TLDR: Saw an interesting front gear hub on Kickstarter and thought other in-gear hub riders would be interested in it.
I'm currently building a belt drive bike with an Alfine 8 in-gear hub. One of the frequent comments I came across in my research (including this subreddit) was that riders didn't favor the limited low gears while staying within manufacturer specifications (don't go below 2:1).
Then Facebook targeted ads kind of delivered me a relevant one with a Kickstarter project.
EDIT: Kickstarter links are a no-no. Just look up Contavelo Easy Ride.
The "Easy Ride" was clearly made for Bromptons but I see no reason for it to not work with regular bicycles. I guess most people wouldn't really consider this with regular chain bicycles given all of cogs on the market. However, for the belt drive market, choices are fairly limited. Getting a Rohloff or Pinion would be nice but, they're rather pricey.
This YouTube video gives a decent demonstration: Level Up Your Small-Wheel Bicycle with Contavelo Easy Ride
That's not to say this Kickstarter product is cheap either. Lowest option at time of writing is $260 USD. But it could be affordable enough for riders who are not satisfied with their current in-gear hub. It's a 1x to 0.75x multiplier though so don't expect for the low gears on an Alfine 8 to match a Rohloff or Pinion. Efficiency is unknown so it might be better to wait for reviews.
I might try backing the Kickstarter (know the risks before backing a project) since it's interesting. But I should really finish building my bike and riding it before considering this.
by BeefJerkyHunter