Since the early days of bicycles, external gears and shifting have been standard; you click the shifter and the chain jumps up or down the chain-rings. Besides being more reliable, internal hubs are also much easier to operate. Often compared to a Continuously Variable Transmission on cars, there are no longer individual gears. Also known as Stepless Shifting, you now simply rotate the shifter grip and seamlessly travel through the ‘gears’. These internal hubs are made by Enviolo, a European company who’s been a leader in this technology for 15 years; producing 1 million+ hubs over that time.
Accompanying the internal hub is a Gates Carbon Belt, in lieu of a chain. Besides increasing popularity on bicycles, Gates belts have also been used in the motorsports industry for 40+ years by companies like Harley Davidson. The average lifespan is roughly 10x that of a chain and noticeably quieter while pedaling. There is essentially zero maintenance; no lubricating oil needed means no messy chains to clean. The combination of an internal hub and a belt drive translates to no chance of a chain falling off while pedaling.
So go ahead and choose the comfort cruising ability of the Como IGH, or the sporty feel of the Vado IGH, and enjoy the ride of a lifetime!
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