Firstly, the P 1.18 is a fully encapsulated drivetrain with a gear range of 636 per cent, which even exceeds that of a conventional derailleur gear system (approx. 620 per cent) and also offers regularly stepped 18 gears and hermetic sealing against dirt, moisture and mechanical interference.
Secondly, this transmission unit can be positioned in the optimum place in the two-wheeled, single-track vehicle "bicycle": on the bottom bracket. Everything that was previously located on or in the rear wheel is centred there in all three dimensions, i.e. in an ideal position: shift cables, rear derailleur, cassette, gear hub.
On the test tours with the brand new "Pinionists" from Tout Terrain and Patria, I quickly became familiar with the new technology. The rotary shifter works very similarly to the Rohloff control element; a little harder, with slightly shorter shifting travel, perhaps. However, this may also be due to the shorter cables and their unstretched new condition. These imperfections should therefore have little to no influence on the riding experience on our Pinion pioneers.
When riding, the smooth gear changes are pleasing, even over several gears, but the barely perceptible background noise is surprising. Even under maximum load, the gearbox never gets loud. There are also "noise gears" 7 and 13 here, similar to the counter-rotating Rohloff, but only audible in the assembly stand with the ear next to the gearbox: also an indication of extremely precise work and minimal tolerances during production.
