I can probably explain that actually (because 7bicycles has posted about it before coincidentally). I think the title "epicyclic gearing" is a misnomer as that seems to relate to planetary gearboxes which this doesn't appear to me to have.
What's happening here is actually retro-direct gearing, where two opposing freewheels (one engages when you pedal forwards, one when you pedal backwards) are used on two different size sprockets, so that you can have two different gears without any extra complexity like a derailleur. So to start riding you pedal forwards in your lower gear, once you get up to a good speed there, you start pedaling backwards to cruise at higher speeds with the higher gearing (you can set it up the other way around but this seems to be more common)
Just wanna note the more usual way to go on about this was to put the low gear pedalling forward, because it's easier to power down, and then put the high gear on the backwards pedal because that's just for flat cruising and don't matter so much.
I can probably explain that actually (because 7bicycles has posted about it before coincidentally). I think the title "epicyclic gearing" is a misnomer as that seems to relate to planetary gearboxes which this doesn't appear to me to have.
What's happening here is actually retro-direct gearing, where two opposing freewheels (one engages when you pedal forwards, one when you pedal backwards) are used on two different size sprockets, so that you can have two different gears without any extra complexity like a derailleur. So to start riding you pedal forwards in your lower gear, once you get up to a good speed there, you start pedaling backwards to cruise at higher speeds with the higher gearing (you can set it up the other way around but this seems to be more common)
Predates the derailleur actually, just as a note.
Ok I understand the mechanics but I refuse to believe there are sickos out there pedaling backwards, what the fuck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCs_fAilDZI
shit, I love it, it's beaturiful
it's amazing ngl
Just wanna note the more usual way to go on about this was to put the low gear pedalling forward, because it's easier to power down, and then put the high gear on the backwards pedal because that's just for flat cruising and don't matter so much.