12 Speed Bike with Pinion Gearbox | PRIORITY 600

What do you think about an automotive-style gearbox on your commuter bike? Pinion is a german gearbox manufacturer making wide range gear systems that run without a derailleur and Priority Bicycles has put one on their Priority 600. Pretty sweet way to commute with 12-speeds and 600% gear range.

Let me know what you think in the comments below & Don't forget to subscribe!!!

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The Gear I use:
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00:00 Introduction
00:36 Priority 600 Review
01:48 Pinion C1.12 Gearbox
02:47 How the Pinion Gearbox Works
03:47 Lights and Dynamo Hub
04:35 Gravel & Multi Purpose Tires
05:07 Riding Impressions
06:21 Priority 600 Weight

This bike uses an Automotive Gear Box
They put an Automotive Gear Box on a Bicycle???
An Automotive Gear Box on a Bicycle???

DISCLAIMER: This video description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. I work within the cycling industry, and the views are not representative of the views of my employer. Jamesthebikeguy videos are produced outside of employment obligations and are made of my own volition unless otherwise stated.

[mitmon_]

I bought my Priority 600 3 years ago and have been so happy with it, for what it is. I've been commuting to work year round in the Midwest for the past couple decades. I started out as a road racer guy, so that's what I rode. My commuter eventually became a cyclocross bike, then a trial between a Trek 920 and a Surly Ogre. The one thing that frustrated me the most was having to maintain a drivetrain through all kinds of weather when all I wanted to do was get to and from work throughout the year. I usually don't let salesmen get to me, but damn if that Van Duzer guy's energy isn't infectious. He had a video about this bike 3 years ago and I ordered it within that week. I couldn't help it. The scene where his drivetrain area was packed with ice and snow on one ride, then the bike worked completely fine the next ride is mainly what sold me.
The switch to a maintenance free drivetrain has me seriously considering selling my gravel bike (the only other bike I really ride) and just living with the extra 15 pounds of the 600. I'm a pretty strong rider, and if I lost 15 pounds off of myself, which I need to do anyway, that could make up for it.

[cranfieldmcfierson]

for me, it was cheaper than a second car. i bike 7 miles every single day. i love it, weight means nothing to me as i put panniers on and carry a lot. but i still hit 23mph with panniers on for one of my mile splits on a flat straightaway. on the weekends i hit the mountain with my son. best bike i ever owned.

[cranfieldmcfierson]

i love the 600. my daily commuter. it was cheaper than a car. i take it off road quite a bit because i have a son who sees roads as a waste of time when we can just go through the woods and fields on our bikes. 600 is unstoppable.

[supremeflagship]

The inability to shift this gearbox under load is very similar to manual transmissions that you find in a car. In a stick car you need to push the clutch pedal (in a Pinion gearbox bicycle - stop pedaling), shift, then release the clutch pedal (in a Pinion gearbox bicycle - start pedaling).

[Deerpoo]

Great review man. I have the 600x. Something to keep in mind is the pinion gets much better as it gets broken in. It becomes very smooth and easy to shift even under light pedaling load, you'll stop feeling the gears meshing together as they smooth out, and drag noticably improves.
I can't imagine EVER going back to chain and derailleur

[Deerpoo]

Got the 600x and I love it. Any efficiency loss in the pinion is effortlessly made up with zero maintenance and reliability. I'd love to get a Zeroed pinion bike someday.
Great review buddy

[outbackwack]

Ryan Van Duzer is an ambassador for Priority and the Pinion system :-)

[williamwhalen]

I own the Priority Apollo 11. It is basically an 11 speed, using the Shimano Alfine rear hub. Thanks for the review.

[michaelkingsbury]

I luv my 600. Got it for 2200 to the assembler, Black Friday Sale. Score!Much lighter than my Breezer Uptown 8. Great balance with hhe low center of gravity due to the Pinion drive. The steep fork angle does make it a little twitchy.

[arghjayem]

Priority also do the Apollo, which has an internal hub gearbox on the rear wheel with an 11 gear setup. So it’s not just 3 or 6 speed internal hub gearboxes.

[chrisdavis]

Thanks for another amazing video. Seems like most of the videos about Priority bikes are made by folks who have some sort of relationship to the company. That makes your video especially helpful.

So, I had a Priority Onyx Continum (sp) until it got hit by a car and the frame cracked. I loved the way the enviolo hub changed my riding style from "mashing" to "spinning". Likewise, enjoyed great peace of mind that I could commute in rain and snow with absolute confidence that I wasn't shortening the lifespan of my drive train. I think it is really cool that riding in a light rain shower basically cleans the belt drive and makes it last longer. However, it was just so heavy and undergeared - especially when loaded down with two panniers full of groceries - that it really wasn't fun to ride in general. The combination of terrain, gearing, and fitness is individually unique, but I just didn't have the low gears that I would have liked on hills and I often ran out of gears on moderate declines.

Still, getting the 600 is tempting. Just not sure about dragging a 35 pound bike up hills with a load of groceries on the back. In theory, the 600 would have the low, low gears to spin up pretty much any hill without discomfort. Speaking only for myself, spending two grand on a commuter bike is a non-trivial commitment.

How was your experience in hill climbing with bike? Could you also try out the Onyx Continuum at some point? Other than the gear range and weight, I would buy another one in a minute.

[CDNFF]

Attn: Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders. I just bought this bike in Canada about a month ago and by the time I was done paying the exchange rate, duties and taxes this bike was almost $4000 Canadian, which is close to what you would pay in Australia or New Zealand. It is a nice bike but I just want you to have all the facts. I was kind of shocked when I was done paying all the fees, it came to about $800 more than I thought I was going to pay for it. Here is hoping the pinion belt drive lasts me for the next 10-15 years, I am expecting BIG things from this bike considering the premium I paid for it here in Canada.

[horsepastedelish]

As a bike commuter I look forward to this tech evolving and getting lighter and cheaper. One thing they can do immediately is get rid of half the gears. From 12 to 6 with the same range would still be considered a luxury. The average commuter does not care about fine tuning their cadence.

[UltrafiAV]

September 2022: I was curious about this bike so I ordered one. It was on sale for $2299 USD. I live in Vancouver, Canada, so the conversion to Canadian dollars put it at $3180.87.
Then add $150 USD ($207.53 CDN) for air freight to my door. Then the FedEX guy handed me a bill for $731.34 Canadian (529.35 USD) for import duties and taxes. Then add another $58.15 USD ($80.85 CDN) for my LBS to tune the wheels and adjust the brakes. So... to get this bike to me in Canada, and have it ready to ride, cost me $3, 036.74 USD ($4200.59 CDN).

Is it worth it? Short answer... no. Will I keep it? Undecided at the moment.

If I send it back to Priority I have to eat all of the import taxes and air freight: about $830 USD ($1147 CDN). That's one VERY EXPENSIVE TEST RIDE!

BOTTOM LINE: Never buy a bike without test riding it first.

[ninone]

No crashies, no flatties, no whammies.

[stevemullin]

I’m looking at the 600 and 600x as my new bike touring bike. Most touring will be on roads. I do need a front rack for my panniers.

[nassozeebo]

Is the rack supposed to lean back like that? Looks odd.

[GegoXaren]

I find it odd that bikes are sold with lean-on kickstands, instead of -push-under, MC-style- double legged kickstands.

I switched to that kind of stand and it saves so much space.

[vegasvampire]

Beautiful bike! It looks awesome.
But the 35.5 lb. weight and the $2500 price tag kills it for me.

[mrvapor]

I think the C model Pinion is made with a Magnesium plate