I like to go mountain bike riding in the fall because the weather turns nice. My only complaint is that leaves get on the trails, and because the leaves are very slippery, I end up walking up hills I'd normally be able to climb. With an AWD (or 2WD?) bike, that might be a thing of the past.
Bill Becoat has invented a two-wheel-drive bike. The simple design works from a flexible steel cable gear, which is driven off of the rear wheel. This connects to a small gear on the hub of the front wheel, spreading the pedal power. Road tests show that this gives greater front wheel stability and improved traction on slippery surfaces and helps make hill climbing easier. The system should offer benefits in sand and snow. Several modes of bicycles using the system are being manufactured by 2 Bi 2 Inc., St. Louis, MO, USA. (Nov 1997)
Christini All-Wheel Drive Bike With dual-suspension and a $3,100 price tag, this is aimed at serious off-roaders. (Dec 2001)
One of my friends has the Jeep one cuz he does alot of mt. biking and hiking stuff. Its a pretty kool bike, but i cant see spending the $$ on a bike. Mercedes Benz has an AWD bike too.
~Dan~
------------------ ~Dan~ 85 GT, 84 2M4, & an 86 SE
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01:37 AM
larryemory Member
Posts: 838 From: Greensboro, NC USA Registered: Jan 2003
Variations of this thing has been tried before. The secondary drive system consumes too much limited human power to be of much value. How efficient and durable is an open hypoid gear system after it gets dirt in it? Of course that would never happen on a mountain bike!
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12:17 PM
texasfiero Member
Posts: 4674 From: Houston, TX USA Registered: Jun 2003
I just dont see the point of having a "2WD" bicycle. theres no application to which its neccessary or will help you "grip" anything better. yeah my friend's is cool to have, but i have a regular mt. bike and im pretty sure it can do everything his can.
~Dan~
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03:50 PM
PFF
System Bot
Patrick's Dad Member
Posts: 5154 From: Weymouth MA USA Registered: Feb 2000
Variations of this thing has been tried before. The secondary drive system consumes too much limited human power to be of much value. How efficient and durable is an open hypoid gear system after it gets dirt in it? Of course that would never happen on a mountain bike!
'zactly. It is dumb. It no doubt was concieved and assembled by some very smart people, but that doesn't keep it from being a dumb product.
'zactly. It is dumb. It no doubt was concieved and assembled by some very smart people, but that doesn't keep it from being a dumb product.
Coming from a road biker.
Dumb? People here have obviously never tried to climb a leaf-covered hill in fall.
With proper gearing the AWD setup wouldn't exhaust you too much. From the details on the bike, the AWD doesn't function until the rear tire loses traction. Then torque gets sent to the front wheel and the rear wheel regains traction. Also, the gears are not open, except for the clutch system down by the hubs on the wheels. That should function just as well as a dirt-covered conventional gearing system.
If they sold 1 in the $300-$600 range, I'd get 1.
Patrick's Dad, I would call road bikes dumb. I've ridden on them, and having the lighter weight chassis, thinner tires, and better gearing didn't impress me enough to make me think its worth the extra $500 or more. At most you gain a little more range and speed. To me, being able to handle more situations offroad would be better. But that's just my opinion, I've never gained very much enjoyment from riding on paved surfaces for extended periods. I've always had more fun on dirt trails.
[This message has been edited by Tinton (edited 12-09-2006).]
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