Chainless Technology
Unchain Yourself
At the heart of Dynamic Bicycles is our innovative, chainless technology. It eliminates the number one complaint people have always had about their bikes – the chains and derailleurs. With our shaft drive bikes, there is no more grease; no more mess; no more cuts on fingers or tears in clothes; and no more chain and derailleur maintenance. Just pure, worry-free riding fun.

The shaft drive uses a fully-enclosed bevel gear system (much like a car transmission) made of lightweight, yet durable aluminum alloy. Combined with Shimano’s advanced internal gearing (all neatly tucked away inside the rear wheel), our bikes not only have a sleek, modern look, but they deliver an incredibly smooth ride and great performance.

Easier to Operate
Using Shimano’s twist grip shift, just a simple twist of the wrist provides responsive shifting and rapid speed transitions. Its design and operation is elegantly simple, yet its performance is undeniably invigorating. We have even minimized the weight of our bikes for fast rides and easier handling. Our shaft drive bikes weigh about one pound more than a comparable chain and derailleur bike, yet their perfect balance keeps the feel of the bike light and responsive.

Simplified Maintenance
Both the shaft drive and the internal gearing are inherently low maintenance, so little effort is required on your part to keep your bike running at peak efficiency. Compared to chain bikes, they can go much longer without maintenance or adjustment so they can operate more efficiently, more consistently. In other words, for each turn of your pedal you go farther with less effort. In fact, all of our bike components have been configured to be easily maintained at home. From tire changes to cable adjustments, our bikes are as easy to maintain as they are to ride.

Chainless is Painless
With the fully enclosed shaft drive technology, there are no exposed moving or greasy parts. So unlike traditional bikes with chains and sharp spokes, our shaft drive bicycles won’t ‘bite’ you. You also won’t have to worry about grease on your hands or clothes. In other words, with a chainless bike, you can take it anywhere, anytime, worry free, and arrive in style.

Some call them chainless bicycles.
Others call them shaft drive bicycles. We call them no-mess, huge-fun, ride-forever-without-adjusting-a-thing bikes.

By combining our rugged, maintenance-free shaft drive with Shimano's advanced internal gearing, our sleek, modern-looking bikes deliver an incredibly smooth ride, effortless shifting and exhilarating performance - without the greasy mess of chains.

So whether you are looking for a bicycle for tough mountain trails, bike tours, daily commutes or leisurely rides along boardwalks or bike paths, we will get you there in style. Hop on and you'll know why we say... Love Your Ride.

7 Types Of People Who’ll Love Chainless Bicycles

Weekend Warriors
The high performance, smooth shifting, low maintenance gearing and rugged, fully enclosed shaft drive on our Outback and Switchback mountain bikes means more time on the mountain and less in the repair shop. Get up, down and around the mountain in style and confidence.

Recreational Riders
When you finally make time for yourself, you’ll appreciate the comfort and smoothness of our recreational mountain or hybrid bikes. Whether you’re off on a bicycle tour or exploring nearby trails, our plush saddles, seamless shifting, and worry-free riding will help you leave all your troubles behind.

Commuters
With our sleek, modern looking chainless bicycles, you’ll not only arrive at work in style, you’ll do it without grease on hands or clothes, without tearing your pants, or having to wear special riding garb. Plus, our fully-enclosed gearing and shaft drive are weather resistant, so you can ride in any weather.

Students
Our shaft drive bikes are the perfect blend of ruggedness and style. The fully enclosed chainless design is clean enough to keep in a dorm room, tough enough to live in a frat house, easy enough to be maintained by yourself, and weather resistant for year-round use.

Police Bike Patrol Officers
Our Police mountain bikes have all the right stuff. With their tough alloy shaft drive and fully-enclosed gears, our bikes are the most rugged bikes for the job. They also deliver excellent performance, smoother shifting and less maintenance – all without getting grease on your uniform. You won’t find a more enjoyable way to go through your work day.

Bike Rental Shop Owners
Our durable and ultra-low maintenance chainless bikes can significantly reduce the cost to maintain a fleet of rental bikes, while giving your customers the smoothest, cleanest ride they will ever have. In addition, our weather resistant, fully-enclosed shaft drive and gearing means our bike are protected from sand, water, salt, dirt and grime.

Patients Recovering from Surgery
Bicycle riding is consistently one of the most recommended forms of post-operative physical therapy and rehabilitation. Cycling is great cardiovascular, but it is extremely low impact on joints. The super smooth pedaling and shifting of our bicycles make them ideal for regaining strength and building muscle in the leg, knee and hip areas.

Top 10 Reasons Shaft Drive Bikes Are Better

1. Smarter Gearing
Our chainless bikes provide incredible gear range without greasy spokes, chains and derailleurs. By combining Dynamic Bicycles’ innovative shaft drive with Shimano’s advanced internal gearing, our bikes deliver a full-range of gears to tackle any terrain – from city streets to tough mountain trails.

2. Less Maintenance
Our shaft drive bikes are designed to be easier to maintain. The Shimano Nexus hubs are specially designed for low maintenance, and the fully enclosed shaft drive system keeps the gears and shaft drive protected from the elements and from crash damage, dramatically reducing the frequency of tune-ups and repairs required by chain-derailleur bikes.

3. Safer
With our chainless bikes, all moving parts are fully enclosed and won’t tear clothes or cause injuries. Unlike chain-driven bikes that have sharp teeth on the spokes, as well as chains and derailleurs to get clothes caught on, shaft drives are worry-free.

4. More Durable
All the mechanical components of the shaft drive and internal gearing are fully enclosed and protected from rain, dirt, mud, salt air and road grime. In addition, unlike chains and derailleurs that are fully exposed, the rugged construction of the shaft drive can withstand impacts that would cripple chain bikes.

5. Cleaner
Because the shaft drive and gears are fully enclosed, there is no grease to end up on your hands and clothes. This makes chainless bicycles more practical and convenient to ride with any type of clothing.

6. Always in the Right Gear
With our chainless bikes, shifting is independent of pedaling, so you do not need to be pedaling to change gears. This means you can switch gears at any time – even at a complete stop – making it easy to always start in the best gear for the terrain. In addition, our grip shift provides a gear indicator that clearly displays what gear you are in at all times; no more looking down at your gears to see where the chain is.

7. Faster Gear Transitions
By combining our shaft drive with Shimano’s internal gearing, we’ve optimized the gearing to match rider needs. Its wide gear spectrum and responsive grip shift mean fewer gear changes to keep you in an optimal gear on any terrain.

8. Easier to Transport
Because our chainless bicycles have no greasy chain, dangerously sharp spokes or delicate derailleurs, they are far easier to load on and off vehicles for transport. No more greasy palms, greasy wrists, cuts or scrapes just trying to load or unload your bicycle on your car, boat or RV.

9. Looks Great
With their sleek, modern design, shaft drives update and streamline the look of the bicycle. Yet beneath this attractive exterior is a reliable drive system that performs as great as it looks.

10. Quieter and More Efficient
Dynamic Bicycles shaft drive bikes eliminate derailleur and chain noises for a smooth, quiet ride. Our bikes are also easier to pedal and yield better results from each pedal turn. With 98% to 99% efficiency, our shaft drives bikes perform more consistently than chain and derailleur bikes that range in efficiency from 75% for poorly tuned systems up to 97% for perfectly tuned systems.

Shaft Drive Versus Chain

Shaft Drive Bikes vs. Chain-Derailleur Bikes

Features Dynamic Bicycles

Shaft Drive Bikes Chain-Derailleur Bikes

Frame construction Aluminum Alloy Aluminum Alloy

Gear Components Shimano Nexus Shimano, SRAM

Gear Movement and Pedal Motion Smooth/continuous Rough/discontinuous

Maintenance Low - No chain or derailleur to align or adjust
High - Requires regular adjustment and alignment

Durability Highly durable aluminum components Fully exposed derailleur and chainwheel system

Resilience to Elements Fully internal gearing sealed and protected from rain, salt, dirt, debris and falls External gearing adversely affected by rain, dirt and debris, and easily misaligned by improper handling or falls

Ground Clearance
(to drive system parts) 13+ inches to shaft drive
~ 8 inches to derailleur, chain and sprocket

Safety Gears fully enclosed in shaft-drive, nothing to catch on clothing; no more "chain bite" Chain and/or derailleur can tear clothing and cut hands

Efficiency 99% efficient 75% - 98% efficient

Gear Range 8-speed = range of 20 gears
7-speed = range of 17 gears
3-speed = range of 12 gears 21-gear or 24-gear

Noise Low / High

Ease of Handling & Transport Easy - no grease Dirty and greasy chain; sharp spokes

Q: What are the advantages of shaft drive bicycles over chain bicycles?
A: Easier to operate: Simple twist grip shift is convenient, responsive and operates independent of pedaling so you can shift gears anytime, even at a complete stop.
Safer: No chain to fall off; no chain bite on clothing.
Cleaner: Axles and gears are fully enclosed - no grease/oil exposure to get on hands or clothing.
Lower maintenance: Fully enclosed, durable bevel gears are protected from impacts, debris and the elements.
Smoother ride: Fluid shifting and mesh gearing combine to create smoother pedaling and shifting.
Easier to transport: Easy loading and unloading without getting chain grease on hands and clothes.
Lower cost of ownership: Increased durability and drastically decreased maintenance schedule means fewer service and repair costs.

Also see Top 10 Reasons Shaft Drive Bicycles are Better

Q: Where are the gears?
A: We use Shimano's advanced Nexus internal gear technology. The gears are all neatly tucked away inside the rear wheel axle, or "hub", and controlled by a twist grip shift or tap shift located on the right handlebar grip. These types of internal gears are called hubs.

Q: How many speeds can the bicycle have?
A: Dynamic Bicycles uses only the highest quality Shimano Nexus 8-speed and 7-speed internal gear hub technology. However, don't let the number of speeds mislead you. With Shimano internal hubs, our bikes provide bigger "steps" between the gears, so a single gear change on our bike is like changing 2-3 gears on a chain bike. In turn, our 8-speed bikes provide the same gear range as 20 gears on a chain bike, and our 7-speed bikes offer the range of 17 gears, giving you a very wide range of gearing for climbing hills or cruising streets without all the messy, noisy, clumsy enternal gear components. In essence, internal hubs just eliminate all the duplicate, unused gears inherent in chain bikes and provide you with much simplified, more consistent and more reliable gearing. These hubs are virtually maintenance free, and are integrated directly with the shaft drive.

Also see 3 Things You Need to Know About Internal Gear Technology

Q. What is the right bike size for me?
A. Dynamic Bicycles come in multiple frame sizes to accommodate riders of different heights. Frame sizes are based on the length of the seat tube – measured from the center of the bottom bracket (where the pedal crank attaches to the bike) to the top of the seat tube. All of the other dimensions of the bike are proportioned based on this measurement, ensuring that the rest of the bike will be properly proportioned for your body size. For more information, see our Bike Sizing Guide.

Q: Can existing bikes be retrofitted with a shaft drive?
A: No. The shaft drive requires a specially designed frame. This frame is engineered with a wider and shorter bottom bracket shell and special dropouts where the shaft drive connects to the rear wheel. All of our bicycle frames were designed specifically for use with the shaft drive, ensuring the highest levels of performance, safety, comfort and durability.

Q: How heavy are your chainless bikes?
A: Our mountain and hybrid/road bikes weigh approximately 31-33 lbs. This is very comparable to recreational chain bikes that average between 28 lbs and 35 lbs. In fact, most people comment how light our chainless bikes feel. This is because the perfect balance of the shaft drive makes the bike feel lighter than it is. In addition, because of the 95% efficiency of the shaft drive, it actually feels lighter while riding than a chain bike because of the increased result achieved from each pedal stroke.

Q. How will the shaft drive effect or enhance riding performance?
A: Testing has shown that the efficiency of our shaft-drive system is about 95% without regular maintenance. According to Dobrovolsk and Others' "Machine Elements Textbook", the peak efficiency of very expensive chain systems ranges from 95% to 97% (chain-rings in same diameter, chain in perfect alignment and chain in permanent ideal tension). However, typical, averagely maintained chain-derailleur bikes range in efficiency from 75% up to 85%. This means that for every pedal stroke, shaft drive bicycles will move you further, more consistently than a typical rusty out of tune chain bike. This translates into more consistent performance without worrying about adjusting chain tension, aligning chains and derailleurs, and meticulously cleaning and lubricating the chains and chain-rings.

Q: Do all the bicycles use the same shaft drive?
A: Dynamic Bicycles shaft drive is available in 3 different fixed gear ratios: Mountain (1.5), Sport (1.8) and Street (2.1). These fixed gear ratios combine with the Shimano internal gear hub to create the final gearing of the bicycle. The lower the fixed gear ratio of the shaft drive, the lower the final gearing. Therefore, the 1.5 gear ratio shaft drive provides the best gearing for steep uphill climbing, while the 2.1 shaft drive is best suited for traveling at higher speeds on flat surfaces. All of our 7-speed bicycles plus our 8-speed mountain bikes are equipped standard with the Sport (1.8) shaft drive; our 8-speed hybrid/road bikes are preconfigured with the Street (2.1) shaft drive.

For complete details on our gear ratios, you can download our Gear Ratio Chart. If you would like to order your bicycle with a different shaft drive than what is preconfigured on your bike, please call us to place your order - we will be happy to make this change at no charge. If you would like to replace the shaft drive on one of our bicycles after you have recceived your bike, you can purchase additional shaft drives directly from us. Replacement of a shaft drive takes approximately 30 minutes.

Q: What maintenance is required for the shaft drive and internal gears?
A: The shaft drive is virtually maintenance free and can be done at home. It only requires grease added to the front and rear gearboxes every 6-12 months depending on usage. Grease is added to the front gearbox through a special hole provided on the underside of the gearbox. Grease is added to the rear gearbox simply by removing the rear plastic gearbox cover. Recommended grease type is gear grease used to pack bearings and lubricate gears or joints. This type of grease can be found at any bicycle shop. The Shimano internal gear hub is lifetime lubricated and sealed. It requires periodic inspection, typically every 1-3 years depending on usage, and can be adjusted at home without tools.

Q: How are Dynamic Bicycles guaranteed?
A: Dynamic Bicycles come with our 100% satisfaction guarantee. If for any reason within the first 30 days you own the bike, if you are not satisfied and we are not able to address your concern, you can return the bicycle for a complete refund minus shipping charges. In addition, we warranty the shaft drive for 2 years, the frame for 5 years, the rear hub for 2 years, and all other parts for 1 year.

Q: How durable is the shaft drive?
A. Our shaft drive is made of the highest grade components, and has been independently tested for strength and durability. The shaft drive housing is made of aluminum alloy, the bevel gears are made of chromoly - a metal matrix that is harder than steel, and the shaft drive is a steel rod attached at both ends to high quality sealed bearing rings. The shaft drive has been tested at over 1000 lbs./in of torque – more than 4 times the pressure exerted by an average rider under normal conditions. The shaft drive is also resilient to impacts, and its sealed design makes it weather resistant for all-season use and better protected from adverse conditions such as sand, dirt, water, salt and grime.

Q: How does Dynamic Bicycles package and ship its bikes?
A. When you receive the bicycle, it is 90% assembled in its shipping carton. All you need to do is attach the front wheel, handlebar, seat, pedals, and any accessories. Average assembly takes less than 30 minutes. Dynamic Bicycles ships all of its bicycles by FedEx Ground. All shipments are insured and require a signature confirmation for delivery. Shipping times within the continental US are between 2 and 5 days. The package weighs approximately 33 pounds and measures 54"L x 8.7" W x 29" H.

How do you operate an internal gear hub?
A: Our bikes are infinitely easier to operate than chain bikes. Our internal gear hubs are controlled using a twist grip shift located between your right thumb and forefinger so gear changes are fast and smooth. Internal gear hubs are designed to require fewer gears to cover a wide range of gearing. For instance, each gear change on our bike is like changing 2-3 gears on a chain bike - so you can transition quickly from hill climbing to cruising with a quick twist of the wrist. These twist grips also feature a gear indicator that tells you what gear you are in at all times. In addition, with the internal gear technology, the gearing is independent of pedaling. So unlike chain bikes that require you to pedal through a gear change, you can change gears on our shaft drive bike any time, even at a complete stop; so you are always in the right gear for any situation.

Where are the gears?
A: Internal gear hubs are an advanced gearing technology, whereby all the gears are fully enclosed within the rear axle of the bike. So unlike chain bikes that have fully exposed (external) sprockets and derailleurs, internal gears compress all of this gearing into a compact, highly efficient cylindrical component (hub) inside the rear axle. This internal gear hub integrates seamlessly with our shaft drive to create incredibly efficient shifting and smooth speed changes. Shimano’s internal gear hubs are designed to require very little maintenance and are sealed to safely protect them from dirt, debris and damage.

Dynamic Bicycles shaft drive bikes feature the Shimano Nexus family of advanced internal gear hubs. These are the world’s best performing and most reliable family of internal gearing. Here are 3 Things You Need to Know About Internal Gear Technology: