That "drivetrain damper" effect is the whole key. It would even be beneficial even with a low engagement hub, reducing kickback on those 50% of hits where the freehub is only going to allow less than half of the indicated degrees of engagement, thus adding back some of the consistency removed by low engagement.
And I'd say O-chain is the riper low-hanging fruit, since it comes with less drawbacks than a low-engagement hub:
* Never requires a new wheel: some hubs can't change engagement, or can't go beyond a certain POE if higher engagement is wanted.
* Actually reduces the amplitude of all kickback, from maximum to average. As opposed to low-engagement just reducing the likelihood of big kickback, while leaving the maximum kickback where it is.
* The damping effect applies to pedaling as well as kickback. so you don't end up ever slamming into the pawls/ratchets as hard, extending the life of your hub.
Also, the Norco Range doesn't shorten the driven-chain-length: the idler is concentric with the single pivot that locates the rear axle, giving a fixed driven-chain-length. That is why it "theoretically" has zero pedal kickback. Along with zero of the "pedal kick-forward" (suspension movement would allow the pedals to be rotated forward without driving the wheel) that would happen with a shortening driven-chain-length. A shortening as described would also provide anti-squat approaching, or even less than, zero (pro-squat, per se), which is probably not ideal.
March 20, 2023, 1:25 p.m. - Justin White
That "drivetrain damper" effect is the whole key. It would even be beneficial even with a low engagement hub, reducing kickback on those 50% of hits where the freehub is only going to allow less than half of the indicated degrees of engagement, thus adding back some of the consistency removed by low engagement. And I'd say O-chain is the riper low-hanging fruit, since it comes with less drawbacks than a low-engagement hub: * Never requires a new wheel: some hubs can't change engagement, or can't go beyond a certain POE if higher engagement is wanted. * Actually reduces the amplitude of all kickback, from maximum to average. As opposed to low-engagement just reducing the likelihood of big kickback, while leaving the maximum kickback where it is. * The damping effect applies to pedaling as well as kickback. so you don't end up ever slamming into the pawls/ratchets as hard, extending the life of your hub. Also, the Norco Range doesn't shorten the driven-chain-length: the idler is concentric with the single pivot that locates the rear axle, giving a fixed driven-chain-length. That is why it "theoretically" has zero pedal kickback. Along with zero of the "pedal kick-forward" (suspension movement would allow the pedals to be rotated forward without driving the wheel) that would happen with a shortening driven-chain-length. A shortening as described would also provide anti-squat approaching, or even less than, zero (pro-squat, per se), which is probably not ideal.