Originally Posted by
A_Grape_God
I have a Priority 8 and it is...fine. It was my first bike with a gear hub and belt drive, but my experience has been mixed. I have had occasional gear grinding under heavy torque loads, especially when starting in a low gear and really putting a food down to get going. It seems to be related to the hub not fully engaging the lower gear after downshifting when coming to a stop.Supposedly the hubs can shift when stopped, but I have found that a 1/2 pedal is sometimes required to make sure everything is fully engaged. Not sure how common of an issue this is, but the sound of the gears grinding is sad.
Weight distribution is different if you are coming from a bike with a derailleur. Hub at the back defiantly makes the bike back heavy, something to consider if you have to go up and down stairs.
The bike also does not feel fast. There is some power loss in the hub and some power loss from the belt itself. Stock tires are also pretty slow rolling IMO.
On a positive note, so far maintenance free after ~1,000 miles of wet and snowy riding. This bike is my first with hydro brakes, and there is really no going back.
I am 6'1" and got a Large - fit is fine. Let me know if you want any other info.
Don't know if the OP has purchased a bike yet, but to add some info on the rim brake L-Train. My partner had one for several years. Definitely a good value with the low-maintenance belt drive and IGH. It was a pretty good but the ride quality was wooden. Not sure if it was the frame (straight gauge tubing?) or the tires (never swapped them out) but it had little of the supple ride quality that you expect from steel. Gearing was also a bit tall - requiring standing on some of the steeper hills in Washington DC and low RPM grinding over the 59th Street Bridge in NYC. We're 5'-8" and the M fit pretty well with a slight forward lean to the bars. She eventually sold it because her biking needs changed. It was a nice looking bike though.
