Continuously Variable Transmission on a Bicycle 

I have the solution to that, don't shift under load. If you are going up a steep hill shift before you get to it. If you shift under load you lose momentum and you get that jolt and load clang noise

@@robertdarnell5141 if only the engineers knew that before making a belt transmission

@@danboofin5094 this is an innovation in its infancy, it’s not better rn necessarily but cars used to be worse than horses and I doubt you’d prefer a horse today

@@maxcheese382 I guess ebikes with motors already exist in a pretty significant way if people want ease and efficiency this seems to me fixing a problem that doesn't really exist and making something tried and true like a bike with a chain drive more complex then It needs to be

@@danboofin5094 I’m saying I think it’s purpose is more that of innovation for the sake of Innovation like this could have a significant use in something else in a very practical way. And the people who will buy this are people that like technology and have plenty of disposable income. It’s not an every mans practical bike but it was never designed to be

Cvt is one of the cheapest solutions lol. It is unreliable because whole drivetrain relys on a rubber belt... Is it expensive? Hell no.

iare19 did you miss the part with the Bluetooth and the electric motor?

@@o00nemesis00o I guess you missed moat if not all lol.

Yeah, imagine all the dirt and small rocks from the road coming into and destroying that beautiful, expensive mechanism.

these things tend to be more proof of concept, developing technology that can be used elsewhere like machinery where you can't fit a cvt

More like ALT F4

lol, bluetooth got me too

@@keithhudspith5245 Just hold the power button for a few seconds

Honestly, why? It can't be cheaper.

​@@Ariccio123 I'd much prefer a cable connecting the two parts. I could imagine the Bluetooth connection dropping out from time to time which would probably be a very frustrating experience. Also, what if the transmitted signal suddenly gets corrupted and the gear shifts down or up even though you didn't want it to? Even though successive Bluetooth standards have gotten better over the past years, a simple cable is still much more reliable. Another issue is that if the signal transmission happens over the air then you have two separate components that need a power supply. A cable can fix this as well.

Falling over

You think they haven't thought of that?

@@FAB1150 yes

@@pixelmace1423 well then you're quite naive, to put it lightly

@@FAB1150 well sorry for that but can you please explain how they prevent it from jamming when a rock is in there?

Brought to you by American Express.

Hahahaha I love this comment

thats the CVT way! lmao

Id say Fix it til your clients are

That's stupid because even if something isn't broken, it still needs to be maintained. And innovations are part of the maintenance of a design to remain relevant.

Q - How many moving parts do you have?" A - All of them!

Q: ...and how much does this assembly and its power supply weigh in total? A: Magnificent

21 Savage: *a lot*

Q - Could you explain and demonstrate the system? A - Yes, give me 2 min

Can I fix it with simple tools? AT: "Absolutely. All you need is a wrench, a screwdriver, a set of digital calipers, a 400hp industrial lathe, a laser cutter, a welding torch, a variety of low-threshold laser calibration tools, some proprietary bearings and lubricants, some variable torque wrenches with proprietary sockets, a tuning fork, an aluminum forge, a freshly harvested pineal gland and a hammer."

The only update to CVT for vehicles is the introduction of DCVT- direct cvt. Which means you will have the traditional first gear and from there on it will continue into cvt. Just for info

@Darren Munsell Yes like this nice idea, not close to efficiency of single chain drive, other solution is putting derailleur in box, most efficient way, but because makes gearing parts last way longer , gearing manufactures would make a lot less money? Hence why does not exist? But that does not mean you can not make covers for own mech &see the results?

Yeah. Only if you're a middle level manager who is environmentally conscious and lives close to their job. It's a niche lol.

I would like to try it but I highly doubt I would like to purchase it. And yes I am both an engineer and a cyclist.

As a cyclist... Did it have to be Bluetooth connected? Just give me a wire, and mechanical connections. I ride in the wet, too. I need to know it'll handle that.

Dude I LOL’d on this. Thanks!

Do you really believe that the guy who created this super complex gearing system didn't thought of that in the process ? It's something new, ofc there will be flaws

I always thought to myself after comoletely replacing my drive train? why the fuck are these cables skipping gears every 2 hours?

@@Neoproxy_ Similar to engineers who designed cameras have never used a camera. One glaring flaw was the complex gear was exposed to the environment.

There would be an easier solution Just put less tension on the chain and you get an unreliable shifting bike

The rings are still conical, so each ring works for a range of gear ratios rather than a single ratio. Hence, continuous

@@alienturtle1946 That's true, but since it switches (I assume by this video) as a normal gearbox and goes up by a certain amount at a time, it's a real far stretch to call it constant. So, theoretically a CVT, practically not at all, the only advantage being you can pedal while the gear changes with no issues unlike a gear change on a normal bike.

@@thermionicemission6355 Why is it not practically a CVT? In practice it performs just as a CVT would. For the record, the C means continuous, the opposite of discrete. It doesn't mean constant, so being on a constant ring doesn't matter. _Maybe_ you're assuming that if one ring covers ratios from say, 0.60-0.80, that the next ring might go from 0.85-1.05, so that there's a discontinuity from 0.80-0.85? I don't see why you'd assume this, since they likely made the ratios flow continuously from one ring to the next. Even if there were a small gap in ratios between rings, the gearbox would "theoretically" not be a CVT, but still function as one in "practice".

@@thermionicemission6355 it uses a sort of switch that you can twist to make the "gear" go up or down smoothly, stopping when you release it. It doesn't have steps, or explained better, it (probably) have 1024 or 2048 steps, so basically continuous... A digital signal doesn't allow for "infinite" steps but it approximates It actually is a pretty clever and cool design. If only it didn't use f-ing bluetooth

No, this does function as a CVT. Even if that dial has 'clicks' there is no reason why it would not, or could not have an analogue output to the gearbox.

Jesus

Or you left it in a high gear last ride and you gotta wait 5 minutes for it to brrrrr itself down to a gear you can take off in

Haha good one!

i mean, that's what people are doing in their CVT cars anyways...haha

i mean......srams wireless mountain bike drivetrain.

@@justinsarvela1102 I'd stake good money, that a hipster with a fixed gear bike, drinking a fresh Frappula Frappuccino straight from starbucks could smoke a 500 HP lexus LS 600h in quarter mile drag race without even ruffling his beard.

LMAO SAME

so many luddites.

@@jhoughjr1 so many people reasonably worried that the battery will run out, the transmitter or receiver will receive sufficient physical shock to damage them on rough terrain (or by falling over or running into something) and by loosing connection due to electromagnetic interference from any number of an ever increasing number of sources (or just dumb luck or some electronic hiccup) and also contributing to bandwidth crunch, and making it even harder to service in your garage when it inevitably breaks down as all systems subject to sufficient usage will eventually do because entropy is inescapable. What's more, looking that the mechanism, it could have been done with a mechanical linkage to a crank on the handle just like a conventional shifter that any idiot with some hand tools could fix given enough time and some spare parts. With this, spare parts are harder to install, much more expensive, and require specialized know how to install. Oh and every device that's a bluetooth receiver could track you and assholes could hack your bike. No thanks I'll keep my old bike until they make a version with mechanical linkage.

@@davidthomas2870 like he said, luddites

I think they mean why do you need a Bluetooth connection on a CVT. shouldn’t it be automatic?! Otherwise you’re shifting an infinite number of times to get from top to bottom!

🤗🤗🤗. Make it cheaper and just buy a new one. Hmm.. Maybe.

same as with gears in hub

@@RamoLasiaf ew

@@RamoLasiaf yeah just waste it all for more comfortable gear changing

Just like cars with CVTs

To be honest, most things we use daily are solutions to problems we didn't had, or at least didn't know we had

😄😄😄😄

Correct

People who live in flat areas say no. People who live in areas with actual hills say, let's see how well this actually works.

lmao

@@SmallSpoonBrigade no we dont. 15 to 21 speeds is more than enough to adjust for the conditions.

Chris L i live in hill area and i say - nah.. never ...

With existing CVTs I always felt that the cones are too flat. Lots of energy is wasted to squish the V-belt. You need a wide chain just to pass the force from one cone to the other and hope that is does not jam. Or you only have a narrow range of ratios ( like in many stationary machines and slow scooters ). I mean, people accepted full ICEs on their back wheels before Li Ion was invented.

I don't understand why they are trying to reinvent the wheel, Enviolo already made a super compact CVT hub for bikes

Or snow? Ride it to work, leave it outside for 8 hours and come back.. It's all frozen and fucked. My normal MTB doesn't like to work when it's cold. Realised that around -36°C the brake cables won't like to move = no brakes.

That was my first thought too when I saw that mechanism. Even in less dirty environments I would expect the mechanism to develop issues in a short period of time.

I would presume the internal mechanisms would be environmentally sealed. Same as how you wouldn't expect snow and mud to gum up into your cars transmission..

Don’t do that . That said it looks impractical?

@@lefyre1266 they would need to seal the whole mechanism to do that, the belt included

Kevin Mael i think u mean NISSANS

@@c0r5e My sister had a 1988 Ford Taurus that was a POS.

Go karts have had these “torque converters” for years and some of them will take upwards of 50hp

@@Texas_Road_Warrior The engines will, not the transmissions...

You know millions of these are installed in scooters for like a decade now

Lh 010101 It’s an interesting problem with an interesting solution but yea there is no real practicality

@@bobloblaw1720 - This is a classic engineering solution looking for a problem, thus the sentiment of "hope this was engineered for the fun of it".

Why not real ? A “Variomatic” used in Scooter already long time :) if this Modell will be made a lot cheaper then Variomatic , why not to use ?

@@jb9282 - Weight springs to mind.

J B, most road bikes already have 22 gears, probably around 16 that don't overlap. Generally gears are spaced 7 to 10% apart. Worst case you drop to half gear easier than you want and slow down by 5%. Best case you drop to half gear easier and increase your cadence by 5% making you 0.5% less efficient to be pessimistic, so then dropping back by 0.5% in speed(less actually) to make up for it meanwhile putting less stress on your legs to keep them fresh later in the ride. So 0.5% less of efficiency is worth all this weight and complication? Really?

where can i buy a bike with that?

@@SamSitar ‎‎

And useless

@@itsourlife i think u missed the joke

nuvinci is truly the way to go

Low efficiency though, upwards of 10% of your muscle effort is spent friction-heating the transmission hub. Chain drive is 97-99% efficient.

@@michaelbuckers True, but when you have a powerful ebike, you won't notice it. I have a Sparta M8i (Yamaha motor with 80nm of torque), which originally had a Shimano Nexus 8, but after converting it to a Nuvinci N171 (yes, its old, but so strong), it doesn't feel heavier, only difference is when you lift the bike physically (the hub is 1-2kg heavier).

@@ryank0261 dude ebikes don't need any transmission, just by using this cvt you reduce your range by 10-20%, speed and climb suffer too.

@@michaelbuckers "need" depends on the person. Some people would prefer automatic CVT-like transmission over 10% more range.

does the bottomless backpack work like a portable black hole ?

@@slevinhyde3212 no everything just falls out the bottom so you can get even more in....and in turn, out

@@Peron1-MC that's a true "inside-out" bag

Love the backpack

Heavy weight too probably.

Rahul Todmal agreed. It's so prototype it's ridiculous. The balance of the bike is ruined too. Looks good for posing like most Lycra clad idiots.

1. It can be shifted continuous variable 2. It is complex, a generator + Motor would be better like this sadly dead-looking Gear2 Design from Denmark (got some Design price in 2010)

The more moving parts leads to loss of energy.

It looks like it has LESS choice than on modern bike!

Because nothing was ever made better by being made complicated. I typed this on my phone which acts as a GPS, instant messenger, document reader, internet browser, video streaming device, and camera.

The thing is, nobody wants an overly complicated and likely very unreliable transmission on their bicycle! This thing also weighs a lot compared to a normal drivetrain.

@@A-rk3dn that's because those thing were needed.... And continues transmission on a bicycle is everything but needed.. Don't fix something that isn't broken

Where's the cup holder?

@Frank deluca there is no need for this

Unsprung mass on bikes doesn't amount to much either way. You can be totally fine with 0 springs. But more rotational inertia is with no extra benefit is definitely bad

I don’t think there are any springs

Beltter have some chain And sprockets for that :p hehe

Thats the problem with a lot of the people in CA thats coming out with new tech. They act like because it works in the lab or a nice clean sidewalk that it'll work anywhere and everyone should get one.

sk8n barrow totally right

@@1wasinAlpha Atleast my design is safe i have a similar idea but a drastically different approach.

Definitely a problem in the transition areas, where there's barely enough friction interface area to transmit the torque.

Then seal entire system ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But seriously - classic chain has the same problems. We just seal it with proper lube rather than with full casing.

Michał Kmiecik I think you are right. When you have to manually select the ratio’s it is a VT at best

and from what i can see, if you dont operate the gear selector on the handle bar, it wont change gears...making it NOT a CVT

I mean, no - the discs can be pushed in variably, meaning all the ratios in-between are still there. And this is still a cvt, even if it isn’t automatically shifting. Cvt just means continuously variable transmission - ie, a transmission where the gearing ratios are continuously variable - no gear separation, clutch engagement, etc. the whole thing can be adjusted while under power, continuously, always being tuned to better suit the torque demand - whether that selection/adjustment is done manually or automatically

Stealth The Unknown I do not think so. Like you stated yourself CVT stands for continuously variable transmission. There is nothing continuously about manually selecting the ratio from the handlebar.

Rick Buitendijk Yes there is. The bluetooth connection between the handle bar and the gearbox is your adjuster. And the “continuously” part of cvt just means that there’s seamless transition between gearing ratios, like we have here

love you dave thanks for keeping it real

There are more and more "non-cyclists" on bikes with e-bikes and just city communting etc. These are made for short trips by people who otherwise wouldn't ride

@@getahanddown so why would you buy it then? It should be much more expensive than a regular gear drive. Not worth it if you use your bike only a few times a year

Overall, you can't discover how to make fire without trial and error. Maybe this technology is dead end, maybe not. This solution has its downsides, but also potential hopes. You need dedicated frame atm? We will see, maybe they will manage to downsize this system even more. Who would use it? I can imagine commuters, tourists and training bikes for roadies. Basically anyone who's picky about cadance. And if it will turn out to be dead end? Then maybe it will find use in other industries. Which would mean that cycling made the world a bit better yet again. And as for "it's not needed" argument... well, your comment is kind of unnecesary too. But here you are.

It's a proof of concept. They're not trying to sell it, but if they can resolve these issues they could find potential uses.

Rafał Wyrwicki pfff most commuters don’t even use their gears anyway. This transmission is a terrible idea. If you are really that picky with cadence... even with how many gears modern bikes have... there are now 2x12 groups. How many more gears do you need?!

Apple bicycle gear shifting.

Well, top-end wireless shifting solutions like Shimano Di2 or SRAM eTap operate like this anyway. The benefit for these systems is the speed of shifting, reduction of cables, options to have multiple shift buttons/leavers, which is very useful on road bikes and time trial bikes which offer lots of hand positions. Then, apps allow special customisation in terms of how the controls behave, or hybrid shifting where the front and back shift simultaneously to maintain smooth gear changes. Its obviously not the most practical, but people opt for it for the features.

@@MishMash95 is there any reason why you can't simply have a basic application installed, with an optional subscription or single time purchase for both major and minor updates. I know Sony (example) has done this with numerous product lines, and I don't see them going out of business anytime soon.

I think this is a proof of concept being criticised as though it's a final product.

English you do not good

Yeah. "Did it break? Put the chain back on."

And make loss to manufacturer by removing expansive repairs. NO.

Not even once?

The snowmobile drivetrain isn't sitting out in the open collecting debris in it's many moving parts like this monstrosity. Nuvinci have been doing a much better job on CVT bike drivetains for years and their stuff still barely sells.

Haha lol

Each disk/wedge can go in at an infinitely variable distance, so it is still a CVT and the ratios are still smooth.

You gotta really peddle fast to gain speed

Actually, the change IS smooth, that's the whole reason for it, however is it REALLY needed? Seems a small advantage which comes at a (literal) high price.

It's just a working prototype... And by "small" they probably meant "narrow enough to put inside rear triangle of bicycle frame".

@@RafaWyrwicki still, my scooter's cvt is more compact than this "cvt" and it's lighter and doesn't have all these easy to break parts. If Ii had a mill and a lathe, i'd have no problems taking an old scooter, taking out the transmission, making adapters for the cones (main issues would be the wheel hub and putting the belt on), getting the appropriate spring for the driven cone and there you have it, a cvt, on a bicycle, without the expensive and easy to break electronics.

@@GTAmaniac1 I think that big size is caused by wide ratio range and efficiency issue which is significantly lesser problem for a scooter. Funny thing about engineering is that solution that proofs its usefulness in one application (scooter) may be complete mistake in other (bicycle).

You might be right however i wouldn't say that all electronics break all the time,there is consumer electronics and there is industrial/military electronics those are worlds appart both in quality and price.

Jandalf PL how often did your electronics spoil these days

Your right ,it's weak . OK for bicycle. But ,cars it won't take high torque. They can do better.

This is what we like to call "emerging technology" and "innovation". You don't understand that these clunky first generation products pave the way for further innovation and production of something better. You have to start somewhere, and this attitude of "oh it's big and stupid let's stick with chains" (which, mind you, are also very prone to failure) is toxic and prevents us moving forward with new technologies. If you don't want it, don't buy it, but I'm sure there is a market out there for such a product who are very glad this has come to be and are eager to see it evolve. The engineering that has gone into this transmission is very impressive and the engineers don't deserve to be dismissed because it's not perfect. And regarding it not being a CVT, the multiple speeds are necessary to suit multi riding styles. Some have strength and prefer higher gearing for higher speeds, some have speed and prefer lower gearing for more torque. Besides, not a single car with a CVT on the market is a true CVT. they all have gears because consumer tests showed people were uncomfortable with the engine holding a constant RPM. Subaru Outbacks, for example, have 8 gears despite claiming a CVT.

ROCKOCTANE because it wasn’t built for cars

Indeed, so far it's the only bike transmission that i give a change in succeeding. And truly CVT.

Cool? You actually think it's cool? You have a long way to go, Grasshopper.

@@timhofstetter5654 shes kinda cute dont it?

@@jamescrock2213 8) 8) 8)

@@timhofstetter5654 wot

@@compjelly Wot wot?

Unfortunately those pulleys break all the time. That's why CVT isn't popular even in cars

I think this is a too little too late design also. Fallbrook Technologies already have nice systems for this, heavy but nice.

All you have to do now is to paint those hubs black in stead of bright white. Then put a whole sealed guarding all around the system, to keep the water out, let alone frozen mud. Then you Have to take the Blu toof shit off, and make the damn thing shift by itself, using no electric power. Make it so a 350 lbs weight lifter dude can push that thing to its limits, and not break. then make it under $250, with a no hassle, absolute life time warranty, so people would actually buy it.... Just sayin'

@@jakefriesenjake or just put a cassete and chain on it :^)

You are right, this shit sucks😂

actually that is the best part about this system, it is belt driven. Belt drives are unaffected by water and mud etc.. while that rapidly wears out a conventional chain. However this system still sucks because it is way too big, overcomplicated, expensive etc and doesn't seem to actually perform the basic functions a CVT is supposed to.

silveribis55 And rubber Belts dry rot too

@@caderamsey8878 true.

@@caderamsey8878 and metal chains and sprokets wear out...

Raymond Ager Yeah, That With happen for a while with the Metal chain. Rubber dry rots quickly, if that Rubber chain sits out in the weather for a while, and it’ll snap in no time. I’ve had my bike for a long time, Chain still works just fine. My neighbors bike that sit in the woods for 5 years Had many issues, but the chain wasn’t one of them. It’ll take a looooong time to take a metal chain to wear out like you mentioned.

@@caderamsey8878 I think chain wear depends very much what type of bike and what type of riding. Moutain bike chains and sprockets can wear fairly quickly if used a lot on wet, gravel surfaces. I made the comment simply because stating that rubber belts rot, implies that metal chains never wear out, which isn't the case. I think the important thing is to realise just how crude early derallier sytems were and how they have improved over time. I sure other drive train systems could also improve, given time to develop.