Living Car Free - Belt Drive...

ILTB, the loss is in efficiency, in dealing with mess, and in the fact that a dirty chain does not simply wear down a $10 part, it also wears down the cassette, chainring and jockey wheels (if applicable),

and that derailleur systems are more prone to trouble than your IGH will be. The cost of replacing commonly worn out components on these systems due to running a dirty chain rises much higher than $5-10.

Give it time. These new Trek bikes are going to be a great way to get a feel for where the belt drive stands.

From the manufacturer's web site (http://cycledrive.com/faq.html):

Q: Can a spring tensioner arm be used to tension the belt?
A: No; that kind of system does not provide sufficient tension for the CDrive belt. Any regular threaded chain tensioner on both dropouts will work fine.

The "lower barrier" statement means "market resistance to change" that some always have. :notamused:


You know.......the folk's getting drug outta their horse & buggy...whip still in hand.:roflmao2:

How is your latest and greatest Segway treatin' ya? You certainly must have snapped one of them up being a trend setter and all, eh?

and that derailleur systems are more prone to trouble than your IGH will be. The cost of replacing commonly worn out components on these systems due to running a dirty chain rises much higher than $5-10.

Give it time. These new Trek bikes are going to be a great way to get a feel for where the belt drive stands.

Note that the belt system is not being offered on a derailler equipped bike by Trek, hence negating the dirty chain prematurely wearing out the expensive drive train rationale.

Yes, but thats partially what I mean. The IGH is less sensitive to that sort of thing, and the belt drive would be even more so. For people looking to get away from that situation, moving to something like this could be promising.

As mentioned, I would personally simply be going for the plain chain with case for the moment, until more details on this are sorted out, as that's a proven system. I share some of the same concerns as you in regards to cost and practicality, but time has to tell.

From the manufacturer's web site (http://cycledrive.com/faq.html):

Q: Can a spring tensioner arm be used to tension the belt?
A: No; that kind of system does not provide sufficient tension for the CDrive belt. Any regular threaded chain tensioner on both dropouts will work fine.
Thanks for the link. Also from that site:
"Avoid build up of mud and grit on the sprockets which can cause wear to the belt and sprockets."
For Car free people who go out in all weather, it looks like this system also requires some maintenance like a chain. Unless it is encased in a chain guard. Sometimes in snowy conditions the city spreads this grit and salt mixture. You'd want to clean that out to avoid wearing out the running gear.

I guess I should clarify my point. I can use pretty much any gearing combination on a single speed chain driven bicycle today. The same is not true for these trek bikes. There are not any aftermarket parts to change the gearing and if there were it would also require a new belt most of the time. Now, I don't mind buying a new belt every time I change gearing. However, they aren't available for sale!

Finally, today I can buy a really nice, light, strong rear hub like a Shimano DuraAce track hub. I can't fit this system onto the nice track hubs. I guess that isn't the end of the world, but you would see a much better adoption rate by bike geeks like me if you could.

Thanks for the link. Also from that site:
"Avoid build up of mud and grit on the sprockets which can cause wear to the belt and sprockets."
For Car free people who go out in all weather, it looks like this system also requires some maintenance like a chain. Unless it is encased in a chain guard. Sometimes in snowy conditions the city spreads this grit and salt mixture. You'd want to clean that out to avoid wearing out the running gear.

And thanks for that update about the manufacturer's warning to avoid mud and grit on the belt.

Can any of the proud BF "Early Adapters" of bright and shiny new things tell us again about the added value of the Trek belt drive system for use on LCF bicycles.

No, I ride on the road to include at least 3 months of icy salty roads. And No, I don't have a heated shop in which to play, Mr. Clean nor the benefit of warm winters for outside bike cleaning either.

I don't doubt that some fastidious "members" of your shop spend lots of time cleaning their drivetrains. I am skeptical of the value of spending so much time and energy on the routine described on a $5-$10 part.

In addition, where does all this cleaning and degreasing take place in the winter time for those who are not "members" with access to a heated shop? Do BF people really bring frozen bikes dripping with winter slop inside their home to defrost all over the place in order to clean/degrease this $5 chain? And then return the bike to the frozen outside and keep repeating the freeze/defrost process, all for the benefit of a "proper cleaning?" Or do they work on the chain outside and freeze their hands as well as everything else, for this "proper" cleaning of a chain that works just fine without a lick of cleaning.


My chain and IGH drive train works fine for 5000 miles (one year of all weather condition commuting) with no cleaning whatsoever and only minimum application of spray lubrication every now and then. I'm now on the seventh winter (over 30,000 miles) of commuting on the current bike; drive train maintenance, outside of a yearly chain replacement, has been replacing the rear sprocket twice (a five minute job after taking the rear wheel off), and the front sprocket once. But then I do not maintain an obsessive compulsion for "proper" maintenance IAW the Shop Manual.

I really hate to agree with you, but I do. OCD chain cleaning is a waste of time.

In the summer it doesn't get that dirty. In the winter, it'll just get dirty again by the time you get to the end of the driveway. I just buy a new chain every spring, whether I need it or not. (I do have to clean the cogs, jockey wheels and rear DR from time to time in the winte.)

I really hate to agree with you, but I do. OCD chain cleaning is a waste of time.

It's not so bad; sometimes you want to be right, doncha? Feels good, don't it? :lol:

you can't buy a master link for $5

It's not so bad; sometimes you want to be right, doncha? Feels good, don't it? :lol:

No it hurt like hell to say you were right about something.

:eek:

Anybody know if these belts squeal when they get wet/muddy?

Somebody could really ruin your day with a heavy duty pair of diagonal cutters. Snip, no more drive train!

Belt drives in the machinery industry are pretty old school. Started out with old flat leather belting - went to chains, then to toothed synthetic belting and V-belts, now to dedicated servo drive motors for each motion.

It seems strange that the bicycle industry didn't make the leap from chain to belt drive a long time ago.

I read some posts here that suggest belts will get dirty too, but that is no big deal. Squirt squirt with a cleanser and rinse - no post wash lube required.

I wonder why nobody ever built a V-belt drive with a variable speed shiv. It seems you could make a pretty economical and low-maintanance variable speed transmission drive with that arrangement.

There has to be a fly in the ointment somewhere. As posted earlier, modern belt drives were introduced years ago in Japan, which would be an ideal culture for a timing belt drive. Still, they didn't take the market by storm. We must be missing something crucial.