I bet that's well good at wheelies

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/eurobike-2010-canyon-launch-strive-enduro-bike-27757

I like this – you could make big jumps in ratio when stationary.

Info from Canyon here

Looks promising whether combined with a dérailleur or a single sprocket for those who have the mind of a single speeder but not the legs. Bikes look much nicer with no front shifter and a single chainring as well.

The component spec was suitably lightweight, including a DT Swiss fork, Syntace bar and stem, Formula R1 brakes (with a 180mm front rotor!), Schwalbe tyres, a Tune front hub and DT Swiss carbon rims, all topped with Canyon's remarkably cushy VCLS seatpost.

That and a €1000 set of 400g cranks. Wonder what the whole bike weighs.

Carbon fibre THM-Carbones Clavicula cranks help keep the weight down to 8.4kg

I was expecting to see someone changing gear by pulling the chain over the rings with an armoured glove 😆

Bugger, missed that!

Edit: aah, it's a caption to a photo, that's not playing the game.

So… 18.5lbs, considering the internal hub weighs about the same as an XT transmission, by their own reckoning, that would suggest it would be a sub-18lb bike with proper XX gears on it, interesting, but it solves a non-existant problem IMO.

Can I be the guy who asks the most obvious question.

Who needs 30 gears?

SRAM did/do a 3speed one IIRC? Which someone was selling on ebay as part of a 81speed (9*3*3) bike!

Who needs 30 gears?

Who indeed. I would much prefer 40.

but it solves a non-existant problem IMO.

Tell that to Andy Schleck!

shit loads of weight where you don't want it.

i'll wait till there's a Rohloff/Alfine that doubles as a bottom bracket. that way all the weight is central and it leaves you with a nice, light, flickable rear end.