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Monday, October 10, 2011

wee-little: suicycle 24/7 with microdrive


(via suicycle)
i found this on john's joint and i thought it would be an interesting topic to talk about. the concept of the microdrive (<12 tooth cog) quickly becoming more mainstreamed out with the introduction of the specialized pfix microdrive hub, and the development in resist's own version of the microdrive hub, the dudes of suicycle in germany found quite a different way to use small gearing:
yeah , it's wierd... because usually one would expect a heavy ass chainring (and by heavy i mean big and intense) up front. this is kind of off-looking. i get it though- with a smaller chainring, paired with non centered toque like a splined drive, you have a stronger drivetrain less likely to be affected by heavy cranking. it's strange looking yes, but i can dig it. check out suicycle while youre at it.

jmik

2 comments:

Boozle said...

Me and my friend had a conversation about small gearing, and mathematically (yes it does apply to real life) due to having smaller sized gears, you increase the force the chain must pass, which means you are applying more stress everywhere. Meaning it is more likely for hub slip. You do have a stronger front chain ring though (due to its smaller size it will flex less). IMO the only time small chainrings/cogs comes in handy is for trick/mountain bike (which I guess is a main focus of this blog). 

On a side note it would be interesting to pair that rear cog with lets say a 52 tooth chain ring! I want to meet someone who can push that!

bhsk said...

yeah man, there's quite alot of wear and tear going on with this drive train with the chain moving over the same teeth much faster than a "normal" track drivetrain.  and you're right, since fixed gear tricks utilize a slower cadence, micro gearing is perfect for that- this is why i think it looks strange on a track bike.


and yes, i have thought about a 52:9 or 10t gearing before. it would shred the shit out of that 9t, and the cog/driver wouldnt last a few cranks in, but damn does it sound like fun. leg killing fun.... the type of fun where you lay in a hospital bed and tell yourself, "that was stupid. that was fun" hahahaha thanks for the comment dude!

jmik