Road bike drivetrain technology is under the constant scrutiny of the entire cycling industry.
There are some very promising options out there so Cycling Weekly's Sam Gupta runs through what he believes could be the tech of future for road bike drivetrains.
There are some very promising options out there so Cycling Weekly's Sam Gupta runs through what he believes could be the tech of future for road bike drivetrains.
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00:00The drivetrain as we know it, with two derailleurs and a chain, has been the favoured method
00:05of converting spinning legs into speed for nearly 100 years.
00:10As we all know, over this time we have seen countless improvements to the system, which
00:15has landed us with where we're at today, which by all accounts is a pretty refined
00:21and efficient system.
00:23However, as we reach what may be a plateau of innovation in this space, suggesting we
00:28may actually have the best version of this system, it's only natural to wonder what
00:32the next generation of drivetrains will be.
00:35While the current system serves the masses really well, for some, there are some potentially
00:40huge gains to be had in other technologies.
00:49CeramicSpeed debuted its wacky looking system back in 2018, much to the intrigue of anybody
00:55who set eyes on it.
00:57It works by using sculpted plates, rather than chain rings and sprockets, with an electronically
01:02controlled driveshaft which can shift between different diameters of the plate to engage
01:08a different gear.
01:10As yet, it's still very much in the testing and development phase.
01:14However, CeramicSpeed claims that it was able to achieve a speed of 45kmh on the track, on
01:21a single speed prototype during part of its load testing phase.
01:26If this drivetrain ever does hit the market, in the first instance, it will undoubtedly
01:31be incredibly expensive.
01:33But of course, that's the same for any brand new and truly revolutionary tech.
01:39It always takes a bit of time for it to trickle down to those lower echelons.
01:44If CeramicSpeed really are successful in creating a drivetrain that is 99% efficient, it will of
01:50course attract the attention of those chasing every single want.
01:55Drivetrains like this could find a home on top-end TT and triathlon bikes, maybe even aero bikes
02:02optimised for flat races that will end in a sprint.
02:06The drivetrain efficiency is one thing, but the other benefits that come along with a setup
02:11like this is that there's no chain to come off.
02:14The system is more compact and therefore more aero.
02:18CeramicSpeed are claiming that they have recorded an advantage in specialised wind tunnel.
02:23But finally, since there are no delicate components hanging off of the frame, if a rider is to
02:28have a crash, they should just be able to jump on the bike and carry on.
02:33Snapped mech hangers will become a thing of the past, although SRAM's direct mount rear
02:37derailleur also seems to be doing a pretty good job of this.
02:44From one direct drive system to another, but one is actually in existence and is available
02:51to purchase, is the driveshaft tech from Honbike.
02:55They have done away with convention and constructed a pretty sturdy and utilitarian version of a
03:00similar concept.
03:02In Honbike's case, they have also made the housing for the driveshaft integral to the frame
03:07and it doubles as the chainstay which holds the rear wheel in place.
03:13Honbike has offered the system within their e-bike range and given the system weight,
03:17it's unlikely something similar would make it over to the world of road bikes.
03:22However, it's not impossible.
03:24There are a lot of engineers in the world, all of whom are much smarter than me.
03:28So perhaps there could be a middle ground between what Honbike has created and what CeramicSpeed
03:33are working on.
03:34And perhaps that's where we'll see more of an affordable direct drive system emerge from.
03:45One of my favourite drivetrains and one which I feel is often overlooked is the Humble belt
03:50drive.
03:51Commonly found on urban and commuter bikes, the belt drive is just that.
03:55It's a belt very similar to the one that you might find in your car, but also has humps
04:01or teeth that engage with a similarly shaped front chainring and rear sprocket.
04:06Unsurprisingly, the belt itself can't be shifted.
04:09So to work around that limitation, belt drive bikes are often ones that instead incorporate
04:15a hub gear.
04:16For riders who demand bomb-proof simplicity, I don't think you can get much better than this.
04:22There's no oily chain to make your legs or clothes dirty.
04:25It doesn't need lubing and it cannot rust.
04:28The hub gear is completely sealed from the elements and often only ever need servicing
04:33once every few thousand miles.
04:36And even then, it's just a case of topping up any oil that might have escaped.
04:41Hub shifting is notoriously smooth.
04:43It's very much a fit and forget type of system.
04:48Perhaps it's down to a lack of awareness or education.
04:51But I think that this tech on a flat bar hybrid is quite possibly the best option out there.
04:57There are minimal downsides for the intended user, but there is so much to be gained.
05:08E-bikes have actually played host to quite a few innovations years before they've made
05:12their way onto road bikes.
05:14Let's not forget that Shimano Di2 was first found on an e-bike nearly five years before
05:19it showed up as an option for road bikes.
05:22So I think it's prudent to keep a keen eye on the latest innovations that pop up in that
05:27sphere.
05:28As one day, it would not be a surprise to see it become the new normal for road bikes.
05:34One innovation that has come from the behemoth that is Shimano is their automatic stepless
05:39shifting.
05:41You may be thinking, what does it do?
05:44Well quite what it says on the tin.
05:47You start pedalling and when you do, you'll be in a nice easy gear to get you going.
05:51Then as you build up speed and work up to a faster cadence, the auto box will move up the
05:56gears to allow you to increase your speed while keeping you at a comfortable cadence.
06:02But the really remarkable part about this is the ease at which it changes gear.
06:08You barely feel a change, it's more of an audible click quickly followed by a change
06:13of cadence.
06:14Perhaps this could be a great option for those who just want to focus on riding and let the
06:19bike take care of the rest.
06:21Lastly, and potentially most importantly, Classified seems to be leading the charge in terms of
06:30the next best alternative to the conventional drivetrain.
06:35Perhaps this is because it's not too far removed from what we already have.
06:40As the brand seeks to ditch the front derailleur and replace it with a wireless two-speed hub
06:44gear, we're still left with a conventional chain and rear derailleur setup.
06:49But the new tech does mean that front shifts can be conducted under extreme load without
06:54the risk of misshifting or dropping a chain.
06:58And chain lines can be optimised for an even more efficient setup.
07:02The last hurdle that the brand has to overcome is the integration with the shifters themselves.
07:10At the moment, the hub is operated by a wireless button that mounts to your handlebars.
07:15But hopefully, one day in the future, the tech can be integrated into the OEM shifters without
07:22voiding any warranties.
07:23My hope is that SRAM decide to acquire Classified and then build it into their entire ecosystem.
07:31Imagine this.
07:32A pair of Zip wheels with a classified hub that also makes use of the brand's ownership
07:37of PowerTap to create a Zip classified PowerTap set of wheels and then perfectly integrates with
07:45SRAM's already wireless group sets.
07:49What a dream that would be.
07:51One for the future, I'm sure.
07:52And perhaps I'm being a little optimistic that such a thing could ever exist.
07:57But it's not outside the realms of possibility.
08:01Let me know, what do you think the future is for the Humble drivetrain?
08:05Do you think it will ever develop beyond the conventional two derailleur system we already
08:10have?
08:11Do you think Classified or CeramicSpeed have the answer?
08:14If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more
08:18content and I will see you again very soon.
08:22Bye.
08:23Bye.