A Brief History of Human Powered Transportation

Power Transmission

The chain was not the only method tried for connecting the pedals to the rear wheel. The pictures below show the shaft drive used on an 1896 Victor. The detailed drawing indicates the bevel gear system produced by the Columbia company for a similar chainless transmission. These gears convert the rotation directions between the pedals, the shaft, and the rear hub, but gear-tooth friction becomes an important consideration in the efficiency of this design.

From: Adams, "Antique Bicycles," TAB Books (1981)

From: E. A. Sloan, "Sloane's Complete Book of Bicycling," Simon & Schuster (1995)