It always seems as if gearbox bikes are close to being the next big thing, with a few manufacturers executing some promising looking designs. As exciting as the bikes appear and the concept sounds, the gearbox has yet to gain traction. Whether it's the added weight, drag, and cost, or something else, there are a number of elements that keep some riders leery, even if others are raving about the benefits. Regardless, there's a distinct fascination surrounding these things, and given that we went over some of this in
Levy's recent '1 Question' article that investigated what's holding the idea back, it seemed fitting to see what gearbox bike you'd choose.
Below is a lineup of mostly new offerings (as well as a few classics thrown in) for you to choose from. Which gearbox bike would you pick to have in your garage?
Nicolai Ion GPICavalerie AnakinGhost Bikes H AMR XZerode TaniwhaCavalerie FalconNicolai Ion 20Nucleon EvoHonda RN-01 Alutech Sennes Zerode G2
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they all look darn good, and a long way from when I saw gearbox bikes last time around - that scary GT with the "always on chain", I remember it tearing Chris Smith's pants when he rode at Esher Shore for MBUK
the Zerode looks amazing! so clean, I would actually buy one if in the market for a full suspension bike
But I believe that the derailleur is so good that
If a gearbox is gonna take over then it better do away with ALL associated 'issues' of the derailleur not just a few of them. For me effigear does this the best, especially for gravity use (which is where is see gearboxes going). There are new issues with the linkage design to deal with but the other designs require a tensioner and that's a big thing in my opinion. As our suspension gets better and better the idea of having an untuned, unpredictable chain tensioner and clutch added to the mix will seem more and more ridiculous.
we all want what we can't have ;-)
I worked 2 summers for a corporate event fleet that had 12 Pilots and 16 Big Reds...those vehicles got worked hard
as a total aside, if you ever get the chance to drive a Pilot (long out of production) take it up. one of the best off-road vehicles I've ever driven - especially when tuned, seen the racing Pilots running near 100mph off-road
On a side note I'd take the zerode g2 DH rig over all of those.
then he leaves you in the dust on uphills and you've a slight edge on downhills.. add the price of the gearbox, and you don't buy gearbox, at the end of the day
that's how i select most of my bikes in fact, makes it much easier to see the differences rather than just "feels".
The other day i felt the ibis mojo wasnt all that much slower than my HT uphill, then we did the test.. dear god of derailleurs, the HT is so much faster uphill (yes both being regular bikes, no gb, i sadly rarely get to try gb's)
The Zerode feels like a 'proof of concept', kind of like a Tesla car. They're both immaculately crafted dream machines that tick most of the of boxes. There's a healthy price tag to match though.
I only mention SC because, well, the front triangle is practically a mirror image of the nomad with both pivots in the right locations.
Love the 'proof of concept' comment, mate. Perfect!
www.pinkbike.com/u/Peregrinebikes/album/Peregrine-bikes
i pretty much just want a high pivot all carbon gearbox bike with everything low in the frame - if Arbr made a gearbox Saker with a proper thumb shifter and geometry a little closer to the mojo geometron then i would be in bicycle heaven and would be obligated to give up all my money - until then ill stick with my evil insurgent
My vote would be for a Mojo ION GPI and an updated Zerode G2.
It also had a GT IT1. It was pretty radical at the time and you could shift anytime. The whole swing arm got sawed up by the chain when that thing cocked up. And it had tons of drag. So maybe bad execution. In any case, that bike was a pain.
I also look back on Hammerschmidt. That was like a 2 speed gearbox in a way. The system worked great, but still had drag and definitely affected suspension negatively. And it wasn't built into the frame. Maybe something like that with fewer gears in back and more compact rear mech?
Nicolais and Zerodes are great but way too exotic to contribute to popularization on actual trails.
Popularization will do a great deal for the further development and cutting of costs.
I definitely do not like the current trend of f*ckhuge cassettes.
Why was hammerschmidt such a flop??
i mean i really love Pinkbike and all but where this is all coming from???
The closest wins a Merida 160 !!
Am I the only person who has absolutely no issues with a rear detailer?
Overly anal? Hahaha, sorry
Lolzz
But gearbox beats them all: it makes it looks like pinkbike is becoming the marketing branch for a far away future! Unless ... some big player (specialized? Jan 10th?) is coming up with a surprise that might need some publicity preparation!
E-Bikes however are the future of technology and where the sport is going so adapt or DIE!
The only place they have on the trail is
A: you have a disability
or
B: you are old but still want to ride but physically cannot maintain good enough fitness for the hills