OK, that's great and all and I'm sure some 1x triathletes would love to see 1x12 (though 1x13 would allow better gear jumps for an 11-42t cassette), but SRAM, this is what we need to come out of that fancy Schweinfurt development facility:
A single front chainring with a continually variable transmision (cvt) in a single cog that operated by a wireless servo motor and that slides onto existing Shimano/SRAM freehub bodies.
An example of a cvt chainring can be found here: http://www.wavetransmission.com/.
But, I am proposing the cvt chainring be a rear cog, this way users are not limited to a particular crankset or limited as to powermeter choice; and, as a manufacturer, only dealing with a cassette based cvt cog simplifies production vs a crankset with different bottom bracket standards. The idea is to have an 11t-46t range. This would require sections of cog teeth sitting to the side of the cog when the cog is at smaller cog sizes. These sections of cog teeth move inwards and up or downwards and out at a rate faster than the expansion or contraction of the cvt cog to produce either a larger or smaller cog with greater or less numbers of teeth - I propose an aluminum or compressed carbon cog with u-shaped track on which the extra sections of teeth follow and moved by a simple servo motor with a wireless battery. The current freebody width would provide enough space for the cvt cog, its additional sections of cog teeth, the servo motor and the wireless battery, with no need for the consumer to purchase a special hub, freehub body or crankset. And, there would be a chain tensioner, like Paul's Melvin.
The advantages are a) a single straight chain line with a stronger, wider non-11/12sp chain, b) continuous gear range with no power loss during gear ratio changes, c) much more effective gear ratio changes when the drivetrain is under high torque, d) appeals to consumer desire for a wireless drivetrain, d) very large gear-inch range, and e) with automatic shifting on the very near horizon (Shimano synchro shift, Proshift), this cvt cog is best suited to provide the best automatic shifting experience.
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Last edited by:
milesthedog: Jan 23, 17 7:57