Zerode's Rob Metz shows off the first production samples of his new carbon gearbox trail/enduro bike called the Taniwha. The Taniwha features a Pinion gearbox and more traditional "faux bar" suspension design. The bike has a 65-degree head angle, gets about 160mm of travel with reach for the large at 445mm and the medium at 420mm. He's hoping the bikes will be available for purchase in about three months, starting with medium and large sizes and an XL coming in the near future. We like it!
Photos and story by Sven Martin
maximumradness
3/12/2016 4:32 PM
This bike is the hyphy shit!
Seriously, can we all just accept that it is about time for a new battle: the 12-18 speed wars are here, and bikes like this will bring the heat!!!! Yeah, a higher pivot/trigger/lack of pulley thingy-- would have been rad. but I'll take any step towards the future at this point.
When zerode wins: we all win.
Roots_rider
3/9/2016 10:33 AM
Primoz
3/9/2016 11:11 AM
The cranks would have to be custom since the mounting points on the axle are further appart on the pinion than on normal bottom brackets if I see correctly. Also, the axle is not mounted to one of the cranks with the pinion.
As for electric shifting, that would be possible, but there's little point in developing a system with such a small potential customer base.
Roots_rider
3/10/2016 12:09 PM
With the RF arms being removable from the spindle I feel like pinion could pretty easily machine a spindle that had the RF spec for just the arms. Would knock off a fair bit of weight for all the people that complain about the gearbox weight.
Di2 would just be the icing, haha. Simplify the shifter setup a bit.
I would love to see the industry move this direction, get that shit off the rear wheel. It's going to come down to which of the "big 2" is willing to play. Seeing as you'd be killing off a huge part of the market by doing away with deraileurs and cassettes...
Primoz
3/10/2016 9:48 PM
Even though the axle might be removable, that tells you nothing whether the resulting Q-factor would be correct or not. It's not necessarily as simple as machining a new axle.
As i've said, Pinion's cranks look fairly flat compared to standard 73 mm cranks: http://pinion.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/13-kurbel.jpg
Dave_Camp
3/9/2016 3:13 PM
Headshot
3/9/2016 2:24 AM
euan.brownlie
3/9/2016 12:24 AM
big bear
3/8/2016 10:18 PM
Kidnotorius
3/8/2016 11:35 PM
Primoz
3/9/2016 1:29 AM
So you're going to press the left and release the right shifter (or vice versa) at the same time? Where are you going to find a 12 speed right hand side shifter with the correct cable pull? A better question, what about the left shifter with 12 speeds?
The reason for two cables is that the mechanism is actuated (by the cable) in both directions. Standard derailleurs use springs for the return action.
If i wanted a trigger shifter (and i would want one, if i had a Pinion), i'd take the upcoming Sram 12 spd shifter, take the cable from it into a black box and route the two pinion cables out of the box. inside the box would be a simple rotary 'gearbox', adjusting the cable pull ratio between the input and the output (the input and the output would just be fitted to different diameters, simple stuff), which would also be spring actuated, to pull both sides of Pinion's cable.
The simplest solution would be to just incorporate a torsional spring into Pinion's gearbox itself (by Pinion of course).
aurech
3/9/2016 9:48 AM
Solution for Effigear is like that: on one side there is a traction spring, on the other side, SRAM trigger with 9 speed. So that's possible
Primoz
3/9/2016 11:12 AM
One side, other side? Traction spring?
The 9 speed pinion has the gears spaced zoo far appart I think. You need the 12spd.
csermonet
3/9/2016 5:13 PM
Colin McCarthy
3/8/2016 5:01 PM
ianjenn
3/8/2016 6:05 PM
bturman
3/8/2016 3:34 PM
Heck yes.
Awesome to see wide bearing/axle spacing on the main pivot. ISCG tabs and dual ring setups have held that area back for far too long.
Primoz
3/8/2016 11:36 AM
chasejj
3/8/2016 10:32 AM
YoYo
3/8/2016 1:35 PM
hissijono
3/8/2016 1:48 PM
MrPlow
3/9/2016 4:10 AM
There is rumours of a high pivot carbon enduro bike releasing this year
Primoz
3/9/2016 6:40 AM
Arbr?
http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/Prototype-Carbon-Enduro-Bike-from-the-UK-Arbr-Saker,9483/Prototype-Carbon-Enduro-Bike-from-the-UK-Arbr-Saker,98821/sspomer,2
Colin McCarthy
3/9/2016 12:16 PM
MrPlow
3/9/2016 10:54 PM
Although they played with the idea Zelvy will never release a bike Colin.
There is another company in Aus working on a high pivot enduro and gearbox DH bike though I hear.
bradleyjreece
3/8/2016 10:54 PM
Primoz
3/8/2016 10:24 AM
I was expecting a high pivot bike as a Zerode should be. I'm slightly disappointed by this :/

EDIT: i understand that this probably caters to the masses, which should mean more frames sold and more money in the bank. Which is a good thing for any company, even more so for one like Zerode. But still, high pivot?
norbar
3/8/2016 1:28 PM
tristan.henry
3/8/2016 9:08 AM
aurech
3/9/2016 12:53 AM
Primoz
3/9/2016 1:30 AM
Maybe he meant the first of many Zerodes? Or the first of many carbon enduro gearbox bikes?
exploder
3/8/2016 8:12 AM
sspomer
3/8/2016 8:44 AM
sspomer
3/8/2016 9:38 AM
kperras
3/8/2016 10:09 AM
antgreen
3/8/2016 12:07 PM
Dave_Camp
3/8/2016 12:16 PM
Straight from Pinion's website: http://pinion.eu/en/p1-12-gearbox/
WEIGHTS
Gearbox 3 2350,0 g
Rotary shifter 95,0 g
Crank arms „CNC“ 175 mm 4 434,5 g
Crank arms „Forged“ 175 mm 4 481,5 g
Chain tensioner (Federstärke: 2,5 mm) 5 122,0 g
Chain ring 30t 51,0 g
Chain ring 24t 37,5 g
Gearbox Spider 104 mm 40,0 g
Rear sprocket 26t 37,5 g
Rear sprocket 21t 29,0 g
So gearbox is 5.1 lbs by itself. I think you could take a 'normal' carbon bike build, add 4 lbs and be pretty close to the total weight.
antgreen
3/8/2016 12:26 PM
brook.mitchell.7
3/9/2016 7:15 AM
Using those numbers the gearbox and related components would be roughly 1.75kg heavier than an XX1 groupset,http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/news/article/sram-gx-groupset-first-look-43941/
So with a light build other other than the drivetrain it should easily come in at 30 pounds. My current Reign 1 with not a single piece of carbon and an x1/x01 groupset is 30 pounds and I could take 1.75kg out of that easily enough with some carbon bits etc.
YoYo
3/8/2016 1:39 PM
Big Bird
3/8/2016 7:36 AM