Comments on: Cannondale Jackknife at Fiets Rai

By: da bishop

da bishop — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:28:00 +0000

the rear end has been developed into the cannondale “on-bike” which has a conventional chain.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:51:00 +0000

In regards to the hydraulic drive system… industry term is hydrostatic drivetrain… it’s been used in several areas in heavy industries.

By: raymond

raymond — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 07:56:00 +0000

if a lefty chaindrive is possible even if its a single speed…i think it will sell…very nice bike..congratulations for job well done…

rocka1bikeshop

By: James

James — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:59:00 +0000

Thanks for the comment Torgny. As I have said in past posts, I admire Cannondale’s willingnesses to take some design risks, not just with concept bikes, but also with a few products on the market. It is great that you are sponsoring student design contests as well. The relationship is good for the students and good for Cannondale. Keep up the great work.

By: torgny

torgny — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 08:25:00 +0000

Hi Brad and James, the Jackknife is a concept bike designed by students Philippe Holthuizen and Rodrigo Clavel (Elisva Design School, Barcelona). The brief was to explore what an urban bike could look like 8-10 years from now, so like many concept cars, it incorporates technology that is not production ready, like the hydraulic drive-train. The main thing for us was to come up with fresh ideas that can inspire future Cannondale designs, and the best way of achieving that is to let designers use their imagination. Best regards, Torgny Fjeldskaar, Director of Industrial Design, Cannondale Bicycle Corp.

By: James

James — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 17:40:00 +0000

Brad, I don’t know for sure, but I assume that this is a non-functioning prototype. This seems to be a “blue sky” concept that would rely on near future technology to work. Not that hydraulic drivetrain systems don’t exist, they are just not ready for production. As one of the bike’s designers suggested in a comment, google “liquid drive” to get more information.

By: Brad

Brad — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 18:49:00 +0000

So is the driveline actually functional? I ask because it was designed to have a “hydraulic drive system” or something similiar, but I wasn’t sure if it was just fancy design lingo for “we didn’t want to clutter up the design with something so messy as a chain.” Basically, is it rideable?