Ellsworth The Ride, the first bike with CVT transmission

CVT stands short for Continuously Variable Planetary Transmission, a type of transmission designer for bikes and small vehicles. It is used for the first time on a bike, called The Ride, manufactured by Ellsworth.

The Ride is "the Bike", not a bike

CVT has designed in concept in 1490 by Leonardo Da Vinci, and is a system that uses small rotating spheres to vary the speed ratio smoother than a standard bike chain or gear system. The Ride comes in two versions: normal and Signature Series. They have in common a light aluminum frame, aluminum front forks, NuVinci CVP drive train and Chain Drive. Signature series will be manufactured in only 500 pieces, has some carbon fiber components, a quiet belt drive, a headlight and is numbered and signed by Tony Ellsworth and Don Miller (the inventor of NuVinci CVP, the transmission that uses Da Vinci’s principles of CVT).

How a CVT transmission works

The price is out of this world, at 2995 $ for the normal version and 3995 $ for Signature Series. It’s definitely an interesting product, but it’s success doesn’t come just to design, it must be sustained by a more earthly price.

Product page (via ELEKTRO-PLANKTON)