Shimano, bicycle gearmaker to the stars, has made a three-speed automatic transmission for those who don't take biking quite so seriously. Shimano Coasting Components make a bike smart enough to shift its own gears, giving you a riding experience that doesn't require any attention or input.
Shimano is licensing the technology to bike makers such as Trek, Giant and Raleigh; pricing wasn't announced yet.
Shimano aims for an easy urban ride [Slash Gear]
DISCUSSION
Non-news. I had a Shimano Nexus Auto-D gear system on my bike back in 2002.
http://bike.shimano.com/catalog/cycle/…