Early Driveshaft Bike, 1893

Here is a good way to have multiple speeds on a bike without using a derailleur.  This bike has two gears on either side of the front sprocket, and a driveshaft for each of them.  One driveshaft would be disengaged while the other was engaged. the driveshafts engage bevel gears on the rear wheel.   This might be a little heavy, but should work just fine. 



Other driveshaft drives were patented in 1897 with a transmission and a gear shift knob, and in 1891 with a single drive shaft.  Alexander Pope also patented a driveshaft bike.  Don't visit the Bicycle Technology Section of the Patent Pending blog or you'll spend a lot of time there when you should be working.