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Bicycle drivetrain systems are used to transmit power on bicycles, tricycles, quadracycles, unicycles, or other human-powered vehicles from the riders to the drive wheels. Most also include some type of a mechanism to convert speed and torque via gear ratios .
A belt-driven bicycle is a chainless bicycle that uses a flexible belt, typically a synchronous toothed design, in order to transmit power from the pedals to the wheel. The application of belt drives to bicycles is growing, especially in the commuter bicycle market, due to the low maintenance and lubrication-free benefits.
Bicycle performance is measurable performance such as energy efficiency that affect how effective a bicycle is. Bicycles are extraordinarily efficient machines; in terms of the amount of energy a person must expend to travel a given distance, cycling is calculated to be the most efficient self-powered means of transportation. [1]
Chain drive was the main feature which differentiated the safety bicycle introduced in 1885, with its two equal-sized wheels, from the direct-drive penny-farthing or "high wheeler" type of bicycle. The popularity of the chain-driven safety bicycle brought about the demise of the penny-farthing, and is still a basic feature of bicycle design today.
Human powered electric generators are commercially available, and have been the project of some DIY enthusiasts. Typically operated by means of pedal power, a converted bicycle trainer, or a foot pump, such generators can be practically used to charge batteries, and in some cases are designed with an integral inverter.
A hub dynamo is a small electrical generator built into the front hub of a bicycle wheel that is usually used to power lights. Often the hub "dynamo" is not actually a dynamo, which creates DC, but a low-power magneto that creates AC. Most modern hub dynamos are regulated to 3 watts at 6 volts, although some will drive up to 6 watts at 12 volts.
Wheel-hub motors are commonly found on electric bicycles. Electric hub motors were well received in early electric cars , but have not been commercially successful in modern production cars [ 1 ] [ 2 ] because they negatively affect vehicle handling due to higher dynamic wheel load [ 3 ] and their placement makes them prone to damage.
Bottle dynamo mounted on a bicycle. Dismantled bottle dynamo. Left: Housing with internal permanent magnet rotating through the friction wheel. Right: Induction coil. A bottle dynamo or sidewall dynamo is a small electrical generator for bicycles employed to power a bicycle's lights.