The success of Pinion seems unstoppable. The gear shifting system in the bottom bracket area is inspiring designers and cyclists alike. With a new C-Class, the price of complete bikes is now set to fall significantly. Pinion is also targeting the lucrative e-bike market.
Hard on the inside, light on the outside - the design of the Pinion C-Line has been changed.
The compact housing design integrates the innovative gearbox variants with twelve, nine or six gears perfectly into modern bicycle frames. The new gearboxes have a number of special technical features: The compact gearboxes result in an ergonomically sensible Q-factor of just 166 millimetres for the C-Line and a new chainline of 50 millimetres.
The angle of the cable outlets of the gearboxes can be adjusted. This enables optimum cable routing for every frame design. What remains is the outstanding low maintenance of the Pinion gearbox. Even with the C-Line, an oil change is only necessary every 10,000 kilometres and the gearbox functions reliably without adjustment. The encapsulated body promises consistent function even in mud, wet conditions and snow, while the always parallel chain line enables the use of maintenance-free Gates drive belts instead of a chain.
In addition to the technical advantages, the new C-Line should also be significantly cheaper.
Whereas a Pinion wheel used to quickly cost 5000 euros, this mark is set to fall below 2000 euros for a complete wheel in future. One of the reasons for this is the highly efficient production of the new housing shells. While the body of the legendary P-Line is elaborately milled from a block of aluminium, a high-end die-cast alloy is used for the new C-Line, which also saves a third of the weight. Nevertheless, the C-Line is also one hundred per cent "Made in Germany". "We want to position ourselves more broadly," explains Pinion CEO Christoph Lermen. "In future, manufacturers will be able to respond to the high demand and also offer bikes with Pinion transmission technology in the upper mid-range segment."
At Eurobike, more than 60 international bicycle brands with Pinion bikes will be showcasing a significantly expanded range. Other brands such as Rose, Hartje, Raleigh and Kalkhoff will be using the low-maintenance central gearbox from the Swabian company from 2017.
The higher-quality P-Line with the flagship P1.18 will nevertheless remain in the programme. "The C-Line is a sensible addition for us," says Pinion boss Lermen.
The features:
- Ergonomically optimised Q-factor of only 166 mm with a chain line of 50 mm (P-line: 174 mm / 54 mm).
- New die-cast housing design made from a lightweight alloy (30% lighter than 7075 aluminium).
- Like the P-Line, the C-Line is designed to last the life of the bike and beyond.
- Extra impact-resistant powder coating in anthracite metallic plus protector film on the body.
- 3-way adjustable cable outlets for optimum adaptation of the routing to the frame design.
- Shaft seals on the drive shaft can be easily replaced if necessary.
- Improved oil change thanks to drain and inlet opening.
This is what the three variants do:
C1.12
The twelve-speed transmission of the C-Line is the first choice for high-quality touring bikes and rounds off the top end of the mid-range.
C1.9 XR
Developed for heavy-duty use on e-bikes and S-pedelecs. Powerful rear wheel motors are connected to the gearbox via belts. This results in an optimum power flow between two maintenance-free systems.
C1.6
The solution for well-tuned e-bikes up to 25 km/h. The high-quality six-speed gearbox is aimed at urban commuters, delivery services, cargo bikers as well as hire bike providers and fleet outfitters.
The article was published in Trekkingbike issue 5/2016.
