Originally Posted by
Dean V
Putting a drive through 90 degrees has always been rather inefficient.
They are doing it twice.
Even with the roller bearings, strange drive teeth etc, I just can't see it being more efficient than a chain.
I can see it being slightly more efficient if they build a nice, closed, drive system.
I can can never see it being *simpler* than a chain-drive, though. See, I get the gates belt-drive; it replaces all the links of a chain with a single belt. Very straightforward. Fewer moving parts. The shaft drive, though, is replacing the chain links with, as you say, 2x 90deg pivots, which are more complex than the chainlinks, and will probably have to be sealed to keep the road-spray out.
It ignores that the beauty of a bicycle is its simplicity. A 10 year old can learn to maintain a chain-drive derailleur gearing system. The shaft-drive system looks like something that you’ll have to take into a dealer every time it starts skipping.
I can’t see it ever catching on, or replacing the chain drive, but at the same time, Hats off to Ceramic Speed for trying it, building prototypes, exploring new things. Even if it never goes into production, it’s a forward-thinking idea. And it’s more interesting to look at than just “we saved a half a watt by lowering the seat stays 2cm.”