A CVT Automatic Gearbox On A Bicycle?!?

India’s first “automatic cruiser bike” is running enviolo’s patented CVP (Continuously Variable Planetary) hub

Firefox Cycles, Hero Cycles’ premium bicycle brand, has just launched the Infinity 700C in India for Rs 25,599, with the unique feature of a continuously variable transmission – the first for any bicycle in India. CVTs are usually found in automatic scooters and are a super rarity even in the motorcycle world. The Infinity 700c achieves this by using enviolo’s patented Continuously Variable Planetary (CVP) hub. In fact, Firefox has got the exclusive rights to use enviolo’s CVP hubs in India.

The CVP acts like a regular continuously variable transmission, which automatically adjusts the drive ratios depending on pedaling load and speed. So cyclists can just focus on pedaling rather than changing gears to match the needs of the terrain. The CVP hub will shift to a lower ratio when you slow down, and keeps shifting to higher ratios as you build up speed. This should make the Infinity 700C a breeze to ride in stop-and-go traffic (a bane for cyclists everywhere) as well as hilly roads.

How enviolo’s CVP works is very interesting. It uses a set of planets (metal balls) sandwiched between an input ring (driven by the pedals) and an output ring (which drives the rear wheel). Transferring power from the input ring to the planets to the output ring is a special oil which, under the compressive load between the planets and rings, becomes almost like a solid. This ensures lossless transmission of power without any wear and tear of any of the hub’s internals. By tilting the planets on their horizontal axis, it changes the amount of the planets’ surface in contact with each ring, thereby changing the drive ratio.

The Infinity 700C also comes with dual wall alloy rims with hybrid tyres, as well as Jak-7 wired disc brakes at both ends, which should make this bicycle great for city commuting. And for added peace of mind, Firefox is also offering a two-year warranty on this CVP hub.