A brand new patent from SRAM suggests the American elements producer is plotting its entry into turbo trainers with a novel double-chain design that might make indoor biking extra simple.
Printed on Thursday, the patent is for an indoor coach with a “closed loop part”.
The design seems to work by attaching the bike immediately right into a mount, and disengaging the chain from the cassette. The chain is then positioned onto a separate cog, itself connected to a different cog, which drives one other chain linked to the resistance wheel.
The bike is connected to the coach with “axle helps”, that means the one aspect that must be moved is the chain. Neither the again wheel nor the cassette are engaged, and are due to this fact not set in movement.
(Picture credit score: USPTO / SRAM)
How revolutionary is that this coach?
SRAM’s entry into the sensible coach market looks like a pure development, given the model’s experience in energy meters, groupsets, and wi-fi communication – all foundational components of a high-quality coach.
The design proven right here seems to make use of a single sprocket, eliminating conventional gearing. This strategy mirrors the Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One coach, which simulates gear adjustments via digital resistance changes. Zwift achieves this with its Zwift Play system, a handlebar-mounted controller that lets riders shift just about.
Nonetheless, SRAM’s benefit lies in its wi-fi shifting know-how. If SRAM integrates bike-mounted shifters immediately with the coach, it might supply a seamless indoor driving expertise. This innovation would characterize a major leap ahead in sensible coach design.
SRAM’s design – probably the corporate’s first turbo coach – seeks to resolve the restrictions of current trainers, that are break up into wheel-off and wheel-on classes.
Within the first occasion, the place customers should take away the rear wheel, a separate cassette is usually wanted, in addition to changes to the derailleur.
Wheel-on trainers don’t require the rear wheel to be eliminated, however could cause put on on the tyre, which is often engaged for resistance. In order to not deteriorate their street tyre, wheel-on coach customers have a tendency to suit a separate coaching tyre to their bike.
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“In each circumstances [wheel-off and wheel-on], putting in a bicycle on a coach might require important mechanical aptitude, time, and extra bicycle elements,” the SRAM patent says. “As well as, varied elements might expertise extra put on with both kind of coach, whether or not within the drivetrain and/or on the rear tire.”
(Picture credit score: USPTO / SRAM)
SRAM’s proposal permits customers to go away the rear wheel on the bicycle whereas bypassing the cassette and rear wheel. This, the patent says, means put on on the tyre and cassette “could also be vastly diminished”.
“As well as, the bicycle could also be rapidly and simply put in on the coach with out the necessity to take away or modify varied elements.”
As with all patents, there isn’t any assure that this product will ever be made into actuality. The patent submitting means SRAM has protected the design, and should do with that what it needs.
Final month, SRAM additionally printed a patent for a ‘sensible wheel accent’ – a motorcycle wheel with an built-in sensor able to feeding again reside information on tyre stress, rim well being, and wheel lean.
Biking Weekly has approached SRAM for touch upon the indoor coach design. Previously, a SRAM spokesperson has stated the corporate doesn’t touch upon patents.
