Avinox showcases MG Concept (Motor Gearbox) at Eurobike 2027
Forgive me for delaying the article about Avinox electric motors. But the electric bike market has been shaken again by an Avinox announcement: the integrated, automatic, continuously variable motor it seems. Goodbye gear shifters, derailleurs, cogs, mechanisms, freehub hubs, expensive integrated anti-pedal kickback systems in the hub or chainring:
which I have written about extensively on bikeverse, the latest being the integration of the n solution from Ochain into SRAM's portfolio:
https://bikeverse.ro/stiri/sram-ochain-cum-elimini-pedal-kickback-gama-noua-r-n-s-e
I also wrote in April about systems with a central gear shifter integrated into the motor from the cog. Gears were changed by altering transmission ratios with cogs, much like in a manual transmission in cars:
There were some issues related to weight and the feeling of braking on climbs, while being a pleasure to have them on downhill.
As you can see in the backgrounds, the guys rushed to photograph, film, and talk with the Avinox team even before the fair opened, when they were still in the process of setting up the stands. You can find videos of them on YouTube.
The most visible and exposed was the Canyon frame where Avinox MG is integrated.
Both models show a single larger cog at the back, as both have chains, not belt drives, and a new part appears, the chain tensioner, which is not a small and timid piece; I tried to find pictures to see it up close, in all its glory.
The two-wheeled tensioner from Canyon:
The chain tensioning system from Forbidden has a single wheel but a longer tensioning arm:
View of the tensioning arm from other angles:
Mondraker presents a belt drive system with a long arm tensioner and a single wheel:
Tensioner detail from Mondraker:
It seems that for the belt, another piece is needed at the back to prevent the belt from skipping:
Just as I had to clean two wheels on the derailleur in the classic system with shifters and cogs, I see that I haven't escaped from wheels here either with the automatic gearbox motor.
Two at Commencal and Canyon from the tensioner's components, two at Mondraker, one at the tensioner, and, well, a rotating cylinder at the cogs; clearly, we don't have much to clean in the belt system, as we also got rid of the chain, to be honest.
And a single wheel at Forbidden, the winner in the number of wheels to disassemble, clean, and lubricate.
Overall, the champion in cleaning advantage is Mondraker with the belt transmission.
Mondraker also added a damper on the rear axle, for show.
How would it be to pedal at an optimal constant cadence of your body and at an optimal programmed pulse, without changing any gear?
But to change gears without reducing power, to continuously transmit power to the wheel without fearing to drop out of the race because you lost the chain and without wasting precious time in competitions? In fact, I saw Remus winning the Romanian DH Cup at Mărișel with a broken chain at the start of the race...
I remember struggling for a year on the road bike to climb from 80 cadence, through daily training of two to three hours pedaling at 90 cadence, after I installed a cadence sensor; otherwise, I wouldn't have known I had a problem.
Now the coach can give you a clear mission: to pedal at a certain cadence, at a certain pulse, which translates into a level of effort.
Advantages of the electric system with automatic gearbox:
Goodbye cleaning cogs, chain, derailleurs, derailleur wheels, bearings, wheels.
Goodbye changing cables and shifter grips, replacing defective shifters, electronic shifters, expensive batteries for electronic derailleurs and shifters.
Goodbye broken chain because we all know it broke when we shifted under load and didn't resort to dead pedal; well, competition, ambition, it happens to strong men. But now, with electric motors, we can pull untrained with 1500W from the chain, like a performance athlete, much easier to break even by an amateur.
We say the chain breaks, but in fact, nothing breaks. The chain can at most wear down and elongate.
What we call chain breakage is when the sharp teeth of the sprockets manage to force out a riveted pin from the chain links during a shift. It can be easily remedied by removing a link and installing a connector if you have a connector and chain tool with you. If not, ask around; someone must have one. Among those who have experienced it.
Well, in front we still have a chainring, and in the back, there will still be a sprocket for the belt or chain. I expected all to have a belt, but in prototypes, I see a normal chain with a tensioner.
So we still can't escape the little cleaning wheels.
It seems we are also getting rid of the ratchet in the rear hub because there is talk of a regenerative brake when going downhill or braking, to charge the battery...
New is the complete locking system for the pedals, as an anti-theft system.
You can choose a step-changing shifter or continuous automatic mode.
The shift speed when you want to change gears: 0.1 seconds.
In terms of dimensions, it seems to be slightly larger than M2S.
Regarding weight, everything that was in the back, sprockets, and derailleur, will somehow be added to the motor at the center, practically not adding to the bike's weight but just distributing it to the center where it is best placed.
I found some interesting pictures, at Forbidden the tensioner seen from the left of the bike:
Motor picture:
I was just saying that that's it for bike technology news until next year, when Avinox broke the ice with the automatic CVT electric motor.
Let's see what the others come up with. What is the response from traditional manufacturers?
