SC & BM,

Thanks for the thought-out answers.

Lou

Two Month Update:

It's been two months now since I first got the Verdion. Since then, I've made it a point to ride it for most all my around town bike trips, much to the chagrin of my other folders, who have been restlessly waiting in the bike closet for their turn on the road. I've taken the bike into shops and banks and taken it for bus rides. In more recent weeks, since the "roadie" makeover, I've even taken it for a couple of more "fast" rides to see how well it handles.

I continue to be happy with the bike. The ride is very steady, even under higher speeds (high 20's mph), and with the skinnier tires. It rolls very nicely when pushed with the seatpost. One complaint is that the front wheel flops around annoyingly when folded - I stuck some velcro on both forks to stop that. Folded size is about what one would expect with a typical mid-frame and handlebar post fold - respectable, but it ain't no Brompton . Braking is reliable and solid-feeling. Oh, gearing is a little high (from 47-86 gear inches). I think, given the expected usage of the bike, gearing should be 10" lower on both ends. (I may try to find a smaller chainring to achieve that.) The handlebar post is very hefty and doesn't flex much at all - less than most of my other folders.

The belt drive-train continues to win me over. It works with a zen-like silence. Belt slipping is rare. I've found the only time it slips is when I'm doing a standing start on an incline. Otherwise, it simply has not been an issue. I may go further out on a limb and say that I have been converted to the belt drive. In fact, I find myself wondering which of my other folders is suitable for converting to a belt system. It's cleaner, lighter, quieter and kinda cool. Coupled with an internal gear hub, it seems to be very well suited for most in-town and recreational riding. Who knows, maybe we'll see more of them in the future.

Continuing my habit of constantly tweaking my bikes, I plan to give the Verdion another "makeover". The roadie personna does not fit the gentle nature of the Verdion. Nope. It's destined for hipness and coolness. I had recently ordered a vintage F&S Duomatic 2 speed, kick-shift, coaster-brake hub from Germany (https://hubstripping.wordpress.com/torpedo-duomatic-fs/). I was going to use it for my vintage Moulton MK3 restoration, but am intrigued by the marriage of a belt drive system with the Duo hub for a "fixie" aesthetic. So, that'll be my next project - to make the Verdion into a clean, sleek, hip Urban assault machine. I have some great design ideas for it, and am eagerly waiting for some parts to arrive to achieve this transformation, so stay tuned......

It's interesting they went with the four speed because the 47' inch gear makes the bottom higher than the Sturmey Archer 3 speed. Why would you want to do that? A more proper design would have been to have the low gear in the low 30', similar to the AW-3. Regardless, they should have used the five speed instead because the cost difference betwen the 4 & 5 is minimal but the extra grear is significant.

What are the gears and their ratios? Do you ride in second gear all the time? Is this bike a two speed with an some use of 3 & 4? What other chain rings do they sell and what are the gears ratios?

Sorry, I'm asking so many questions.

I am surprised that you find the Nexus 4 speed hub to be quiet. The Mezzo I-4 that I purchased in July of this year makes a rather loud whirring noise in fourth gear. I have contacted the distributer of the bike, and have been back to Bfold a couple of times and got no satisfaction. Both said the noise is normal. I don't ride the bike any more due to the noise being so disturbing to me.

My plan is to build a new wheel laced to an Alfine 8 hub at great time and expense to me.

Since a Gates drive belt for a bike is essentially an automobile engine timing belt - which withstands up to 300 or so horsepower, high heat, and a recommended replacement interval of 60,000 - I just don't understand how bike manufacturers can't make a belt drive bike that doesn't slip. At my former employer, we sold Spot (which, along with the UK's Orange Bicycles, pioneered the current belt-drive popularity). They used cogs which looked exactly like timing belt gears from a VW Rabbit engine. Yet, they still slipped. Timing belt slip on an engine means catastrophic failure of the engine (bent valves). So, is it just a matter of the platform not being stiff enough?

Sorry..... these are the things I think about when I'm bored....

I agree, the gearing choices are a bit off target, IMHO. The stock gearing is: 86",70",58",47" (184%). A 60t front ring (instead of the stock 80t) will yield 37 - 69 gear inches. More appropriate for this bike. I spend most of my time in the first 3 gears. Rarely use 4th, except when I want to work up a sweat.

As for your question of different gear combos, here's a chart that shows what's available -
https://www.cycledrive.com/cdimages/C...ponents(1).pdf
https://www.cycledrive.com/cdimages/C...riveRatios.pdf

Actually, I've pondered the same question. Best answer I can come up with is that for a belt system on a bike, we're trying to balance between belt tension and hub rotation. I suppose we could tighten the belt more on a bike to get rid of slippage, however, it would increase friction on the hub and make it harder to pedal. That concern is not a big deal on a car with 220 HP. I wonder if that's the difference?

Frame rigidity is a concern with my Strida, but I don't think that plays into the Abio bike.

If you've ever heard a car "whine" when it pulls beside you, with a rhythmic sound that's almost like a blower (supercharger), you've heard the effects of a mechanic installing a timing belt too tight. Additional issues include increased crank and cam bearing/journal wear and eventual engine failure. Also, the belts wear prematurely, often failing within 20,000 miles. This is why many engine manufacturers went to a spring-loaded or hydraulic tensioner - remove the mechanic's idea of "tight" from the equation. Many timing belts operate under a tension not that much higher than that of a traditional rear derailleur on a bike.

Any updates? Is the bike still holding up well?

No problems with the bike. All is holding up well. I did reduce the gearing down by switching out the front ring, just to make it easier to ride.

Bruce Metras rides his everday, he says. Maybe he'll chime in too.

No problems with mine either .. no broken spokes, frame cracks or any mechanical issues.. hinges are still rock solid .. I probably should, but I don't really spend much time on maintenance, it lives in my Trooper and I just ride it.. I'm running a Gates Carbon Drive version.. the bike is actually on the Abio Blog along with some other rider impressions... it came in very handy last week as I drove 650 miles to Las Vegas .. I limped into the hotel parking lot as the Trooper was having some mechanical issues .. the nearest auto parts store where I could get some bits to patch it back together was 6 miles away ... out came the Verdion and off I went ..

@ SesameCrunch & BruceMetras - what do you think of the EBB? Would you have rather had horizontal dropouts?

EBB- eccentric bottom bracket

No problems with it. The Strida has it also. I think horizontal drops give you better range of belt adjustment. But, with the EBB, once you have the right belt size, it's not an issue. The locking mechanism on the Abio's EBB is nice and solid, giving a secure belt tension.

I haven't had any issues with the EBB on the Verdion .. what is nice about it is that it can float laterally .. this allows for a convenient way to adjust belt line in small increments.. one thing about belt drive in general, alignment between sprockets is more critical than with a chain ..