Fox Factory Awarded Gearbox Patent

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New tech is cute and gimmicky.

That is until the big dogs (or foxes) start paying attention.

Fox Factory is looking to cash in on the gearbox mania with a newly awarded patent. While the filing doesn’t reveal exactly how many gears it will have, but it does highlight a crucial feature: shifting under load.

If you’ve ever ridden a gearbox bike, you know shifting under heavy pedaling force is a weak spot. Most current systems, like Pinion’s, will cancel a shift attempt if they detect too much load to avoid damaging internal pawls (tiny engagement teeth inside the gearbox).

USPTO

The patent describes a shifting mechanism where the pawls have “shift rings” that put them in a neutral or disengaged state under load. Translation: smoother shifting, even when you’re cranking up a climb or sprinting out of a berm.

🙋‍♂️ RECON’s Take

If Fox Factory can bring its ingenuity to solve the shifting-under-load issue without adding a ton of weight or complexity, it might be the momentum needed to push gearbox tech into the mainstream.