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Sure, but folks were suggesting that bikes might not use a belt if it weren't for the Gates prize. Zerode, as an example, was using them 4 years before Gates offered up the prize, so clearly, not the driver for them. As mentioned a few times before, I think GBs and belt drives are an interesting solution for gravity sports. Unclear, in my mind at least, if they are definitively better than conventional drive systems, even in that area. It's pretty tough to decipher all of the politics and contractual obligations that might prevent some of the winningest DH teams...

The prize is for the belt, not the gearbox. It just happens you need a gearbox if you want to run a belt.

Wasn't Zerode using GBs years before the Gates prize showed up.

That $100k was also for the rider not the team wasn't it?

I too am a left foot forward guy. I have had pretty good luck over the years with derailleurs and hangers. If all of a sudden, they were gone, a whole new world of line choices would open up for me. I think I have always given an extra bit of caution to that side of the bike. Also, would not mind the improved rear suspension feel without that additional weight back there. Color me gearbox curious for sure.

I ride left foot forward and I’ve gone through plenty of derailleur hangers.

Is 100k actually a carrot? Hardware development is expensive, I'm certain Atherton didn't developed their gearbox bike for less than 100k. I feel like riding a winning platform is more valuable than the prize money.

It is always interesting to see what companies are willing to patent. Sometimes they reveal new, out-of-the-box thinking for an innovative approach to solving an old problem. A lot of times they are just to make sure no one else can make money off an idea without paying them royalties, particularly useful if there are tough aspects of the problem that you don't know how to resolve. Someone else solves those bits, and pays you royalties for any art covered in your patent. I'm curious if anyone has tracked the number of Sram and Shimano patents that have resulted in...