00:00The drivetrain as we know it with two derailleurs and a chain has been the
00:04favoured method of converting spinning legs into speed for nearly 100 years. As
00:10we all know over this time we have seen countless improvements to the system
00:15which has landed us with where we're at today which by all accounts is a pretty
00:20refined and efficient system. However as we reach what may be a plateau of
00:26innovation in this space suggesting we may actually have the best version of
00:30the system it's only natural to wonder what the next generation of drivetrains
00:34will be. While the current system serves the masses really well for some there
00:39are some potentially huge gains to be had in other technologies.
00:48CeramicSpeed debuted its wacky looking system back in 2018 much to the intrigue
00:54of anybody who set eyes on it. It works by using sculpted plates rather than
01:00chain rings and sprockets with an electronically controlled drive shaft
01:03which can shift between different diameters of the plate to engage a
01:08different gear. As yet it's still very much in the testing and development phase
01:13however CeramicSpeed claims that it was able to achieve a speed of 45
01:17kilometers per hour on the track on a single speed prototype during part of
01:23its load testing phase. If this drivetrain ever does hit the market in
01:29the first instance it will undoubtedly be incredibly expensive but of course
01:34that's the same for any brand new and truly revolutionary tech. It always takes
01:39a bit of time for it to trickle down to those lower echelons. If CeramicSpeed
01:44really are successful in creating a drivetrain that is 99% efficient it will
01:50of course attract the attention of those chasing every single want.
01:55Drivetrains like this could find a home on top NTT and triathlon bikes maybe
02:01even aero bikes optimized for flat races that will end in a sprint. The
02:06drivetrain efficiency is one thing but the other benefits that come along with
02:10a setup like this is that there's no chain to come off. The system is more
02:14compact and therefore more aero. CeramicSpeed are claiming that they have
02:20recorded an advantage in specialized wind tunnel. But finally since there are
02:25no delicate components hanging off of the frame if a rider is to have a crash
02:29they should just be able to jump on the bike and carry on. Snapped mech hangers
02:34will become a thing of the past although SRAM's direct mount rear derailleur also
02:39seems to be doing a pretty good job of this.
02:44From one direct drive system to another but one is actually in existence and is
02:50available to purchase is the driveshaft tech from Honbike. They have done away
02:55with convention and constructed a pretty sturdy and utilitarian version of a
03:00similar concept. In Honbike's case they have also made the housing for the
03:05driveshaft integral to the frame and it doubles as the chainstay which holds the
03:11rear wheel in place. Honbike has offered the system within their e-bike range and
03:16given the system weight it's unlikely something similar would make it over to
03:20the world of road bikes. However it's not impossible. There are a lot of
03:25engineers in the world all of whom are much smarter than me so perhaps there
03:29could be a middle ground between what Honbike has created and what Ceramic
03:33Speed are working on and perhaps that's where we'll see more of an affordable
03:38direct drive system emerge from.
03:44One of my favorite drivetrains and one which I feel is often overlooked is the
03:50humble belt drive. Commonly found on urban and commuter bikes the belt drive
03:54is just that. A belt very similar to the one that you might find in your car but
03:59also has humps or teeth that engage with a similarly shaped front chainring and
04:04rear sprocket. Unsurprisingly the belt itself can't be shifted so to work
04:10around that limitation belt drive bikes are often ones that instead incorporate
04:15a hub gear. For riders who demand bomb-proof simplicity I don't think you
04:20can get much better than this. There's no oily chain to make your legs or clothes
04:24dirty, it doesn't need lubing and it cannot rust. The hub gear is completely
04:30sealed from the elements and often only ever need servicing once every few
04:34thousand miles and even then it's just a case of topping up any oil that might
04:39have escaped. Hub shifting is notoriously smooth, it's very much a fit and forget
04:45type of system. Perhaps it's down to a lack of awareness or education but I
04:51think that this tech on a flat bar hybrid is quite possibly the best option
04:56out there. There are minimal downsides for the intended user but there is so
05:01much to be gained.
05:07E-bikes have actually played host to quite a few innovations years before
05:11they've made their way onto road bikes. Let's not forget that Shimano Di2 was
05:16first found on an e-bike nearly five years before it showed up as an option
05:21for road bikes. So I think it's prudent to keep a keen eye on the latest
05:26innovations that pop up in that sphere as one day it would not be a surprise to
05:30see it become the new normal for road bikes. One innovation that has come from
05:35the behemoth that is Shimano is their automatic stepless shifting. You may be
05:41thinking what does it do? Well quite what it says on the tin. You start pedaling
05:47and when you do you'll be in a nice easy gear to get you going. Then as you build
05:52up speed and work up to a faster cadence the auto box will move up the gears to
05:57allow you to increase your speed while keeping you at a comfortable cadence. But
06:02the really remarkable part about this is the ease at which it changes gear. You
06:08barely feel a change, it's more of an audible click quickly followed by a
06:12change of cadence. Perhaps this could be a great option for those who just want
06:17to focus on riding and let the bike take care of the rest.
06:23Lastly and potentially most importantly Classified seems to be leading the
06:29charge in terms of the next best alternative to the conventional drivetrain.
06:34Perhaps this is because it's not too far removed from what we already have. As the
06:40brand seeks to ditch the front derailleur and replace it with a wireless
06:43two-speed hub gear we're still left with a conventional chain and rear derailleur
06:48setup. But the new tech does mean that front shifts can be conducted under
06:53extreme load without the risk of misshifting or dropping a chain and
06:57chain lines can be optimized for an even more efficient setup. The last hurdle
07:03that the brand has to overcome is the integration with the shifters themselves.
07:09At the moment the hub is operated by a wireless button that mounts to your
07:14handlebars but hopefully one day in the future the tech can be integrated into
07:19the OEM shifters without voiding any warranties. My hope is that SRAM decide
07:25to acquire Classified and then build it into their entire ecosystem. Imagine this
07:31a pair of zip wheels with a classified hub that also makes use of the brand's
07:37ownership of Powertap to create a zip classified Powertap set of wheels and
07:43then perfectly integrates with SRAM's already wireless group sets. What a dream
07:49that would be. One for the future I'm sure and perhaps I'm being a little
07:54optimistic that such a thing could ever exist but it's not outside the realms of
07:59possibility. Let me know what do you think the future is for the humble
08:04drivetrain? Do you think it will ever develop beyond the conventional two
08:09derailleur system we already have? Do you think Classified or Ceramic Speed have
08:13the answer? If you enjoyed the video then please do drop it a like, subscribe to
08:18the channel for more content and I will see you again very soon.
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