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Welcome to Velo Vision magazine, covering specialised bikes, cycling as transport and human power. It's a quarterly dose of cycle inspiration.The current issue is Issue 16. The next issue is out early March 2005.
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Hydraulic drive - another one tries its luckThe idea of replacing the bike chain with a hydraulic system has been around almost as long as the bicycle - here's a new incarnation. The 'Power Curve Vari-Speed Liquid Drive Bicycle" - check the website here - isn't the first, and will no doubt not be the last, to try this technology. All previous efforts have failed to match the good old chain on efficiency, reliability and cost.  This one looks to be at the prototype stage so far. It seems to have implemented a continually-variable 'gear change', which works by varying the throw of some eccentric cams which drive the pump:  The 'Power Curve' bit in the name seems to refer to two wavey-edged bits in the pump, which (I think) presumably 'rock' along their matching surfaces to produce teh positive displacement of fluid that drives the bike. Well, good luck to them - if it catches on I'd be amazed. I do wish someone would hurry up and develop a decent hydraulic gear-shifting system, though... the Hydraflite one might have died a death I fear, as their website at www.hydraflite.com doesn't seem to be around any more... Posted on 19 January 2001 Your comments ...
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