Isn't this the most beautiful bike ……. ever?

[Crankarm]

Belt drives are designed for far higher belt speeds than anybody is going to get on a bike. Yes, Gates are one of the best manufacturers, but my guess is that the friction transmission losses are way, way higher than a conventional chain.

I think....

Dunno ……… but a chain needs to be kept and clean and lubed. A belt just needs to be kept clean. A chain with a full chain guard Pashley style would be good, but you can't do that on a road bike with deraillieur gearing, hence an IHG such as a Rohloff. Belt with a full cover would be good.

You haven't seen how fast I can pedal so belt drive would be ideal.

 

[Hover Fly]

Can't see what the fuss is about ... hate that curly stay stuff ....

"like something off a fairground" as my father used to call them.

 

[Hover Fly]

Belt drives are designed for far higher belt speeds than anybody is going to get on a bike. Yes, Gates are one of the best manufacturers, but my guess is that the friction transmission losses are way, way higher than a conventional chain.

I think....

Bute the belts used by Gates aren't normal flat or Vee belts but toothed belts, so less tension and a lot less friction. Moon Bunny has a belt-driven Woodrup, and it would tempt me, if I wasn't so attached to the bike I have now.

 

[Drago]

I've had a blast on a Trek Soho and it was a great, if expensive, bike. The belt drive didn't seem to bring any detriment, and a lot of benefits.

 

[vernon]

I can see the belt drive system being fraught with issues from 'Road Crap' and almost certainly not a Winter steed.

Your anticipation of problems is ill founded. I've got a belt drive Rolhoff hubbed bike and retensioned the belt for the first time at 4,000 miles. It's coped with all weathers and road crud from metalled and unmetalled roads with no discernable wear. In fact the only maintainence that my bike has required in 4,500 miles is the replacement of a set of brake pads and replacement tyres plus an annual oil change of the hub gear oil - all in all half an hour's attention.

 

[shadow master]

http://www.shandcycles.com/bikes/stoater-rohloff/

I'm going to have to go and lie down in a darkened room ……………… oh it is dark .

No.

 

[stevenshand]

Oh and apparently those belts can be a pain in the arse to maintain.

Not sure I'd agree with that. There's literally nothing to maintain. Assuming the bike is designed to use the belt (chanline very good, stiff enough rear end and reliable system for tensioning the belt) there should be no maintenance other than keeping it clean. I have to confess on my beltdrive commuter I haven't cleaned it since I built it up last April!

 

[stevenshand]

No mention of crank length in the geometry. Wonder if it's one size fits all, because that's my experience of belt drives & it isnt 175mm

The crank arms are 170 on the x-small and small, 172.5 on the medium, 175 on large and x-large. And of course you can specify whichever size you need at time of order if that doesn't work for you.

 

[ufkacbln]

Belt drives are designed for far higher belt speeds than anybody is going to get on a bike. Yes, Gates are one of the best manufacturers, but my guess is that the friction transmission losses are way, way higher than a conventional chain.

I think....

I have two Strida (Mk1) and the problem is the belt slipping if you try and pedal too hard

 

[stevenshand]

I have two Strida (Mk1) and the problem is the belt slipping if you try and pedal too hard

I suspect that the belt is incorrectly aligned or is too loose. Obviously that shouldn't happen. I ride a singlespeed beltdrive and a lot of my riding is in a relatively hilly area. That means a lot of out of the saddle grinding up hills and I have had not a single issue of belt slippage.

 

[vernon]

I have two Strida (Mk1) and the problem is the belt slipping if you try and pedal too hard

I think that the teeth on the belt of the Strida are a lot smaller than those on the Gates Belt Drive belt and are more likely to slip. Furthermore there's a snubber wheel which stops the belt from rising clear of the rear sprocket and slipping. Slipping simply does not happen even on the rare occasions that I am out of the seat of my fully laden belt drive tourer trying to overcome gravity on hills.

 

[stevenshand]

I think that the teeth on the belt of the Strida are a lot smaller than those on the Gates Belt Drive belt and are more likely to slip.

Ah, I didn't realise the Strida wasn't using a Gates belt. Is it using the Continental belt?

 

[Alan Frame]

My personal favourite:

 

[Ed Phelan]

OP's bike is beautiful, very nice and simplistic look. It's just so pristine, I want to take it off road and ruin it completely.

 

[vernon]

Here's some nice lug work from my favourite bike builder