No one has gone out to reinvent the wheel that we know, but just about every other method of the bicycle drivetrain seems up for discussion. We’ve seen electronic shifting, belt drive and of course internal gearing. The latter isn’t exactly new but designers keep designing and innovators keep innovating. But the folks at Efneo have a new concept entirely, which puts the gears not in the rear wheel’s hub but rather in the front chainring.
The result is a three-speed internally geared system that could eventually be used with a belt drive. The result would be a clean looking bike with a 600 percent gear range and one that would be virtually maintenance free. We’re not sure if the bike shop mechanics will love it or hate it for those very reasons!