump absorption, counter act bobbing a bit. Although this bike lacks any anti squat, so would bob a bit. Smooth pedal strokes would counteract this a lot, or some low speed damping. But as the tester said, it loved the downhills, the speed and the rocks.
Drag is one aspect of overall efficiency at the end of the day. I'm guessing this was a less effiecient brand new gearbox(they bed in). If the review was the other way around, from a tester thta had ridden gearbox bikes solely for ten years, and was reviewing a bike with a mech, the efficiency comments would be very negative towards the mech. The devil you know plays a big part in this discussion. The gearboxes advantages are enhanced greatly as your subconsious addapts to it. Same with any negatives are made less once you're not thinking of how and where to shift. As i said in another comment, I shift in rock gardens, corners, the air with my gearbox bikes, and coming around a blind corner and confronted with an unexpected climb is no issue with a gearbox bike, just change several gears and go.