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| Question: |
Do you have a shop with your bikes in my area? |
| Answer: |
A full list of our bike dealers is available online |
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| Question: |
How reliable is the drive system? |
| Answer: |
The shaft drive system is simple in design and hence very reliable. The drive uses chrome molybdenum bevel gears front and rear all fully encased in a lightweight aluminium housing, hence no dirt can get into the system to create additional wear. |
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| Question: |
How long have the chainless bikes been made? |
| Answer: |
This modern shaft drive design has been in manufacture for ten years, and has sold successfully for the past three years in North America. |
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| Question: |
Can the gear ratios be changed? |
| Answer: |
Not on the shaft drive unit. You can however use a different internal hub gear of your choice. The Shimano Nexus 7 speed hub gear is the standard unit installed. |
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| Question: |
Where are the bikes made? |
| Answer: |
Major components are made in Taiwan, with final assembly in the UK. It is recognised that Taiwan is the bicycle industry powerhouse where high quality and good value bicycles and components are manufactured. |
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| Question: |
How does the drive work without a chain, crankset and the rear derailleur sprocket gear system? |
| Answer: |
The main drive mechanism is similar to that used on shaft drive motorcycles. The bicycle shaft drive system uses bevel gears front and rear with a Nexus Shimano internally geared 7 speed hub. The shaft drive replaces the traditional chain and crankset, and the internal hub gears the derailleur sprocket system. |
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| Question: |
How efficient is the shaft drive system? |
| Answer: |
The performance of the shaft drive system ranges from 90 to 95 % efficiency. In comparison, the efficiency of a good clean chain may be up to 98.5% efficient. Due to exposure to dirt and the elements however, the efficiency of a chain drive will reduce more dramatically over time than the shaft drive system. |
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| Question: |
How heavy is the shaft drive unit compared to a chain system? |
| Answer: |
A shaft drive bicycle is only 1 kg ( 2.2 lb) heavier than the equivalent bicycle using a chain system. |
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| Question: |
What are the maintenance requirements? |
| Answer: |
Grease the gearbox after the first 500km, then every 6 months. Further details can be seen in the maintenance section of this site. |
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| Question: |
Can my existing bike be fitted with a shaft drive unit? |
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No. The shaft drive system needs a wider and shorter bottom bracket shell and special dropouts. |
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| Question: |
How does the gearing compare to a chain and sprocket system? |
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With the Nexus hub, the gear ratios are designed for commuter and trail riding, and hence give you typically 85% the range of a 21 speed equivalent system. The table below gives further gear ratio details. |
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