Never again in the wrong gear

An e-bike basically consists of a bike, a battery and a motor. But Pinion changed that. With the MGU, the engine gearbox unit, the transmission specialist has introduced a new drive system at Eurobike 2023. Not only the motor but also the circuit is built into it. It should be clear that this does not work with a classic derailleur. Instead, the circuit is like a clutchless transmission. But what’s the use of that?

The wing combines electric motors and gears

The advantages of the new system are numerous. In the future, you can do without a chain and thus without oil and dirty fingers. The cassette, i.e. the gear assembly on the rear wheel, has also been eliminated, thanks to the MGU. What does not exist cannot wear out. The rear wheel is simply released by means of a low-wear belt and is virtually maintenance free.

In addition, the rear end is more tidier and you can save on cables that need to be routed through or into the frame. Rather interesting for sporty off-road drivers: the unsprung mass is significantly reduced due to the centralization of the drive unit and the center of gravity is lower.

Technical data

But what can a black-and-white engine and transmission do? You can choose between a circuit with 9 or 12 gears. It is modified electronically. The integrated motor is powerful at 85Nm and has a maximum output of 600 or 800W, depending on the e-bike class. You can choose from four driving modes to get support.

Aside from the pure hardware advantages, Pinion has added another trick. So when you’re not pedaling, the transmission shifts into the perfect gear to keep you going. This function gear calls preselect. This also works at traffic lights or a short stop with the Start.Select function. So you no longer hit a gear too high when starting or after the launch phase of your bike ride. However, both functions can also be deactivated. Automatic does not turn on. How is it all going?

Try the MGU E1.12 cog

We already had the opportunity to test the new system at Eurobike 2023 in Frankfurt. In the extended E-Fully, you can see that the engine has a balanced power development and convinces with supple pulling power. However, in the somewhat reduced Flex and Flow modes, it wants to be stimulated by muscle power. Non-stop pedaling and full support are only available in flight mode, which constantly kicks you in the back.

However, the system is really powerful when changing. Because the electronic buttons are more reminiscent of a race than a bike. Since there is no need to shift trains, the gearbox reacts instantly and without thumb effort. In addition, the background noise is usually very quiet. Even under load you can’t notice gear changes. Automatic is not so fast. She thinks for a few moments before making the right gear selection and sorting out the gears. But that didn’t bother us on the test flight.

But there was still a small shock moment. If you keep depressing the pedals when you come to a sudden stop at a traffic light, the Pinion MGU turns against the load very loudly. You can feel it in your legs and hear it clearly. However, if you know the circumstances, it is easy to get used to giving free rein as soon as you stand still. Once the downshift is complete, the foot can place weight on the pedal again with no problem.

Conclusion

In 2024, there will also be electric bicycles with (semi) automatic transmissions. This brings at least some odds into place. Automatic gear change is not only useful in city traffic and can ensure smoother cycling. But this can also apply to mountain bikes System Look out for its fans, at least you can save the manhole cover-sized chain rings on the rear wheel and finally get a cleaner look here too.