The final gear selection and reverse gear designs will be analyzed and finalized further along in the project.

The subsection of drivetrain is responsible for the selection and implementation of components to power the vehicle and provide optimal speed. These design aspects play a key role in the bikes success in both the maneuverability of the bike and its ability to do well at competition. In order to determine the optimal drivetrain configuration components will be selected based upon a cost to weight ratio and range of speeds of the vehicle.

This year the drivetrain design began with three design options, each being analyzed for its application in the final vehicle design. These designs included: internal rear hub, a step up drivetrain, and a step up drivetrain with an integrated reverse gear.

After evaluating each design the team plans to investigate a step up drivetrain with an integrated reverse gear. This design was selected as an internal hub does not provide the efficiency of a standard cassette. As well as the use of a step up gear was found optimal as the gear ratio could be adjusted to provide the optimal gear range during competition. With the selection of a step up gear, a design for an integrated reverse gear was developed. This design allowed for an inclusion of a reverse gear without changing the step up gear configuration.