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http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-bike27.html
This is a hilarous read... my favorite quote: ""Chains represent 90 percent of a bike's repair and maintenance cost," Perugini said. I love how the mainstream press doesn't quite get it when it comes to bikes... kind of like the maniac bike commuter articles in the US.
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About twice a year, the chain on Jeff Hathaway's bicycle falls off its sprocket.
It's an occurrence Hathaway is tired of seeing repeated, so Sunday, he drove four hours from his Muncie, Ind., home to Chicago's Navy Pier to do something about it.
Hathaway, 46, who works in applications development and bikes to his job, made the trip to check out chainless bikes on display at the Chicago Bike Show and Family Fitness Expo.
"It's a worry-free bike. That's the goal," said Patrick Perugini, president of Dynamic Bicycles, the company, based near Boston, that manufactures the chainless bikes.
Targeted to commuters and recreational riders, Dynamic's bikes feature a steel shaft drive, similar to that in a BMW motorcycle, instead of a chain, Perugini said. The gear mechanism is contained in a unit, called a planetary hub, in the center of the rear wheel.
'There's no limit' to price
"Chains represent 90 percent of a bike's repair and maintenance cost," Perugini said. "We eliminate all of that, in addition to all of the greasy mess."
Chainless bikes -- which retail between $599 and $799 -- were among the latest trends being showcased by more than 100 exhibitors at the two-day show, now in its 15th year.
The use of high-end alloys such as carbon and titanium is making for lighter, stronger and faster racing and mountain bikes that can weigh as little as 15 pounds, many of which were on display Sunday for the serious bike enthusiasts roving the show floor.
But regular people who ride to work have become an increasingly important market for bicycle manufacturers these days.
"Nothing's been tailored to them, and what's there is kind of cheesy," said Ryan Cate, a sales representative for Schwinn. "It's either a mountain bike or a racing bike, neither of which addresses the urban rider."
Schwinn's newest bike, the Super Sport DBX, is designed specifically for commuters. Its frame is set so that the rider is more upright, "to see traffic," Cate said. And it has dual-sided pedals -- a flat side for street shoes, a grooved side for cycling shoes.
While this Schwinn retails for a hefty $1,200, that wasn't the priciest bike at the show.
That distinction goes to the $9,000 Aero by Roark, an Indianapolis maker of custom titanium bikes.
"There's no limit to how much you can spend on a bike,'' said Roark designer Jim Zoellner.
The bike, which weighs 18 pounds, is aerodynamically designed with triathletes in mind, with slight curves in the frame. The bike won't rust, and titanium won't break, said Zoellner.
A bonus for the traveling triathlete: the bike's front and rear ends can be separated and packed into a case that doesn't require the typical airline surcharge.
This is a hilarous read... my favorite quote: ""Chains represent 90 percent of a bike's repair and maintenance cost," Perugini said. I love how the mainstream press doesn't quite get it when it comes to bikes... kind of like the maniac bike commuter articles in the US.
______
About twice a year, the chain on Jeff Hathaway's bicycle falls off its sprocket.
It's an occurrence Hathaway is tired of seeing repeated, so Sunday, he drove four hours from his Muncie, Ind., home to Chicago's Navy Pier to do something about it.
Hathaway, 46, who works in applications development and bikes to his job, made the trip to check out chainless bikes on display at the Chicago Bike Show and Family Fitness Expo.
"It's a worry-free bike. That's the goal," said Patrick Perugini, president of Dynamic Bicycles, the company, based near Boston, that manufactures the chainless bikes.
Targeted to commuters and recreational riders, Dynamic's bikes feature a steel shaft drive, similar to that in a BMW motorcycle, instead of a chain, Perugini said. The gear mechanism is contained in a unit, called a planetary hub, in the center of the rear wheel.
'There's no limit' to price
"Chains represent 90 percent of a bike's repair and maintenance cost," Perugini said. "We eliminate all of that, in addition to all of the greasy mess."
Chainless bikes -- which retail between $599 and $799 -- were among the latest trends being showcased by more than 100 exhibitors at the two-day show, now in its 15th year.
The use of high-end alloys such as carbon and titanium is making for lighter, stronger and faster racing and mountain bikes that can weigh as little as 15 pounds, many of which were on display Sunday for the serious bike enthusiasts roving the show floor.
But regular people who ride to work have become an increasingly important market for bicycle manufacturers these days.
"Nothing's been tailored to them, and what's there is kind of cheesy," said Ryan Cate, a sales representative for Schwinn. "It's either a mountain bike or a racing bike, neither of which addresses the urban rider."
Schwinn's newest bike, the Super Sport DBX, is designed specifically for commuters. Its frame is set so that the rider is more upright, "to see traffic," Cate said. And it has dual-sided pedals -- a flat side for street shoes, a grooved side for cycling shoes.
While this Schwinn retails for a hefty $1,200, that wasn't the priciest bike at the show.
That distinction goes to the $9,000 Aero by Roark, an Indianapolis maker of custom titanium bikes.
"There's no limit to how much you can spend on a bike,'' said Roark designer Jim Zoellner.
The bike, which weighs 18 pounds, is aerodynamically designed with triathletes in mind, with slight curves in the frame. The bike won't rust, and titanium won't break, said Zoellner.
A bonus for the traveling triathlete: the bike's front and rear ends can be separated and packed into a case that doesn't require the typical airline surcharge.
