https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x79l7UO_qww

Caveat: The bike used is an e-bike with a powered wheel. The pedals have very little load requirements and no long-term or load testing is shown. As one of the most hardcore roadies you’ll ever interact with, personally, I believe this would not last more than a week if it could survive a single ride on a traditional bike and someone like myself based on my first impression of the design. Still, the idea is impressive to me. In practice, a robust enough design will likely outweigh a chain drive by an order of magnitude. The reason the chain and cog transmission is standard is because of the balance of weight to durability. Every single gram matters on a bicycle far more than may be apparent at first.

  • j4k3@lemmy.worldOPM
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    1 day ago

    These are basically timing belts for cars. Inside the belt are usually metal or aramid fibers that prevent any elongation of the tooth pitch. A lot of the automotive aftermarket principals of a timing chain versus a timing belt drive apply exactly the same here. The belt lasts longer and operates dry with more accuracy over time.