Buy or build a winter commuter with belt drive -- looking for wisdom
 

Yes, wisdom might suggest that I not ride my bicycle in snow and on ice, but grant me this one folly.

I am interested in riding a more durable bicycle (one that won't be destroyed by rust) through the winter to come. I have the following criteria:

- carbon belt (I have read that "Center Track" is best)
- fixed gear (or Shimano IGH if the price is right)
- 700c (29")
- rim brakes (don't need disc brakes)
- studded tyres

Has anyone here bought or built a bicycle with these features? I am interested in knowing how much you spent and how the equipment has withstood the weather. The price range of $800-1300 seems most reasonable to me.

The only thing I can comment on is studded tires. They are awesome, you won't regret putting them on your winter commuter if you encounter ice. My winter commuter is a mountain bike with 26" wheels, disc brakes, and a derailleur, so I can't comment on the rest of your criteria. Belt drive and internal gear hub would be very nice, but getting all of features you listed in the price range you stated might be tough. Belt drive and IGH will probably put you close to your $800 mark, and you haven't even purchased a frame or anything else.

I think "center track" is not only "best" but is necessary in snow. I confirmed with a wrench that the older style can build up snow in the cog and cause the belt to jump. Not a problem with center track.

In my experience, in snow and ice you DO need disc brakes. I've hit my brakes and had nothing happen when riding in freezing rain and had ice buildup on the rims.

For studded tires, I have tried a few and use Nokian. The Marathon Winters caused me trouble because they have no traction side-to-side in wet heavy snow - the tread blocks go side to side giving great acceleration traction but allowing the tires to sideslip badly.

I kinda want to build a belt drive/IGH bike myself, but having ridden a cheap hybrid through 8 winters now and not having had any significant trouble, I can't really justify it.

i would only suggest that you may want to reconsider your aversion to disc brakes. i've got two seasons of winter biking in chicago under my belt now. the first year i used an old mountain bike with canti brakes. the canti's worked ok most of the time, but there were days when the gloppy, sloppy, slushy, icy mess of winter significantly decreased the stopping power of the brakes because all of that winter slop would build up on the rim.

last winter i upgraded to a bike with hydraulic disc brakes, and even though it was a mild winter, there was still no comparison between the disc and rim brakes. hydraulic disc brakes are just freaking awesome. wet or dry, stop on a dime every time and you barely even have to squeeze on the levers. just a light touch and BAM, you're stopped.

i'll never again own a foul weather bike that doesn't have disc brakes.


as for studded tires, i ride with marathon winters. i love 'em. they've got a super high stud count for dealing with ice (my main foe), though the relatively shallow tread doesn't make them the best choice for dealing with a lot of snow (not a big issue for me because chicago streets and san is perhaps the most overzealous street plowing organization on the face of the planet).

I have the Spot Ajax belt drive bike with the Shimano Alfine 8 IGH. I just got it this summer though, so can't yet attest to it's handling in winter weather, but I'm looking forward to it. I can say that it's really nice not having to clean and lube every week or so. Keep in mind that if you build or convert an existing frame that wasn't designed for belt, you'll have to provide a removable link in the stay to allow for belt installation/removal, since the belt can't be "broken" open like a chain can.

Looked at retail prices on 1 web dealer's site. [year ago]
for the drivetrain: cogs, 'chainwheels' and belt came to $500+

then wheel building frame and all that is .. More.

Studded tires .. Id look at Drum brakes if you don't want disc brakes .

being a smooth transition from off to on, means you wont be as likely to break traction
when putting your foot down is futile.

I have a bike with drum brakes. The brakes don't care about weather.

so what bikes have you found , built up, with those features at that price?

You're going to be hard pressed to find a belt drive that comes in under your budget. Two years ago, there were a lot more options that had the belt drive from the major brands, but they never really caught on and what few models are left are rather pricey. And most of the belt drive set ups that I recall lusting after had disc brakes...

I have a Scott SUB-10 which should meet your needs but might be a bit over your budget. I am very happy with it but just got it in late spring so can't give you info about winter driving. It will need new tires and does not have a center track belt (never skipped, I think it only would if tension was off) but other than that its perfect.

Greg

I just bought a Civilian Corduroy Rebel (http://www.competitivecyclist.com/fr...el--10920.html). You have to plan on some upgrades out of the box (seat) and it's not center track, but for the current sale price of $811, it's very hard to argue with the component setup.

Spot Ajax - Is that about $1600?
Scott Sub-10 - A nice bicycle. I would pay the extra money but if it's not Center Track, I expect it will disappoint me in the snow.
Civilian Corduroy Rebel - I will look. Thanks for the tip!

Don't know about pricing, but Raleigh has a belt drive model- Detour City Sport DLX. Specialized has one as well, the Source 11, but it's like $2700...

Just checked, and Trek still has the belt drive Soho Deluxe. MSRP is just outside your target budget, though.

Novara Gotham. You get dynohub, lights, fenders, and rack too. And the IGH is a Nuvinci N360. All for $1299 or $975 if you buy during the right time of year. Got to supply your own studded tires though.

I'm not sure where you live, but mec sells this bike in Canada. Seems to fit your criteria almost exactly. They will sell you some winter tires with it as well if you want.

The current model of the MEC bicycle doesn't use the Center Track belt. I would buy it today if it did.

Great tip, my friend. This bicycle uses the Center Track belt, too.

I thought a belt drive inside a chain case would be perfect..

hardly anyone oils their chain when inside those.. so chains dry oot

and the cover keeps pants legs out
and maybe hides the fact
that you have a pretty expensive bike with a carbon belt ..

+1

but belt = awesome, a friend has one.

As far as building your own, it's pretty much going to call for cutting the rear triangle to get the belt in and then welding it back, right? I suppose you could take it to an S&S retrofitter and get couplings put into the triangle but that would be ~$800 right there.

If you build a frame with an elevated chainstay,
like older Alpine Stars, Nishiki 'alien' and Mantis
did in the 80's, but adding a way to tension the belt.

then the closed loop of the belt, also, works.

Yes - and it has a chain (belt) guard too if you feel you need it with a belt drive. I forgot to mention that it also comes with disc brakes. It's amazing how much less this bike costs than similarly equipped bikes from other manufacturers.

http://www.rei.com/product/825377/no...tham-bike-2013

Yes, MSRP from their website is 1699 - you may find for a bit less at a dealer.
http://spotbrand.com/bikes/product-page/ajax/

Gates Drive publishes docs on frame requirements. The main problem is alignment has to be perfect so you can't just take any frame and modify it because it may not have been perfectly aligned. A chain can handle a large mis-alignment but the belt won't handle even a little (center track can handle a little more than the regular model)

Greg

Do you happen to know when it might go on sale? I will definitely buy one for that price.

There is a 20% off one item member coupon good right now until 10/14. Anyone can sign up for membership at the same time they make their first purchase and use the coupon. Unfortunately I am going to have to recant my comment about the sale price of the Gotham. The fine print indicates that bikes are one of the items excluded from using the coupon. It used to be that all bikes, except Novara (REI's house brand), were excluded. Now it looks like the discount can not be applied to Novara bikes either. Might be worth a call to REI to see if they would honor the discount on the Gotham. If you are dead set on those features (Gates CT and IGH), then it is still probably the least costly bike, even at retail price.