I forgot that I did get a chance to test out this new internally geared crank.

It pretty much does just like they say. It has a small 22t ring incased in a bash guard looking enclosure. The chain runs on this chainring for low gears without additional drag or friction. When you want a taller gear you pull the samll index trigger shifter (backwards from normal) and a 1.6x multiplying cog is engaged which gives you a ratio equivalent to a 34t chain ring. You can shift when mashing on the pedal, while not pedaling, or while pedaling backwards.

The shifts were crisp and distinct feeling and after getting over the awkwardness of having the low/high triggers reversed, worked really well. I could feel a bit of drag in the tall ratio when I stood and tried to crank pretty hard/fast. I couldn’t really detect it just spinning along though.

This little device has some real advantages for the AM/FR set who want to go to a dual ring setup but don’t want the added complexity of a bash + chainguide and extra chance of dropping a chain.

Advantages include: better ground clearance, no chain slap/rattle on front derailleur, no dropped chains, shifting under power or while not pedalling.

Disadvantages: Weight, cost, and some added complexity in the gadgetry. Untested durability(?).

Pretty cool really. I think it’s got a future.

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