Vintage Walens Trident Shaft Drive Bicycle? Any Clues?

[hydorah]

It's an interesting time in cycling technology for sure

This is a good read:

http://hubstripping.wordpress.com/geare ... erailleur/

 

[We_are_Stevo]

You can hardly call this an armchair!

 

[hydorah]

True! Looks fast, but not sure that it looks particularly light

 

[elPedro666]

True! Looks fast, but not sure that it looks particularly light

Not entirely sure it's either... Although it is Buell's take on it at least so maybe quickish!

 

[hydorah]

Buell have actually won stuff over the last few years, they won Daytona a while back - bit of controversy around an 1125cc V twin bike taking on 600cc inline fours

But funnily enough those racers were chain drive

No derailuers though

 

[elPedro666]

Lot of time & respect for Buell, but something something something roll it in glitter...

Ahem, back on topic

 

[focomat 1c]

I was offered a Walen several years ago for about £25 ! which is about all
it was worth. It was a low end bike with unbranded equipment whose only
virtue/interest was the shaft drive.

However the bike I was offered had a pronounced bend in the down tube !
have a look at the frame design and you will know where. I did not buy the bike.

The Cycling Museum in mid Wales have a 1903 Pope with shaft drive which
shows there is not much new in cycling that has not already been thought of.

Over the years a number of high end motorcycle manufacturers have offered
shaft drive. Low maintenance and the use of the shaft casing as a structural
member of the suspension being supposed advantages. However in competition use, which has traditionally been the prime motorcycling market place, there are two distinct problems. Firstly the inability to change gear ratios quickly, and secondly the torque reaction which threatens to throw the rider off his bike.

It might also be cynical to suggest ? that chain manufacturers have a vested
interest in the failure of any attempts to mass produce a shaft drive bicycle.

 

[hamster]

Yep it's all the huge profits from £8 chains they want to protect....

Actually most of a bike's components are the chain - each chain has 400 pieces or so.

 

[hydorah]

Yep it's all the huge profits from £8 chains they want to protect....

Actually most of a bike's components are the chain - each chain has 400 pieces or so.

But you needn't shell out £8 every 1000 or whatever miles... AASHTA!

http://sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

 

[Andy R]

Some places I am reading that shaft drive with bevel gearing is less than ten percent less efficient than a properly fitted and lubricated chain. I wonder what the deficit is with belt drive?

I don't think RWD (Right Wheel Drive) BMW's use 10 times more fuel than FWD Audi's, where are you getting that from, LOL? Gears are typically very efficient!

Who claimed otherwise? Saying that something is less than ten percent less efficient isn't the same thing as saying that something is ten percent efficient.