Wood bike 2 speed fixie ?
 

Found this trolling on the innerweb - any thoughts on how much it should be worth?

For Sale Renovo Wood Bike with Wood Accessories - 2 two speed fixie

I have no idea what that bike is worth - I would love (to have the skills) to build one. Beautiful machine!

Bamboo bikes tend to go for upwards of ~$1500 where a large chunk of the cost comes from labour, but this one looks quite a bit more labour intensive... That majestic of a bike would probably require some pretty deep pockets!

So it has a two speed belt drive with a freewheel. Nothing fixed gear about it. Just to clarify.

"The gear train includes Gates CDX CenterTrack carbon belt drive with a rear 22 tooth freewheel sprocket and a 60 tooth front sprocket – greasy chains be gone !!!
I originally was going to have the bike builtas a fixie; however, I decided my old legs need some help, and for a little bit added weight, I decided to use a 2 speed Schlumpf mountain drive gear reduction system. It provides a 2.5 gear reduction system, all integrated into the bottom bracket.
The combination CDX single speed freewheel and Schlumpf drive is what I call a 2 speed fixie, giving two gear ratios without the chain moving between gears, front derailleur, shifter, or cables to maintain or clutter up your bike. You simply shift with a quick heel movement against the push-button axle in the center of the crank arm. The gearing systems use a clutch plate design that won’t slip under power and they require very little maintenance."

Sturmey Archer makes a 3-speed fixed hub. It shifts, but does not freewheel. Model S3X. As mentioned above, the bike shown is not a fixie.

Ride Safe,

Joe

Elwood - Renovo Hardwood Bicycles

according to this, a fully geared setup starts at $3980 new

I respect the thought, effort and creativity put into producing such a bike. But, it takes a special kind of person to appreciate such a bike.
I'm not really feeling it I'm afraid.

I feel it, I just wouldn't pay that much for it or ride it. Cool piece of artwork to hang on the wall or the garage, but to actually ride that I would be scared that something might break or it gets stolen.

the only flammable bikes I like are carbon

Fixie and use of belt drive?
 

You are quite right - its not a fixie, I didn't catch the free wheel part. I presume it has something to do with using a belt drive. Would a belt drive be able to handle the braking forces of a fixie?

Belt drives are generally stronger than chains and are used on powerful heavyweight motorcycles like Harley-Davidsons, so they most certainly can handle back-pedalling forces on a fixed gear bicycle. Belt drives are quiet, durable and maintenance-free, which is why they are popular on motorcycles, but are somewhat impractical for use on bicycles, since they require a frame that can be unbolted to install or remove the belt and special sprockets that are compatible with the belt. They are most practical when used with IGH type setups, where you can change gears w/o moving the belt sideways or changing its length.

The Swiss Mountain Drive crank is about $900 on its own ,, 2 speeds 1:1 / 2.5:1, are like a 50t and a 20t Low..
torque transfer is a solid strut with a strap (lots of torque needed, to climb hills )

the Speed drive would be 1:1 Low , high is 1.65x that .. so a 34t acts like a 54t.

the current ones can take a Fixed load. there is a grip washer on the speed drive for torque on the BB shell edges. ..



Offer $2500 and see if they accept it..

I'm not sure it would withstand skidding though, and everyone knows skidding (and standing over your bike, but that's irrelevant here) is way more important than riding.

One of my buddies rode one of those timing belt drive bikes and he said it felt "spongy"... It may be functionally equivalent to a roller chain, but the feel of the ride is definitely different.

Yes,
They're made in Portland Oregon (and apparently also have a showroom in California).

They look nice, but definately appear to be a fair weather bike, at least for the kind of cash they're asking for them.

The belt should be a lot cleaner than the chains, which would be a benefit for the wood bikes.

Belt drives on motorcycles are not as maintenance free as most folks think. Proper tension adjustment is critical to avoid premature wear, unlike a chain drive. Replacing belts is a BIG (and expensive, unless you do your own work) and time consuming job.

Quiet? Perhaps. No oil? Yes. But you won't find belts on high performance or racing motorcycles, due to a number of negatives.

The belt drives on my Harleys have all lasted the life of the motorcycle, including one that was ridden nearly 96K miles before I sold it. Adjustment is a one time deal whenever a tire is replaced, and it is not rocket science to adjust the tension properly.

That's great.

Wow, that's impressive.
Sure a belt drive can handle torque/ backpedaling no doubt. But a point to keep in mind though is, motorcycle belts are never put through the stresses of abruptly having the powertrain stop entirely during a skid in a snapping motion, then withstanding the inertia of the rear wheel pulling back and the weight/ power of the person pulling forward, often times in quick succession.
Not to mention, motorcycle belts are wider and beefier by design.

I would venture that a motorcycle belt withstands at least a hundredfold the loads of any bicycle belt, even when you include any amplified loads due to sudden impact. My current Harley produces 100 ft-lb peak torque at the rear wheel, and this is sustained loading, not some short peak that lasts a fraction of a second at best. Although the belt on my Harley is wider and no doubt stronger than the ones used on bicycles, I seriously doubt that it is 100X stronger. So, although I know that higher loads may be achieved short term in some skidding situations, I don't believe that you will get anywhere near close to the failure point of the belt, or that the belt will wear out in a lifetime of use.

Ever hear of a motorcycle driver put the hammer down on the accelerator?
Or do they all ride like old ladies?-

For those that do burnouts, the forces would be similar to a skid, but with a much heavier machine.

last I checked none of the moto gp bikes nor most drag bikes were running belt drives... :innocent:

I agree. even when i check the tension on my Harley's belt at during each service the tensions never been out of spec. Chain drive motorcycles need to have the chains replaced at least 3 times before a belt drive.

just to give another perspective of a belts strength.. this past feb/mar i was getting ready for trailer week in Daytona. I needed my motorcycle trailer (dual-axle enclosed) but even after digging it out it was frozen solid to the ground (i park it in my backyard). Axles frozen, Jack frozen, jack stands frozen, coupler frozen. I snapped two tow straps (6k and 8k rated) trying to pull it out with my Jeep. Those were the only two straps we had, but we had two old timing belts, one of which was frayed, both of which have been sitting out in the sun for years. looped the belts from the jeep to the trailer and freed on the first pull.

The bike is nice. I have looked at Renovo for a while and it looks beautiful however it would be quite a few bikes before I would own one. Though I must admit I did consider a Moots Vamoots RST that I rode today at Mellow Johnny's but I think I will have to build up my steel collection more before I start going to wood and Ti.

I wouldn't use a belt drive to skid slow but on this it is a freewheeler so that isn't so much a problem however if you did have a fixed gear I was told it was a bad idea both from Gates and Rodriguez Cycles.

The manager in our shop had me build him up a rear fixed hub for his Trek District so he could run fixed/belt-drive, Gates center track, just like this Renovo. But fixed, not freewheel. It's his townie bike with a front rack, kept both brakes -- he does not do mad skidz with it, but does tend to brake via backpressure vs. using the actual brakes. So far, it's held up just fine with regular commuter use.

I don't think belt drive is all that, however. Limited gear ratios, expensive, need a special frame to accommodate, belt needs to be within a certain tension range to work correctly... It does have all the benefits it claims: silent, nearly maintenance free, clean, etc. Just that the cons outweigh the pros, IMO.