Probably ever since bicycles were first invented, people have been looking for alternatives to the traditional approach of pedalling in circles. Los Angeles-based inventor Rodger Parker has utilized one such alternative in his NuBike, which he claims is more efficient than a chain-drive bike.
Along with its unique-looking carbon fiber frame, what really stands out on the NuBike are the levers that run from the pedals to a linkage on the rear hub. These allow riders to simply push up and down on the pedals, causing the rear wheel to turn. There are reportedly a number of advantages to this setup.
First of all, as mentioned, it's claimed to be more efficient than a chain or belt-drive. According to Brown, because the levers are much longer than traditional cranks, riders are able to deliver more torque (and thus power) to the wheel for a given amount of effort. He also states that because the pedals just move vertically, riders can more effectively use the force of gravity to help push them down.
Additionally, the lever-drive system is said to be easier on the hips, knees and ankles, plus it doesn't require users to pull an oily chain out of the way when removing the rear wheel. And yes, it does allow for multiple gears – the current road bike prototype has four, although Rodger tells us that future lower-priced models (such as kids' bikes and cruisers) will have fewer.
The prototype weighs 22 lb (10 kg). By replacing the current 7075 aluminum levers with ones made of magnesium, along with making some other changes, it is hoped that the final commercial model will tip the scales at 18 lb (8 kg).
If you're interested in getting a NuBike of your own, it's currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. Assuming it reaches production, a pledge of US$3,600 will get you a sub-3-lb (1.4 kg) frame and drivetrain, to which you can add conventional components of your choice. The planned retail price for that package is $3,800.
You can see the NuBike in action, in the video below.
And perhaps not surprisingly, this isn't the first commercially-oriented lever-drive bike we've seen. Korea's Bygen announced one back in 2014, although there's been no word on availability since.
Source: Kickstarter
And this is a very clever design. I think to better utilize the pedals they'll have to break with the standard bike form.
..another great prototype/possible game changer I'm rooting for. Thanks for the post guys!!
An earlier version I saw a couple of decades ago, though, had cables attached to the levers, which pulled short lengths of chain around sprockets on the rear wheel, one on each side. Then a ratchet in the hub converted the back-and-forth motion of each sprocket into forward motion.
It was claimed to be much more efficient then, too.
$3,800 seems like an awful lot of money for this. Too much.
The human body has far less stress when pedaling in a circle than when one's legs have to reverse direction for each stroke.
The gearing aspect is also misleading, as one can select desired gear ratios easily with today's bikes. I have a sophisticated hub gear (Rohloff) that has linear changes over the 14 selectable ratios.
Everything old is new again!