8 Gearbox Mountain Bikes Spotted at Eurobike 2016

Cavalerie Anakin The Cavalerie Anakin, out of France, is developed around an Effigear gearbox—another French brand—not the widespread Pinion. With 160mm of travel front and back, this is one of the longest travel gearbox bikes that I spotted at the show. With a 66-degree head tube angle, the geo on this enduro rig looks pretty …

By Greg Heil
September 5, 2016 Last Updated: August 5, 2024

6 comments

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Cavalerie Anakin

The Cavalerie Anakin, out of France, is developed around an Effigear gearbox—another French brand—not the widespread Pinion. With 160mm of travel front and back, this is one of the longest travel gearbox bikes that I spotted at the show. With a 66-degree head tube angle, the geo on this enduro rig looks pretty modern.

The model that I saw on display was spec’ed with a belt drive in a very clean design, with no extra pulley tensioners—unusual for a full suspension gearbox bike. The belt is tensioned with the dropouts, similar to some singlespeed frames.

The rig I saw was spec’ed with Enve wheels, a BOS Kirk shock, and a Formula Thirty Five fork. According to Cavalerie’s website, the Anakin can be built down to 13.64kg (30lbs).

While I didn’t spot them at Eurobike, Cavalerie also offers a 185mm-travel freeride rig, the Squirrel, and a 200mm-travel full-blown DH rig, the Falcon–both with gearboxes.

a380a7_77d132b5e4f2458785a2ad3768c47f44 — The Squirrel. Photo: Cavalerie

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6 Comments

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Bike Nerd Colorado // 2017
Sep 4, 2018

Back in the days of 3x drivetrains with their less than reliable shifting on the front chainrings, a gearbox drivetrain seemed like a good idea. Now, with modern wide-range 1x drivetrains like the Sram Eagle, gearbox drivetrains are solving a problem I just don't have anymore. The fact that they weigh more, cost more, and are likely to be difficult to repair makes them even less favorable.

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triton189 2015
Sep 7, 2016

Can only imagine how much more these systems cost relative to chain / derailleur types.

Joel DH
Sep 15, 2016

I agree with stumpyfsr. I like the fact that the drivetrain weight will be transferred to the b/b and help with the center of gravity. It makes the more whippy, so to speak. However, what do these thing run for? I'll bet they ain't cheap. So the question is: are they really worth the extra weight? Are they actually easier and more maintenance free than a regular shifter set-up? What happens if it breaks? Do bike shops have the tools needed to fix one of these gearboxes? Just some questions to consider. I'm sticking with a normal set-up until internal gearboxes become more common. Then we'll see if they are worth it....

Kirk Fromm Pennsylvania // 2019
Dec 17, 2019

If and when they get the balance right - low enough weight, reasonable cost, etc, then these will become real game-changers. The advantages for the average rider are not there yet. But in certain applications, they might make sense. From my understanding, the units are fully sealed, and there's little to no maintenance required for thousands of miles. So for someone doing a long bike-packing trip one of these gearboxes might make sense. If you price out the cost of an Eagle drivetrain, along with all the chains and cassettes you'll need over the course of a few years, the additional upfront cost of a gearbox might start to seem less onerous.

mgringle Washington // 2014
Sep 15, 2016

Like the idea, and maybe on an adventure bike, DH, or even an enduro rig the weight penalty is acceptable. Any idea what the weight penalty actually is?

stumpyfsr Minnesota // 2011
Sep 6, 2016

Looks like a good idea to me. I think it's (gearbox) similar to Alfine internal hub but with benefit of weight being transferred from rear wheel to the center of the bike.

Cavalerie Anakin

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