I-Like-To-Bike

No place has weather rough enough or wet enough to make a belt drive "essential" or more practical than a chain drive on a bicycle.

Robert C

I would not argue that belt drive is essential, the presence of chain drive bicycles would disprove that in an instant. However, I do feel that the lack of frequent maintenance and the cleanliness makes the belt drive significantly more practical.

I-Like-To-Bike

I suspect that the actual ratio of chain drive to belt drive bikes in use is 50,000 to 1 or greater in all weather conditions.

Somehow I have the feeling that people who go out of their way to find/purchase a belt drive bike spend more time and/or money on maintenance, including drive train components than the typical commuting cyclist does on his bicycle chain, especially on an IGH equipped bike. Exceptions do exist for the those cyclists who go all Mr. Clean fetish-freakish with OCD routines with their chain.

fietsbob

My Rohloff Bike had the OEM picked R'off chain on it It is of the Bushing-less type like all derailleur chains are.

I replaced it with a full Bushing 3/32" and that has lasted me a Long time ..

Next chain will be another whipperman, Full bushing , adding another 32nd wider .. 1/8"..

Frame wont come open for a Belt if I wanted to throw the extra Parts $ at it.




./.

noglider 

I think there is a mod you can make to a frame that makes it breakable/fixable, if it's that important.

Robert C

It can be done, here are a couple of examples of the couplers.

For stays 12.5 Inside Diameter

from here

For stays 13.5 Inside Diameter

from here

Archwhorides 

Perhaps I have been spending time and money on my Gates/Alfine commuter while asleep, because I haven't spent a nickel or an hour while awake, after riding to work 24 months straight in New England. But I suppose I could do better.

Robert C

Same here, like I mentioned, I expect that in the last two years I have spent about five minutes on drivetrain maintenance. That being said, he does compare it to, "the typical commuting cyclist."

We have all seen them, no lights, chain never cleaned or oiled; for that matter, the brakes are typically missing. These may be the, "typical commuting cyclist," that he is using for a baseline. If that is the case, then yes, any maintenance is more than no maintenance.

I know that I am not really wrapped up in bike maintenance, in that, bike maintenance is not my hobby. I definitely have performed less drivetrain maintenance on my IGH belt drive bike than on my chain drive bikes.

corrado33

I do think a belt would make a great drive system for a bike, however I'm not about to modify my frame to allow one.

On the subject of chain thickness, I recently switched to SS chains (1/8") over derailleur chains (3/32"). I noticed an increase amount of "chatter" when I did this, probably because my chainline isn't perfect and the SS chains don't "give" laterally" as much as the derailleur chains do. It's nothing to do with wear or lube or tension or anything. None of those things have an effect on the chatter. (Well, too loose chain will make it worse, but the chain isn't too loose.)

Food for thought.

noglider 

Yes, a 1/8" chain can be noisy. It can bother some but not everyone.

fietsbob

Cure the Chain Line Miss alignment Perhaps ?

miss aligned belts come off , (probably why the center track belt type stuff was Made)

NoTrail

I commute with a Specialized Source 11 (Shimano Alfine 11spd IGH and Gates Centertrack belt) and in the 4 years I've had it, the drive train has needed no maintenance at all. It's super quite, grease free, and a fun conversation piece. My brother commutes with a Rohloff Speedhub with Gates belt and absolutely loves it as well. As long as your gearing is setup correctly for you and your terrain, I'd say go for it!

wolfchild

Maybe the reason why your drivetrain doesn't need maintenance is because you're in California and you don't have to deal with snow, ice and tons of salt on the roads. I am very skeptical about the durability and reliability of belt drive in extreme riding conditions.

Scummer

I commute all year round, no matter rain, snow, cold, heat, dirt.. whatever.
4000km on my Rohloff with Gates centerdrive belt and I only had to adjust the tension once, which takes 2 minutes to do.
It's quiet, no maintenance, long lasting and with the 14 gears I have plenty of gears to go fast or climb some steep roads.

For commuting and touring this bike has never left me stranded. Looking forward to another 50000km.

NoTrail

That is a possibility. I've commuted on the bike for 4 years but only that last year has been in California. Prior to that, I was in the midwest and definitely dealt with rain, snow, and ice. Granted, it's nothing like the kind of weather you get up north, but it's seen it's share of nasty weather. Now my biggest problem is that everything gets dusty.

But compared to my road bike, my mountain bikes, or my tandem, the belt drive is super low maintenance.

blakcloud

Just saw a Trek Soho locked up at the bike rack and was admiring it. I hope someday to try a belt drive.

Robert C

I loved the way that bike looked. Too bad they stopped making it right when I was ready and able to buy.

Archwhorides 

Krikey man, how extreme is your extreme? I rode my Gates/Alfine 8 this past winter and the winter before in Boston. This winter was mild, I didn't miss any days riding to work (18 miles round trip). During 2014-15 I regularly rode below 0F, lost 3 days overall due to snowpack depth on the roads during a record-breaking winter. Zero drive train maintenance since I bought the bike in 2014 and 7,000 miles. My IGH lubricants get a little viscous below 13F; not a maintenance issue, just makes me work 10% harder.

Toronto averages a few degrees F colder and a few more inches of snowfall than Boston, but did you enjoy zero drive-train maintenance on your chain bike?

Darth Lefty 

People suspect a lot of things, don't they?

fietsbob

alpenchallenge AC02 IGH Alfine 8 ? lifestyle ? BMC Switzerland


You have a comfortable income and a theft proof parking place on both ends to rationalize a Swiss Bike..


The chain drive and Enclosing the chain is undoubtedly cheaper .. & using Nexus Vs Alfine hub..

alpenchallenge AC02 IGH Nexus ? lifestyle ? BMC Switzerland

IGH but no Belt drive here (+ I'm Retired, & dont have a Commute per se , Ride Bike to a Part time Gig & the Pub & shopping)




./.

fietsbob

A Rear rack planned ? the seat stay configuration is not the best . Front struts are needing to be Very Long.

Archwhorides 

"Suspicions" have landed in this particular election cycle like squishy alien turds on the tarmac, along with "I've heard that...", "Some people say....", and "Isn't it true that....."