Re disc brakes and belt drives. Not this old chestnut again. They are far far better and more reliable than ancient rim V or centre pull brakes and chain transmissions. How easy would it be to get a good wheel build strong enough to carry all your gear in a far flung place? Tell me this. CGOAB has numerous tales of woe of where rims have worn out split bringing the tour to an end or created massive problems. And how can disc brakes fail? Is it the fallacy that brake lines suddenly start rupturing brake fluid everywhere? It doesn't happen. How many years have cars, motorbikes and mtbs been using disc brakes? It is far easier to replace a brake disc rotor than have a wheel rebuilt because a wheel rim has worn through so it is as good as scrap. End of tour. Unless you are going to carry spare rims with you and of course a wheel building jig and 72 new spokes. Think how awkward that would be.
There's still a lot of cars and motorbikes that use drum brakes....
Spokes can be re-used a bit of hassle admitedly.
Traditional deraillieurs and chains need lubing and keeping clean from mud and crud. This is why so many touring/expedtion cyclists opt for the Rohloff hub and would never go back to an open transmission for a commuting/touring bike. Rohloff have excellent after sales support and customer service as well.
Rohloff hubs are not without their faults. Some of them have had the flanges break leaving several spokes unattached and untensioned. The after sales service might be second to none but it's a failure that is far from convenient.
Please tell me how a belt can fail? If it snaps which is HIGHLY unlikely then just replace it in minutes. No greasy oily hands either. Belts made by Gates who make engine cambelts and supercharger belts are EXTREMELY strong and durable. I beleive Mark Beaumont used a belt drive on his Santos when he set a new world record for cycling around the world, so they can't be that unreliable ......
The belts might well be almost indestructible but they can be damaged. My local bike shop cautioned against twisting the belt or getting it snagged when resting it against other bikes. Replacing a belt can be achieved in minutes providing that you have one to hand of the correct length. You can not rely upon finding a replacement belt in the nearest bike shop. A Dutch tourist who had a belt driven Santos, when asked what he would do if his belt snapped assured me that it wouldn't snap but if it did he'd simply have one shipped to him using DHL and the lik.
Beaumont got through several belts on the ride.
As far as I can see the only bikes on the market at the mo with what I am looking for are the On-One Pompetamine and Milk RDA. There has been talk of the Surly LHT in disc brake version which I await eagerly. I suppose one could have a custom built bike such as a Roberts Roughstuff with disc brakes, Rohloff or Alfine hubs and belt drive, with all the attachments for racks and bottles, but being a cheap skate £3-3.5k which is what it would cost to build is a bit much for me. I would much prefer to able to buy a frame and custom built wheels then build up the bike myself.
Despite the alleged shortcomings of rim brakes, knowing that Rohlhoff hubs can break at the spoke holes and being a cheapskate, I bit the bullet and had a bespoke belt drive tourer built. There is no definitive specification for the 'best tourer'. Individual taste, circumstances and prejudices influences choice. I have, in my opinion, a tourer that can only be bettered by the addition of S&S couplings but could not justify the additional cost.
I am not a total convert to belt drive. I have a belt driven bike that is perfect for touring and rough stuff riding along with 100km audaxing but for faster rides and longer day rides my derailleur bikes are superior. Yes, the belt drive bike has minimal maintenance demands but my two derailleur bike required only a couple of hours of fettling and cleaning to ready them for the next few months' worth of audaxing. It's hardly a chore.
