Thank you for all the responses. At a minimum I seek to have a drive train with close to zero maintenance with added weight not being a concern if it's just a pound or two. At present the alternatives are an internal rear hub like one of those nexus 11 speeds or 8 or 7 speed,.. even a three speed. This combined with a chain drive cover over the perfectly aligned front and rear cogs with a hole up top to open and drip in the odd bit of oil as needed as you turn the crank for even distribution. That would be it for maintenance of the drive train in any kind of conditions. This could easily be achieved if someone would please create a line of top quality adjustable chain drive covers easily fitted to any single rear and front cog drive. It could just be made of lightweight rust free rigid black recycled plastic with a 'universal' mounting system. This does not exist at present. He who creates and patents such a cover will sell many of them. I found a place in Holland that sells steel traditional ones. The time is right for the chain cover I described. So how about it engineers out there?
The other available alternative is the significantly more expensive Pinion Gear box combined with the Gates Carbon Drive. This requires a frame that comes apart to allow the installation of the drive belt. This is an uncommon frame, and thus this low maintenance drive train is not suitable for retrofit onto what must be 99% of the frames out there.
Perhaps the racing component people would attempt to design a lightweight 15 speed rear internal hub. The chain drive would be shrouded in an aerodynamic low maintenance cover.
Last edited by Old ABLA Member; 12-06-19 at 10:01 AM.