by Larry Lagarde

For a long time, I've wondered why bicycle manufacturers cling to using drive chains. This is not an academic question; other options do exist and they are viable.

Although bicycles have used chain drives since the Safety Bicycle of the 1880's, Columbia's shaft driven bikes of the late 1890's were quite popular. More recently, Strida folding bikes have employed a kevlar drive belt since the first one came off the line in the late 1980's. Not only is the Strida's drive belt greaseless, it also lasts the life of the bicycle.

Why I Hate Bike Chains: Dirt
Bicycle chains are dirt magnets. The dirtier they get, the faster they wear (and wear out the drive teeth on the cogs). If your bike has no chain guard or cover, the chain can (and will) get your clothes dirty or even get caught in them (and most employers are not very sympathetic about showing up at work in torn or dirty clothes).

Other Bike Chain Problems
If your bicycle has a derailleur, count on the chain coming off at some point. Hopefully, when the chain comes off, it won't get caught in the spokes, causing you to come to a grinding halt and tearing up a bunch of spokes in the process (yes, I've been there). Even if you clean and lube your drive chain every 250 miles (as recommended), the chain should be replaced every 2500 miles. Failing to do so will result in premature wear of the teeth on the sprockets, skipping of the chain and (eventually) chain failure.

So why not use a chainless drive?
Belt drives can slip under high load. Shaft drives are not quite as efficient as a new or well maintained chain (they also weigh about a pound more). But the big reason is the derailleur system of changing gears. For riding off road on rocky/bumpy mountain bike trails, nothing beats a multi-speed mountain bike with a rear cassette and derailleur.

Where And How Most People Ride Bicycles
The truth is that most bicycle riders are cycling at a moderate to easy going pace on relatively smooth and flat surfaces. Most cyclists with multi-speed bicycles only use a couple of their gears. Lastly, most cyclists don't even come close to maintaining their bikes as often as recommended. Herein lies the reason for chainless drives.

Given the realities of how many people use their bikes, chainless drives make tremendous sense. Going chainless means less maintenance with no noticeable weight or performance penalties when riding moderately or leisurely.

Readers have asked for a review of a shaft driven folding bike. There aren't many out there and the companies that sell them are small but I'll see what I can do.

Labels: chainless-folding-bike