Source: Cleanrider

LEVA-EU member CIXI’s CEO welcomed Cleanrider to the company’s headquarters in Annecy, France, offering valuable insight into the company, its groundbreaking chainless pedal system, and its plans to elevate active mobility.

The origins of CIXI

Founded in 2015 by CEO Pierre Francis, CIXI has spent nearly a decade in stealth-mode research and development. The company now employs over 100 engineers. Francis entered the field of active mobility after a career in IT and personal services, driven by a mission to get more people exercising as a form of transportation.

“I wanted to develop something in line with a more active lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle is a huge societal problem today. In the past, we used our muscles to get around. Then the car arrived. The paradox is that it opened up geographical horizons while confining people to a sedentary lifestyle,” explains Francis.

CIXI’s Vigoz and the introduction of PERS technology

The company’s journey into active mobility began with the Vigoz, a pedal-powered quadricycle. It was during this project that CIXI developed PERS, its transmission-free pedal system. The technology was later adapted for bicycles, where engineers installed it on a traditional bike frame as a chainless crankset, an innovation the company believes will revolutionise the cycling industry.

While Vigoz remains in development, PERS will be CIXI’s first product to reach market, providing essential funding for ongoing innovation.

Standout features of CIXI’s revolutionary PERS technology

Still in its prototype phase, the PERS system was tested by Cleanrider on both a bicycle and a recumbent trike. The system impressed testers with its performance, including its responsive support, the instant activation of the torque sensor and rear motor from minimal pedal pressure, and its seamless gear-shifting without traditional transmission components.

The regenerative braking system was also highly praised. Its backpedaling function enables riders to activate a motor brake that both slows the bike and partially recharges the battery. On trikes, reverse pedaling adds further maneuverability and enhances safety.

The system also includes a central console, which provides real-time feedback on battery status, speed, and ride mode.

PERS: a modular system designed for manufacturers

CIXI’s open-architecture design allows PERS to be integrated with third-party motors and batteries, provided they are compatible with regeneration features. To aid adoption, CIXI offers manufacturers technical support, preconfigured kits, and collaboration with trained engineering firms referred to as “PERS Partners”.

“Bicycle geometry no longer has any constraints. In terms of design, we’ve eliminated many mechanical parts. It’s a huge breakthrough, the magic of mathematics is that we can do what we want. The problem is that our customers don’t understand it very well yet! So we’ve prepared packs for them with different typical configurations,” Francis summarises.

The widespread launch of PERS and upcoming events

After nearly ten years of R&D, CIXI plans to begin industrial production of 3,000 to 5,000 cranksets in 2025. Its expanded facility in Haute-Savoie is expected to reach a full capacity of 50,000 units annually, with an additional production line launching in India by 2026 to serve the Asian market.

At Eurobike 2025 in Frankfurt, Germany, from June 25-29 in Hall 8.0 at its booth G28, CIXI will showcase four concept bikes featuring the PERS system: a cargo bike, speed bike, electric city bike, and a trike. The Vigoz will also be presented, although its commercial release is still several years away. Event visitors will also be able to test the PERS system on Eurobike’s test track at booth F11.

Shortly after, the CIXI team will be at the cycling industry trade show Prodays from July 6-8 at Paris Expo in France, located at Pavilion 6, booth G26.

The brand welcomes users to sign up to its VIGOZ club to be the first to be updated on upcoming reveals, access behind the scenes and team updates.