The seeming paradox about the Gates belt is that the Carbon Drive™ Technology is touted to offer high linear tensile strength and yet in most carbon fiber applications, the strength of the carbon fiber weave lies in a fixed epoxied form.

For the carbon cords in a flexible belt to retain their intended strength yet be so fragile as to be affected by such lateral movement as rolling on or twisting the belt makes one leery of spending the high early adopter's premium for it.