New Hub Tech
Rick Proctor
Bicycling is usually a lot of fun for those of us who like to ride bikes, especially when the weather is nice. But when it comes to bike maintenance and repairs, the enthusiasm wanes for some of us. Removing and installing a wheel, for whatever reason, is a hassle. Front wheel jobs usually aren’t too bad, but doing a rear wheel is complicated due to the chain, cassette, and derailleur arrangement. This gets worse for both wheels when disc brakes come into the picture, further diminishing enthusiasm. Can you do that and keep your hands clean enough for a bakery stop? Is there a better way? Opportunities are endless when the right questions are asked.
The standard configuration for bikes has evolved for decades with key components for gear shifting, brakes and bearings always mounted on the wheel hub. What if some key components were moved off the wheel hub and instead mounted on the frame? The big advantage could be simplifying wheel removal and installation. And what if this new design arrangement allowed front and rear wheels to be interchangeable? Should this type of thinking be considered heresy worthy of being burned at the stake or perhaps an engineering breakthrough to benefit all future bicyclists?
I recently watched a GCN Tech Show (#193, September 3rd) about lots of new bike technology being presented at EUROBIKE 2021 in Friedrichshafen, Germany. EUROBIKE is the world’s leading trade show for the bicycling industry. Some people may say bike technology is mature with no room for improvement. Others see ample opportunities for improvement, and improvement is what keeps this trade show going year after year. “Improvements” offered by the industry range from the comically whimsical to the why-didn’t-someone-think-of-this-before-practical. At about minute 10:54 in the GCN video link is an improvement that caught my attention because it answers some of the questions above with real breakthrough engineering. A new standard for front and rear wheel hubs where the brake disc, cassette, and bearings remain attached to the bike frame when the thru-axle and wheel are removed. Jean-Paul Lagar is the inventor of the FASTEN system and demonstrates wheel removal and replacement. It certainly looks simple and easy. Could this new FASTEN design hub technology be as revolutionary for bicycle design as was pneumatic tires, chain drives, and clipless pedals?
For more information, checkout the website at www.lagarconcept.com. French is the default language and my computer asked if I would like translation to English. I selected yes to ease my understanding. There are more video links here with English narration that further build a case for being practical for all future bicycle types – from racers to general enthusiasts.
While reviewing this new technology, lots of questions form in my mind regarding weight, price, and availability for those of us in the mainstream bicycling category of general enthusiast. Much of the bike tech we have today came to us through a trickle-down effect from the pro races like the Tour de France. The quick & easy wheel changes of the FASTEN design alone could be enough of a technical improvement to get on the pro race team radar screens. It will be interesting to see what develops with this new tech in the coming years. I hope to be around to ride it.
