Re: [CR]Nanodrive: The First 21st Century Drive Train System

(Example: Production Builders:Peugeot:PX-10LE)

Date: Thu, 01 Apr 2004 08:38:50 -0800
From: "Steve Maas" <stevem@nonlintec.com>
To: Classicrendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [CR]Nanodrive: The First 21st Century Drive Train System
References: <p060204b2bc91506ef77d@[10.0.1.5]>
In-Reply-To:
cc: Sheldon Brown <CaptBike@sheldonbrown.com>

I really don't know what all the fuss is about. I tried a system like this back in the 1950s. I had designed it to replace the inch-pitch chain on my California Masi, but it was not successful.

The original problem was that the gyroscopic moment of the heavy, inch-pitch crank combined with that of the wheels to cause the bike to pull to the right. I could correct for the pull by occasionally backpedalling. This worked fine, but I kept falling behind the group in group rides. So, I tried the nanodrive in the hype (oops, I meant HOPE) that it would reduce the pulling. Unfortunately, it didn't do much. Worse, when I tried to backpedal to correct the pull, the bike didn't respond--the lightweight crank lacked adequate gyroscopic moment. I careened to the right and slammed into a parked cement truck. The bike was wrecked, and somehow I lost the nanodrive components. I suspect they are now embedded in a concrete foundation somewhere along Santa Monica Bouldevard.

Don't use this thing! It's dangerous!

Steve Maas Long Beach, California

Sheldon Brown wrote:
> Are you still riding on old-fashioned half-inch-pitch chain and
> sprocket, like they used to use in the last century? No wonder you're
> slow! Time to get with it!
>
> Unless you're a reactionary troglodyte retrogrouch, you NEED Nanodrive,
> the first 21st century drive train system! Get rid of that obsolete junk!
>
> See: http://sheldonbrown.com/nanodrive
>
> Sheldon "Progress!" Brown
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> | Warning: Objects in mirror appear smarter than they are. |
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