Every so often we have a bicycle show up in our shop that stands out for
one reason or another. On Sunday a fellow showed up with an almost pristine
64cm 1980 Motobecane Grand Jubile, the only blemish being the rear wheel, which
was not original. He had picked it up for $160 in a non-profit shop in Tucson.
I was deep green with envy.
But yesterday a bike arrived that towered above anything else I have seen
in terms of uniqueness: A CSA Autobike. This ingenious contraption has an
automatic rear wheel shifter that operates by way of three weights that slide
along the spokes, which operate a trio of clevises, which operate a trio of
pistons, and which then push a shifting ring outwards against the chain as the
wheel goes faster, shifting the chain to a smaller sprocket. A conventional
rear derailleur provides chain tensioning and jockying for down-shifting. The
crankset is also a freewheel so that the chain can move while coasting so as to
allow the wheel mechanism to shift down as speed decreases. Here are some
photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/28642433541/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/28720219755/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/28720219715/in/dateposted-public/
Chris the Moto(bécane)maniac
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