Taipei Bike Show: Dahon folder with continuously variable transmission

New for 2012 in the Dahon folding bike lineup is the Mu N360. The Mu is a staple in Dahon range but what’s new is matching it up with a NuVinci hub from Fallbrook Technologies to provide a Constantly Variable Planetary (CVP) gear.

What does that mean? Essentially, there are no fixed ratios with the NuVinci hub. Instead, you control the continuously variable  hub via a twist-grip shifter. Rather than selecting gears, the shifter moves a ring or rotating balls which alters the relationship between the energy you’re putting in and the output. It’s a difficult one to get your head around, so check out our story explaining the design in more detail. 

The NuVinci hub means that shifting is seamlessly smooth; it’s a little like using a volume adjustment dial on a radio.

The Mu is made from custom-drawn Sonus aluminium tubing and uses a lattice-forged hinge. It comes with a Dahon FreeDrive Jould Dynamo system to generate energy for your lights so you don’t need any batteries, and the Dahon PostPump inflator is integrated into the seatpost.