It’s a combination of a tiny chainring and no front mech clutter that makes the chainstays look long, with the chain tensioned, they’re actually only a few mm longer than the equivalent Cotic Soul.

Wow ! Genuinely impressed. That is the first gearbox bike I’ve even seen, that isn’t fugly.

Well done chaps, sterling work.

I’ve just been trying to figure out the weight +gearbox -shifter/mech/etc/etc, but it would probably be easier if I just found out how much the demo bike weighed! 🙂

Looks very nice indeed.

[typo on site: 100,000km service intervals looks like it should be 10,000)

I must be missing something as to my eyes it looks like the chainring is directly connected to the rear cog?

I’m assuming that to make it work the crankset is rotating independently of the chainring with two different drive axles?

Shhhhhhhhhh !

I’d be seriously interested in something like this.
I know Rohloff like to trade on their reputation for reliability, but I know I’m not the first to have bearing and seal problems and I’m hoping I never experience the cracked spoke flange problem.

The only downside to Pinion I can see is that you can’t easily swap from gears to single speed.

Had a look at this last weekend. Looks absolutely great. Very well thought out indeed. It’s a standard singlespeed rear wheel, so you get a freewheel at each end, which is a bit strange.

Weight I understand to be a hair under 30lb (inc Reverb), which is OK in my book for a tough bike that doesn’t need looking after. (you could probably knock a pound, maybe 2 off the build by throwing money at it).

The swinging dropouts where rather neat too. All in all, it looked like a very finished product.

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Lush! Needs some blue pin stickers 😉

Look forward to seeing a 29er version 😀

That looks absolutely fantastic! I had a long chat with 18 bikes’ frame builder at Bespoked Bristol 6 months ago. The bike they had there used an aluminium BB cradle with tigged-on stubs of tube which were then bonded into the ends of steel tubes used for the main frame. This one looks like they’ve found a way to do the full build in steel.

I want! 🙂

Will definitely have to drop them a line next time I visit friends in the Peak District.

Thanks for all the comments guys, we’ve worked hard on it so it’s nice for it to get noticed.

To answer a few questions:

We’ve not heard any reliability problems, the customer’s bike that was at Bespoked Bristol has been performing fine since then. Only time will tell really but it looks good as far as we can see.

The reason for 2 freewheels is to protect the gearbox, I asked Pinion if I could use a fixed hub and they said no.

The chainstays are 425mm in the centre of the dropout adjustment range (which is about where they are now). We will be making a few changes to the bridge (that’s Pinion’s name for the mounting bracket) so customer bikes will have better tyre clearance and we’d be able to go shorter if required too. Obviously chainstay length will depend on the design of frame and we can build to anything. The small front chainring does confuse matters as it’s only a 24t.

Price: We are charging £2450 which is essentially our custom frame price+pinion+adjustable dropouts+bridge (£1000+1100+150+200). For reference a Rohloff RRP is £1050 and ends up closer to £1200 by the time you’ve built it into a wheel and got the necessary fitting parts. This can be any kind of bike as the gearbox is suited to lots of applications, 29er/26/650/cargo/touring etc are all possible. We had to build the demo bike in such a way that it is comparable for most people, hence 26″ wheels and a conventional geometry. If you have any further questions or would like to discuss a frame, please email me directly at matt@18bikes.co.uk

Hope this helps!
Matt

PS We are also working on some cheaper ‘production’ frames so keep an eye on the site if you don’t want/need a custom frame but fancy something UK made with some nice little touches.

Proper bo that. Want. Badly. Have been following pinion for years and finally someone has got it to market in a good looking and relatively sensible package.

My pockets aren’t deep enough yet, but man it’s on the cards.

Matt, can you confirm the weight of the demo?

That aside, even if it is a bit portly, shouldnt matter too much as it will be central and low. Better that than it all out back.

I can see you selling a few of these.

Want! Need Blenderish geo/bike with a normal seat tube angle please. If only I had the cash.

The rings are different sizes, 2 teeth diff, although it might be 26 front not 24 but it’s still pretty small either way.

We’re using Pinion’s own hubs, they are rebranded Acros so really nice quality and available in all the axle sizes. They’ve upped the pawl count and offset to increase the pick up speed which is nice. The rear is also the widest flange spacing I’ve seen on a singlespeed hub so it’s an incredibly stiff wheel despite being ‘only’ an Arch EX. Certainly stiffer than when we’ve done the same on a Pro2 singlespeed. I think with the Pinion hub you can get away with a lighter rim so it offsets the weight of the singlespeed hub (although I didn’t weigh it so I don’t know how hefty it is)

Matt

http://pinion.eu/PDF/Pinion_P1.18_Owner’s%20Manual_2_web_ENG.pdf
Pages 24/25 show it well

Interesting project really, everyone ready for grip shift 🙂

I really like the idea of that. Belt drive would be great but I’m out until pinion start making shorter cranks!

Lovely! Definitely needs a belt drive, though.

There was a Shimano derailleur system in the ’80s which had the freewheel at the cranks instead of in the back wheel. The advantage was that you could change gear while freewheeling down a hill. The disadvantage was that mechanics kept losing fingertips.

I’d love one. However I’d need to find £2.5k and get over my hatred of twist shifts