Unless you’re a fixie-head or a single-speeder, gears are everything. Whether you’re a casual commuter or an all-pro road racer, when it comes to that next big hill, you’re gonna need a bike that can reliably switch gears and hit that sweet spot. Unfortunately, with most bikes you’re working with what I call the Goldilocks conundrum. Either the gears are too high or too low, and it takes a lot of shifting to find that sweet spot. With the Continuum, you can kick those worries to the curb. The Continuum from priority Bicycles boasts the world’s first commuter bike equipped with a handful of low-maintenance components and a drivetrain system with an “infinite” number of gears. This is key to shaving off minutes off your ride!
The Continuum features a continuously variable transmission hub located on the rear wheel that provides this bike with a full spectrum of gears, instead of a set of integral gears. This type of CVT hub gives the rider a much smoother ride than the standard derailleur system. While the standard derailleur system requires the drivetrain components to clumsily jump between fixed gears on different sprockets, the Continuum’s rotating ball system allows you to easily glide between gears. Rather than a greasy chain jangling as you switch gears, the bike employs a rubber belt drive that’s fixed to the real wheel cog and chain wheel, making it motionless. Because it has few moving parts, it’s less noisy, smoother, and less prone to malfunctions.
In 2014 the company became popular for lowering the cost of the belt drive system in the United States. While the price tag can be a bit pricey at $900, it’s made out of high quality material and is known to last. The manufacturer of the belt drive, claims that it last nearly 10 times longer than metal chains. It requires no lubricant and minimal cleaning, which is great news for winter riders who are frequently burdened with salt road spray and sand.
The bike is sold in three sizes and comes equipped with a kickstand. The bike is mainly marketed towards city riders and commuters and can be purchased through Priority’s Site.
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