da Vinci's Independent Drive™
The Independent Coasting Advantage
da Vinci Designs’ Independent Coasting System
(ICS) offers you a riding experience both on and off road that equals or
surpasses the best you’ve had on a single or tandem bike. The ICS makes
for a far more intuitive, comfortable and efficient ride. This newfound
ability to independently or collectively coast, pedal and position your
cranks at will offers these advantages:
-
Starting, stopping and going through corners are as easy
as on a single bike.
-
Captain and stoker can independently relax, take a drink,
adjust seat position, stand for a few seconds to relieve weary sit bones,
even take a moment to gaze at scenery, while the other keeps pedaling.
-
Traversing obstacles is easier and more efficient because
the captain and stoker can coordinate avoiding the obstacles while maintaining
forward momentum.
-
Asynchronous pedaling decreases strain on the final drive
train.
The main component of da Vinci Designs’ ICS is
an intermediate drive shaft six inches in front of the rear bottom bracket.
The intermediate shaft has two single-speed freewheels on the left side
that are independently driven by the cranks at twice the rotating speed
and half the torque. On the right side of the shaft, four Hyperglide™
cogs drive the bike. The chain rings are half the size as those on a conventional
tandem because of the double rotation of the intermediate shaft. The combination
of 12-, 18-, 24-, 30-tooth driving gears equals 24-, 36-, 48-, 60-tooth
chain rings. The combination of the small 6-tooth gap, doubled rotation
and the Hyperglide cogs gives da Vinci Designs’ tandems these technical
advantages:
-
Smooth and fast front shifting – The closer the chain
rings are to the same size, the easier it is to shift. Other tandems, and
even single bikes, are forced to use a 12-tooth gap between chain rings.
-
Unprecedented range of gears – Four chain rings and eight
rear sprockets mean 32 gears that range from 18 to 140 gear-inches. No
other tandem gives you that many gears or that kind of range.
-
More ground clearance – Nice when you lift your tandem
over a curb, out of a truck, or when you are off road.
-
Stronger, lighter chain rings that are less prone to bending
-
Less strain on the chain while shifting
|