Optibike gear up thought.
Joe
any riders, especially considering the new high power 600t model, I
was thinking...
You could use an internal hub shifter freewheel combo on the rear
wheel like the SRAM dualdrive II
providing 24 or 27 gears (with only a single crank ring) with a one
handed trigger shifter option.
This may require some program changes to Optibike's electronics so
don't try this on your own without Optibike's pre approval.
These internal hub shifters are sometimes used on recumbents, even
with crank shifters to yield a total of 48 or more available gears.
Best,
Joe
optibike
We have talked to a internal hub manufacturer and were told the high
power output of the Optibike (even the 400) would tear it to pieces in
no time. We did get a new, gearless rear hub in here a few months ago
but to tell you the truth we have not had the time to string it up
with spokes. And- it weighs in at ~10lbs. That is about 9 lbs of
additional unsprung mass in the rear wheel that, as you may know, is
not how we like to do things because of the sacrifice in handling.
But it may be an interesting trade off- who knows.
Of course, since our riders can swap out the front sprocket with
anything from a 44-48 tooth- we have not had many complaints about
spinning out. Stay tuned I guess.
Cheers,
:) Craig
On May 24, 1:21 pm, Joe <joe...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Just in caseOptibike'slack of a front derailer proves inadequate for
> any riders, especially considering the new high power 600t model, I
> was thinking...
> You could use an internal hub shifter freewheel combo on the rear
> wheel like the SRAM dualdrive II
> providing 24 or 27 gears (with only a single crank ring) with a one
> handed trigger shifter option.
> This may require some program changes toOptibike'selectronics so
> don't try this on your own withoutOptibike'spre approval.
remf
I haven't got to the stage of thinking about changing hubs yet, I just
got back from my midnight maiden ride on the 600t I received today.
Thanks to all at Optibike especially Craig for your fine work.
It's late so I won't go into any detail and it was only a short ride
through the back woods but it was FAST. Then I switched from Economy
to the Power setting...if there was any noise coming from the motor,
it was drowned out by the rush of wind around my ears.
The steadiness and balance is very reassuring when you are at full
speed. The Fox Terralogic fork & 1.60 Geax Streetrunners is a really
sweet combination.
For me the 44 tooth & 7 gears is more than enough. Although being a
tinkerer, I'm sure I'll make some modifications. I just can't think of
any that need to be made right now.
I will try to write something in more depth in the coming weeks.
remf
deerfencer1
Is there a reason you can't go higher than 48T? I assume there is but
am not sure what the reason would be. Personally I'd be looking for at
least a 50T ring and possibly 52, but that's a personal preference
based on almost 100% blacktop riding.
What is the gearing in back by the way? 11-28?
My S750X has an Ultegra road double crank with 53/39 chainrings and a
11-28 mtn cassette in back, and I'm finding myself using the top three
gears a LOT lately--and the 39T chainring almost never.
With the mtb cassette you sacrafice a little bit of the subtlety of a
road cassette (i.e. finer choice of gearing) in exchange for a fairly
broad high/low range. (Road cassettes rarely come larger than a 25T
large cog.) By mixing a road crank with a mtn cassette I think you end
up with a pretty good range for fast touring, which is the type of
riding I do most.
Cheers,
Larry