THE PROTOTYPE

The easiest way to make a gearbox prototype from a regular frame was to use a standard weld-on gearbox mounting plate from Pinion, initially designed for hardtails. There was little clearance on the rear wheel, so we had to cut some elements by hand. Then we used an angle grinder to make everything smoother. We also had to drill some holes for the dropper post cable, which you can see on our Instagram, where we posted many behind-the-scenes updates.

TESTING

We build two GWAGONs for testing. One was made for our team, and the second went to Yannick Lange from Trickstuff, who initially pushed this product to live. Our bike has Effigear on board, while Yannick uses a gearbox from Pinion. So we could test both systems.

GENERAL OBSERVATION:

• Super fast and planted due to the central and low mass of the bike and the low unsprung weight.

• We need to use a different chain tensioner for the final version. I repeatedly hit the ground, roots, or rocks with the tensioner.

• The gear ratio is pretty big; you can climb well and fast on the flat road.

• Legs feel stable on the pedals when going downhill. Since the chain continues rotating, it does not affect the cranks.

EFFIGEAR:

• Shifting into harder gears is incredibly smooth, regardless of how bumpy and rough the trails are. Shifting up requires unweighting the pedal, which takes time to get used to.

PINION:

• The grip shift is rather tricky to use for enduro applications.