I'm new here. Just joined a few days ago. I was researching my first bike purchase in 37 years and was amazed to find all these "new" technologies out there. The last bike I owned was an old steel-tube Raleigh. But I got to thinking after reading through a lot of articles that I might be more interested in a Commuter (although, I don't plan to actually commute), or Urban, or Hybrid bike.

Several weeks later, I found myself test riding a Trek "Soho DLX" with the Gates Carbon Belt Drive and Shimano Nexus 8 Hub. Next, it was off to see what else was new -- like a kid in a candy store, but with money in my pocket! Well, actually, a credit card...

I came across the Shimano Alfine 11 announcement.
Then the Gates Carbon CenterTrack -- which won't really appear until 2012 in any production-bike sense.

So I lowered my sights a bit. Let me find an Alfine 11-equipped unit with the older Belt Drive design. Uh... nope. Could not find anything that I could afford. Only one bike costing $3500 to $6200.

Then I found the Spot Brand "Acme". Read a lot about it. The price of $1999 plus shipping hurts -- but not as bad as $3500. This was after I had pursued the NuVinci concept and the Shaft Drive new-idea-that-is-really-an-old-idea, and that no one seems to really care for.

So...
Back to Spot Brand's "Acme". Called today to discuss some questions. Guess what? They're nearly Sold Out! They start shipping next week. They did have my size in stock. So I stepped out on that limb and cut it completely off! I'm just waiting, now, to see if I made a mistake.

Wish me luck! I'll need to add Fenders, Lights, and a few other things. But I like that part. The Breezer "Uptown Infinity" was another choice, if I wanted the NuVinci -- but no Belt Drive was a turn-off. And it was a little too conservative for my tastes. Still, it was a BARGAIN by comparison, based on components, accessories and price.

Anyway, the one thing I could not understand is:
Why was every Belt Drive / Shimano Internal Hub combination that I could find ONLY available in some shade of GREY? Did they have a recent sale on Grey Paint that I was not aware of?? 8-)

The Trek "Soho DLX" is Rainy Day Gray.
The Spot Brand "Acme" is LoDo Grey.
Others I found with a Belt Drive seemed to be various shades of Grey or Gray or grey seen at midnight... meaning, Black.

If I was buying on good looks (not mine -- the bike's), it would've probably been an Electra Bike. Love their Logo and certain frame designs. But there was not the combination I wanted. Civia and Brodie had some great items, too, but not the Alfine 11 with Belt Drive of any kind. Such a shame.

I know, I know. Not a huge market. But I used to assume that the American-made bike was leading the World in cutting-edge designs. The rest of the World seems to have left us behind years ago -- if we were ever in the running. Every question I asked got me directed to European or Chinese or German or British or Danish designs. There's still no major US Mfr offering a Rohloff option? Really? Nor the Alfine 11? This is near the middle of 2011... yes?

Don't flame me! I'm an old guy with old thought processes. I just thought maybe some of you were considering the "Acme" and wanted to warn you they produced only a few hundred in this run. They definitely do plan to pursue the design. I definitely do NOT work for them. I never even heard of them until I saw a video online describing the new Alfine 11 with the CenterTrack.

There should be a Law in the Biking Industry -- "No advertising products that aren't actually available, yet, on a production bike. In the US."