If you’re interested in ancient bikes and Strida it will be also remarkable that the 3-speed bottom bracket gear drive of the EVO is not really new…
Back then in ~ 1949, there was already a bottom bracket drive with FIVE gears!
The Mervil Mervilex:
The Rappa had - built 1935/36 - FOUR gears:
Interestingly, there was also the Mutaped, a three speed drive from 1950 (1930?):
Unlike the others, at that time mostly acivated by cables or levers, the gear shifting worked on this one…guess how?
Yes, by pedaling backwards - the same way as the EVO drive; 1-2-3-1-2-3 
And there are more…
Hope you’ve seen this post, too:
Lamplighter’s Bicycles