New all weather commuter - belt drive

Sebana

Hi All, I am new here and just looking for some advice.
I want a new commuter bike for everyday use that will require virtually no maintenance. I live in Munich in Germany where it is very flat but has harsh winters with the roads being salted for 4/5 months hence wanting a bike with hub gears and a carbon belt. For the last couple of years I have been riding a standard aluminium road bike so I would ideally like to keep the weight down and will have pretty thin tyres.
In short what I am looking for is:

Carbon belt drive
Hub gears (8 is enough) and thinking of DI2 shifters
Hub brakes (not sure what type?)
Dynamo lights
Racing style frame (large, I am 1.86m)
Bullhorn bars (I cannot really explain why but have got it into my head...)
Mudguards and rack
11 KG ideally but realise this may be unrealistic

If there is anything of the shelf I cannot find it, any ideas anyone? Or if anyone knows who could put together something like this I would be most grateful.

Thanks for any thoughts in advance.

I am willing to spend some money on this as I would like it to last for the foreseeable future

Initialised

Ridgeback Flight 04 - Race frame
Trek Soho Deluxe - Guards and rack
Charge Mixer - guards, aggressive frame

Around £1000

So it looks like the custom bits like Bullhorns, dynamo and hub brakes would have to be added.

Chances are a full custom bike would be ideal once you've found the right frame.

ride_whenever

Go full custom, titanium frame would be ideal or carbon.

ride_whenever

Also, don't buy an alfine, they're horrible. Save yourself the hassle and get a rohloff.

Also, avoid the belt, they seem cool but the high tension required can cause issues. Just use full stainless sprockets and a decent gold kmc chain.

Sebana

Thanks guys, I am kind of leaning towards the full custom. I have heard the belt drive can cause issues so maybe the rohloff with a gold kmc is the way forward and I should just not be so lazy and clean it!

Looks like I better find a good local bike shop...

Southside Mike

The BMC Alpenchallenge AC01 IGH pretty much matches your original description (except the bars, obviously). Only weighs 9.86kg

davis

If Munich's that flat, then why not a single-speed with discs? Less to go wrong = more reliable.

Honestly can't be arsed with Alfine gears unless I have to now.

Sebana

I have thought about a singlespeed but I would like to be able to take it out of town for weekend rides where it is more hilly and I will also soon have to pull a trailer with child and associated paraphernalia so think I have to have the gears.

Sebana

I really like the look of the BMC but I think I will investigate the cost of a custom first.

raymondo60

I used a Trek Soho for about a year, with the 8-speed Alfine Hub gear set-up, and while it was a great bike and very reliable - boy was it heavy! And I mean heavy - it added several minutes to my 1hr+ commute, though it did help develop my thigh muscles. As a counterpoint, I still run a belt-drive Trek District - the original 'orange' tarty looking one, single speed, and that just flies along. I've done 2000+ miles on it so far and the belt-drive has never caused a problem. Also, belt-drives are much more 'user-friendly', especially in the winter, due to the lack of oil/grease needed for conventional chain set-ups.

Good luck.

Sebana

Does anyone know what issues do occur with belt drives? I have heard something about the frame having to be completely aligned or else the belt went work. In any case what would be the best frame material? I'm not considering carbon as it will doubtless get a few knocks. Would titanium be a good option or just a waste of money?

HellsCyclist

Sebana wrote:

Thanks guys, I am kind of leaning towards the full custom. I have heard the belt drive can cause issues so maybe the rohloff with a gold kmc is the way forward and I should just not be so lazy and clean it!

Looks like I better find a good local bike shop...

A few minutes with a wet wipe cleans a chain surpisingly well.

SlipSpace

HellsCyclist wrote:

A few minutes with a wet wipe cleans a chain surpisingly well.

Wet wipes are awesome, I've not found anything yet they won't shift.

Sebana

Thought I would update with the final version. Genesis Day One Frame and 3 speed Shimano hub.

I have ridden it all winter with spikes, almost zero maintenance...

johnmcl7

I can't seem to open the attachment, I'm guessing at 6.37Kb it's just a thumbnail?

As for belt drives, I have a 2011 Trek Soho Deluxe which I've used mostly daily for almost four years now through the winter and summer. The belt drive appealed to me for the lack of maintenance and generally it's been good although longevity has been much less than expected as the first belt wore out at 18 months old and only around 4,000 miles which was well short of what Gates were initially claiming. I mailed Gates and they weren't very helpful as they claimed that if I'd been using it in any wet conditions that would degrade the lifetime of the belt which seemed a bit ridiculous when they were boasting about how good the belt was for all weathers.

When the belt was replaced the rear sprocket was also replaced with a steel one instead of aluminum which is meant to be tougher, the previous one may have contributed to the belt wearing quicker. So far the second belt has laster longer than the first one so time will tell how much further it will go. I do generally like it for the lack of maintenance and quiet running compared to the maintenance required to keep the chain drive bikes going but will see what the options are when this one wears out - Trek paid for the second belt, if the next belt going works out to be pricey it may not be worth it.

johnmcl7

Raymondo60 wrote:

I used a Trek Soho for about a year, with the 8-speed Alfine Hub gear set-up, and while it was a great bike and very reliable - boy was it heavy! And I mean heavy - it added several minutes to my 1hr+ commute, though it did help develop my thigh muscles. As a counterpoint, I still run a belt-drive Trek District - the original 'orange' tarty looking one, single speed, and that just flies along. I've done 2000+ miles on it so far and the belt-drive has never caused a problem. Also, belt-drives are much more 'user-friendly', especially in the winter, due to the lack of oil/grease needed for conventional chain set-ups.

Good luck.

I realise this is an old post and maybe not much chance of reply but worth asking anyway, is it definitely an Alfine hub you have rather than a Nexus? I thought the Alfine wasn't compatible with a rollerbrake and the Soho has no mounts for a brake disc or rim brakes.

John