The original Autobike
Gear system

An autobike or automatically geared bicycle is a bicycle with an automatic transmission that shifts gears without intervention from the rider.

History

In 2011 the company Autobike was founded by Mark Simpson. In the company applied for a patent on a system which automatically changes gears on a bicycle, and they started selling their Voyage line of bicycles. The original Autobike was equipped with a system of centrifugal weights on the rear wheel with a rear derailleur attached to them.[1] When the rider started pedaling it would cause the weights to spin outwards, which shifted the derailleur to a higher gear. When the rider stops pedaling and the bike comes to a stop, the weights would return to the centre position, shifting the bike into its lowest gear so it is easier to get started again. Autobike went bankrupt.[2]

The current Autobike uses three main components in its automatic transmission. In order to provide the system with power, the front wheel uses a hub dynamo to generate electricity. Wires connect the dynamo through the frame to the bottom bracket area where it joins a small onboard computer with sensors that detect the rider's speed and cadence. The computer uses this information to actuate a motorised shifter mounted on the rear wheel's hub gear to change the gear ratio. The rear hub used is the Nuvinci N360 CVP which is a continuously variable transmission using a planetary gear system that can be shifted smoothly at any time, under any load.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Overholt, Zach (2013-03-20). "Autobike Builds First Continuously Variable, Automatic Shifting Bike". Bikerumor. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
  2. ↑ Tyler (2023-04-16). "Autobike: Evolve The Bike". E-Bike Commuting. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
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