Ryan Cousineau wrote in message ...

[massive snip]

That's just the trick. Chain is so good, it defeats all other options.
You use belts or enclosures if the filth bothers you, but that's it.
Maybe some recumbents would benefit from a long, stiff shaft drive,
given their ludicrous chain issues.

Dear Ryan,

I love ludicrous issues.

I occasionally see recumbents wobbling along on
my local bicycle path, but have never inspected
a dead one's anatomy--possibly there is a secret
recumbent graveyard.

Is the length of the chain-run a problem? That is,
are longer chains less efficient, harder to shift,
more prone to wear?

Or is it the peculiar arrangements rather than the
mere length?

Are recumbent chain problems worse than tandem chain
problems?

Any concrete answers or even wild speculation will
be appreciated, since I'd hate to shoot such rare
creatures just to dissect their chain anatomies.
I can recall only a single tandem sighting in fifteen
years and fear that they may be extinct in these parts.

J.J. Audubon