BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
SRM has developed a new line of indoor trainers using NuVinci’s N360 drive system – a seamless gear hub beginning to gain momentum among manufacturers, including the likes of Dahon.
Classic spinning bikes typically use only one gear with the rotation speed of the flywheel directly dependent on the cadence. Only at a high cadence, the flywheel turns fast (to create a flat terrain riding experience). Pedaling slowly means the flywheel also turns at low cadence (to create an uphill riding experience).
SRM analysed this problem and found a way to separate the flywheel speed from the cadence. The answer came in the form of NuVinci’s N360 gear hub which will now be built into all SRM Indoor bike trainers. This continuously variable transmission has a wide ratio range enabling the fast rotation of the flywheel at low cadences, as well as slow rotation at high cadences resulting in a much more realistic cycling experience.
Jack Brandsen, NuVinci EU sales manager is also excited about the renewed partnership with SRM: “We have been dealing with SRM since the launch of our first N171 hub. It is exciting that we now can work with SRM to integrate the N360 and to provide a solid solution for the indoor trainer market. SRM is an established company and their products are well known for their high durability and extensive testing – far beyond typical bicycle industry standards.”
Further differing SRM product from others on the market, the trainers will freewheel so the user no longer has to ‘bank on the crank’.
A strong magnetic brake works alongside the hub and by mounting a bigger chainring and reducing the distance from the magnetic wing and the flywheel, the user can raise the brake power at all cadence levels.
The maintenance free magnetic brake and NuVinci N360 hub are both controlled by grip shifters mounted at the handlebar. 40 incremental steps for the magnetic brake enable a fine-tuned resistance setting which is fast and exactly reproducible.
