- People have always been trying to invent more and more efficient drivetrains for the bicycles and there were many of them in the past but none stuck around. Sprockets and chains were always dominant and to this day are the choice for bicycle drivetrains.
- But in recent years with inner gear hubs being perfected and with e-bikes becoming popular one new way of transmission of power from pedals to rear wheel entered the scene.
- US based company specialized in industry and automotive belts called Gates corporation made a belt drive system for bicycles which managed to stand the test of time and expand it’s share in recent years.
- So let’s talk first about the down sides of belt drives and then talk about the benefits which should outweigh the down sides.
- First and biggest downside is that you cant use derailleurs like on systems with chains. Belts need to have a perfectly straight line to work. You must align the system very precisely and have a perfect belt line for the system to be efficient as it is.
- Second down side is that you need a special frame where you can split the rear fork so you can assemble the belt. Unlike chains you cant split the belt and then connect it back.
- And last the system costs a bit more than chain version.
- Now talking about the positives there are many but most important ones are that belt drives are very long lasting and they require almost no maintenance. Same as with your car you change the belts on your big service interval, no lubrication, no difficult cleaning of greasy dirt. With cars it is after 60.000 km while on the bicycle it is 30.000 km and up. Compared to chains that last form 3000-5000 km
- Then there is the advantage of the system being absolutely silent. Imagine you are riding your bicycle in the morning, everything is quiet and you are listening to birds singing and that’s it. Your belt is silent.
- Because there is no grease your pants are always clean which is really nice for your commuting to work plans.
- And my personal opinion is that bikes look really cool with it.
- So to conclude Gates belt drive is making more and more sense with e-bikes becoming so popular and going further distances then regular bikes before. So if you like the benefits and have a little more money to spend you should definitely have a look at it.
- Here is the link to their data sheets: https://www.gatescarbondrive.com/resources/manuals-and-tech
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