Nubike Chainless Bicycle with Shaft-Driven Mechanism Uses a Drive Shaft Instead of a Chain to Deliver Power from the Pedals!

Rodger Parker, the inventor of the Nubike Chainless Bicycle was inspired to create a shaft-driven bicycle after seeing riders struggling with greasy chains to fix a flat. After witnessing countless riders with broken chains and his wife; a long time rider coming down with knee problems, he set out to create a chainless bike that would revolutionize the common bicycle.

In the 150-year history of the bicycle, no one has tackled the problem of how to create a more efficient bicycle by eliminating the need for a drive chain. While the bicycle has saw major improvements in frame designs made of new material such as aluminum and carbon-fiber, there has been little improvement in eliminating chains and the overall pedaling motion required to move forward.

Image: Nubike

Today’s bicycles are a far cry from its predecessor in 1817. Having everything from super shifting derailers to ultra-lightweight frames and electric propulsion, the drive shaft has generally remained the same requiring a chain connected to the pedals, that when turned propels the bike forward.

Even with modern electric bicycles, which couples an electric motor powered by batteries, still require a chain to move the bike forward. Although electric bikes has greatly increased the range of the bicycle and reduced the pedaling effort of the rider, they have not solved the fundamental problem with chain driven bicycles, although we have seen steps in that direction from some manufacturers.

Chainless Bike vs Chain

The fundamental difference between a chainless bike and a chain bike is the drivetrain. A chain bike requires a chain to connect the pedals to the rear tires. The chains are generally made of multiple pairs of steel outer plates and inner plates held together by rivets. Chained bikes allow for single speeds, geared hubs and derailers. The derailers allow the chain to be moved from gear to gear by controls on the bicycle handlebars that reduces or increases the effort of the rider when climbing or descending terrain.

While chained bikes are the most common on the market, they are not without problems. Chains require maintenance such as constant examination for defects in the link mechanism and they also require messy greasing to run smoothly over gears.

Chains are also prone to decoupling from gears or catastrophic snapping during heavy riding over rough terrain which can be potentially dangerous for the rider. This is especially the case with mountain bikers who require the chain to hold up and provide propulsion over rough terrain.

Shaft driven bicycles on the other hand while far less common in the biking world present a propulsion system that riders may not be accustomed to. Shaft driven bikes are nothing new, they have been around for over 125 years, but have not really caught on in the biking world, that is what Nubike is aiming to change.

Image: Nubike

Instead of using a chain and sprocket set up to rotate the rear wheel, two sets of bevel gears transfer energy to the rear wheel via a drive shaft. The entire drive system is usually housed in an aluminum case that doubles as the right-hand side chainstay of the frame.

Shaft-driven bicycles allows longer distance riding as it requires less effort on the part of the rider. They require very little to no maintenance and provide the ability to ride in poor weather conditions without gear adjustments or gear skipping. They have no exposed moving parts, no greasy exposed components and no skipping gears. In addition, they are not prone to any slippage or catastrophic breaking of components while riding.

The problem with drive shafts is that they cannot be paired with derailers, and for this reason alone is why drive shaft bikes are not more widespread. The second issue is the weight of the drive shaft which Nubike has solved by creating a drive shaft that has fewer components, is lightweight and has increased power and torque.

Vertical Pedaling

One fundamental difference between chained bicycles and chainless bicycles is the pedaling motion. On chained bikes the pedaling motion is conventional and circular. On chainless bikes the pedaling motion is pressing down which is similar to climbing stairs.

Image: Nubike

The mechanical advantage of leverage, gravity and near vertical pedaling or stepping when combined with the rider’s weight produces an increase in continuous force throughout the entire pedal stroke which translates into greater distance covered per pedal stroke.

Joint Stress

Another rather appealing factor with drive shaft bikes such as the Nubike is the reduction in stress transferred to various joints of the body. In circular pedaling, stress is transferred to the riders, knees, hips, and ankles which can create joint pain and other problems over the long term.

Drive Shaft bicycles like Nubike vertical pedaling significantly reduces excessive bending at the hips, knees and ankles and could possibly be a solution for bikers with persistent knee problems.

Nubike is aiming to make shaft-driven bikes more common in the biking world. The Nubike V2 model features a drive-shaft mechanism with an optimized carbon-fiber frame that weighs less than 3 pounds which is significant when compared to a fully assembled road bike that will weigh approximately 18 pounds.

Image: Nubike

In addition, the Nubike V2 can be fully disassembled for transport and requires no roof or trunk rack. Major parts that are space encumbering can be disassembled allowing it to be transported in the trunk of a car or SUV.

While they are many advantages to riding a shaft-driven bicycle, it’s not for everyone and many riders may find this technology unappealing. Since chained bicycles has been the standard in bicycle design for decades, it will take a lot of time, money, and marketing to change that dynamic. In the meantime, Nubike is bringing this technology back into the forefront with the V2 which will undoubtedly be of interest to some who are looking for something radically different from the norm.