We last saw Katz Bikes at the Eurobike Outdoor Expo in 2010 when they were showing off their 145mm Alps trail bike. We were immediately drawn in by the concealed drivetrain, but it unfortunately all went south for the Swiss brand from then on. In 2011, they had to shut down as the Euro crisis and ensuing financial problems hit their bottom line hard. The project was shelved, but Holger Katz, the brains behind the brand, kept riding his bike for the next decade and claims he hasn’t had to perform any maintenance on the drivetrain in that time.
Now, Holger has returned with an updated version nearly a decade after his company shut down. Thankfully, he hasn’t abandoned the concept that first inspired him to start making bikes and the concealed drivetrain returns again. The drivetrain uses a Rohloff SpeedHub 500/14 with 14 gears that sits in the rear wheel. This gearbox provides a 526% range, but adds more than 1700 grams to the weight.Under the carbon fiber shell at the bottom bracket is a chainring built by Katz and a standard Shimano 11 speed chain that is tensioned by a ratchet and passes through the chainstay to meet the Rohloff. The final piece of the puzzle is a rubber seal that allows the chainstay to move with the suspension action while keeping contaminants at bay. The protective element of the design is obvious, but other advantages apparently include quicker and cleaner wheel removal, easier bike washing and a totally silent drivetrain thanks to a tensioned chain.
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