Something for the future "maybe"

[johnc461165]

Just came across this article Precision chains aid development of new electric bike

 

[hech]

Yup, this kind of drive is becoming popular for fast, powerful bikes on the endless-sphere site, but is probably of little use to power limited pedelec riders for which the hub motor works so well. Shame the author didn't include any pics or schematics.

 

[flecc]

Good proposition and undoubtedly more efficient than gear wheel reduction of motor speed. A good way to design any crank drive system for the most difficult hilly territories which challenge hub motors.

 

[Scimitar]

Another (major) advantage is the use of small, cheap, light aeromodeller motors - have you seen how cheap an impressively powerful motor can be? The hassle is in gearing it down, as they note in the article. There's nothing new there; they're merely building on (and it reads as if taking the credit for - but that could be the usual sloppy journalism) work that's been done elsewhere.