belt drive

mrushton
mrushton Posts: 5,182
edited March 2011 in Road general
I was looking at the Trek District on a w/site. It's a single-speed belt drive. ANybody got one or a belt drive bike and are they any better or just different? Phil Wood now make a belt set and the NAHBS has some nice custom ones. Is there a belt drive fixed and can the sprockets be changed?
M.Rushton

Comments

  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    I love the idea for a singlespeed cross bike, but the price of parts is prohibitive for a retro-fit at the moment e.g. $300. I'd like to modify my existing ti singlespeed at some stage - I'm already running a Forward Components EBB. If you change the sprocket then it means a new belt. Some of the NAHBS bikes are really neat.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • ynyswen24
    ynyswen24 Posts: 703
    Here is the home page for the Gates Carbon Belt. I think theres quite a bit of technical info on there as regards sprocket types and sizes.
    http://blog.carbondrivesystems.com/?p=1333

    I don't think a retro fit is an option as you need to be able to either open the rear r/h dropout or the r/h chainstay but there'll be a lot of them around over the next few years I think. Clean, quiet, and seem to be efficient and longlasting (unlike previous belt drives). Not just for single speed either as Rohloff do a belt drive compatible hub.

    I saw a Trek District a few weeks ago (outside a cafe!) - it looked very good. A belt drive crosser would be interesting...
  • mrushton
    mrushton Posts: 5,182
    Trek do a carbon Madone type belt drive bike at £2k - v.nice but too rich for me. Having looked at the District I now realise that the bike needs a removable back seat.chain stay interface to get the belt on/off.
    M.Rushton
  • stickman
    stickman Posts: 791
    I like this technology, just hope manufactures don't abandon it because of the cycling world hanging on to the archaic derailleur system.
    Bikes, saddles and stuff

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/21720915@N03/
    More stuff:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/65587945@N00/

    Gears - Obscuring the goodness of singlespeed
  • Drfabulous0
    Drfabulous0 Posts: 1,539
    They claim belt drives don't stretch, but ride next to somebody using one at speed and you will see the bottom section of the belt flapping about like a flag in the wind. As SS is just a halfway house before moving to fixed it makes it kinda pointless.
    <center><font><b>My Scott</b></font></center>
    <center><font><b>My Kinesis</b></font></center>
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Belt drives make a lot of sense for singlespeed cross or MTB - I have two fixed gear bikes on the road but wouldn't fancy a fixed cross bike for anything technical
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..

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