DISQUS

OhGizmo!: Shimano Introduces An Automatic Transmission For Bicycles

  • Crab · 2 years ago
    Back in 1982, while at college, a friend had a bike with 2 gears in the back wheel, thal shift automatically back and forth.
  • sean bonner · 2 years ago
    I think Browning came up with this several years ago but since they aren't a major bike manufacturer it just hasn't caught on very well. I know I saw one in person about 3 years ago and it wasn't made by Shimano.
  • sly · 2 years ago
    There was a bike called the "autobike' that had an automatic transmission. It is now called the landrider.

    http://www.healthandbeautydirect.com/landrider/

    Apparently, the autobike was an overpriced and inferior product, and shimano is one of the top names in the dérailleur industry, so you can expect good things from them.
  • Mark · 2 years ago
    Not the shifting without exposed gear, nor the automatic shifting is new on bikes. I've seen them before, even on branded bikes. I wonder though why oh why people would want a automatic gear box in their bike.
  • Ian Weir · 2 years ago
    Automatic may be a neat idea, but I doubt I'll be leaving regular bikes until they can offer me a CVT. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuously_varia... )
  • Slokunshialgo · 2 years ago
    I know a few months ago, I saw on Daily Planet a bike from Mercedes that had automatic transmission. It was about $6000, and came with a lot more features, but it does exist somewhere.
  • Fritz · 2 years ago
    CVT for bikes was introduced at Interbike last year: http://www.fallbrooktech.com/default.asp
  • Kelly · 2 years ago
    I found a 6-speed Shimano autobike tossed out by the side of the road last year. It needed a few repairs I was able to do. I'm no bike expert but it's kind of fun to ride - although I do question its judgment at times so far as its shifting selections...
  • Jerry Edmon Fordyce · 2 years ago
    I need to sell this bicycle to my trust adviser. He's going to shoot it down as my first pick of a new technology. I need to prove to him that this is a great technology provided by a great corporation. Please, allow me to send this website to him. Sincerely, Jerry E Fordyce, MA (psych and 20 sem hrs econ).