Originally Posted by
Cleave
I must be doing something wrong when I type as I thought I clearly wrote that I'm building a single-speed.
I agree that the belt drive is relatively untested but the comments I've seen on the CenterTrack belt system indicate that it is a marked improvement over the original Carbon Drive system.
Thank you!
Umm, yes, looking for low maintenance and high reliability and cost is a lesser consideration. Maybe in the 35+ years that I've been riding, racing, and the 10 years that I commuted, I was improperly lubing my chains. In my experience, chains are the most maintenance intensive part of a bicycle.
The chain on my track bike stays clean and requires minimal maintenance because I train at an indoor track (over 1,000 miles each year). All of my other chains require regular maintenance since living in urban, coastal SoCal there is a lot of salty sea air and very gritty roads. IF the promise of the belt works out, I won't have to do anything to the drivetrain for a very long time.
If you decide not to go with the belt drive, I don't think you'll have too many issues with a single speed chain drive. I have had great results with a single speed chain drive in really fowl conditions. I built up a Surly 1X1 mountain bike with disc brakes & an Eno single speed freewheel. I spent a week riding daily for hours through mud, that nasty Georgia clay mud. I could not tell that the drivetrain was dirty. I specifically built a single speed so that I would have less issues in bad weather off road. It worked perfectly. I have nine bicycles (between my wife & I) to maintain & a tenth shortly, so I have little time to spend on each.