Originally Posted by
Kedosto
For me, it’s all about flat tire issues. I bought a frame with the intention of building a belt drive rig, but after taking a close look at fixing a flat on the side of the road, well, I’m not feeling the love.
Sure, setup and dialing in the system is easy in the comfort of the garage, but achieving similar results at the curb requires too many tools and finesse. Add in darkness and rain, and, count me out. I’m pretty sure breaking it down wouldn’t be too hard, but after slapping on the patch, getting it all back together and functional seems like a roadside PITA.
I’ve considered going tubeless, but that’s not a bombproof option. In fact, it may actually be worse because I’d still have to carry all the tools necessary for a tubeless system failure as well as fixing a slimy tubeless flat on top of the belt drive shenanigans. Solid, airless tires would work perfectly here, but who wants to ride like that? I’m not that desperate for belt drive.
Plenty of people say “it’s no big deal” but they’re not commuting through deep East Oakland. I can fix a rear flat like a NASCAR pit crew on a derailleur bike. I haven’t seen anyone be able to do the same on a belt drive bike.
-Kedosto
Not trying to sound like a broken record, but ... The arched swing arm makes dropping the rear wheel out a snap. The drop-outs are vertical, so no change in tension out to back in. I think belts may be forgiving of some tension loss. They need to be snug, but not tight, so I suspect it could be managed. Especially if there was a lower roller that could be swung back into place to do the final tension ... Sort of like the chain guide roller (mini sprocket) used to prevent chain drops on MTB's ...
Will an IGH fit in a 135mm drop-out width? Do IGH's need a torque arm like the old 3-speed hubs did?
I think If I were building a prototype, I'd see if I could get a planetary geared BB to drive the front pulley. 3-speeds might be enough for much of commuting, except hilly routes like Seattle or SF ...