A chainless bike?

ljonski

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt9m17XsMSU


useful for commuting and security?

enfield_freddy

moto guzzi,s are chainless , have been for years

vikingaero

Very nice concept in principle.

A few concerns. Not many people commute on $5,000 dollar bikes and many places would still tell you to leave them at the door.

Norman_Castle

It has strong power and dazzling beauty, apparently. It also has a badge copied from BMW.

Keep_pedalling

Don't want one of those but I would love to swap out all my chains for belt drives.

AndyBSG

Keep_pedalling wrote: »

Don't want one of those but I would love to swap out all my chains for belt drives.

They've been tried several times by several different companies and always abandoned because there are too many drawbacks. I Specialized have one coming out called the Source 11 and there's a write up on it here

https://darrenvarney.wordpress.com/2013/05/25/is-the-specialized-source-eleven-the-perfect-commuter-touring-bike/

Obvious one is that if you need to get a chain off you can just separate a link, with a belt you can't do that so will either have to take half the bike apart to get the whole thing off in one piece or cut it so it can't be used again.

Also, they have to be a much higher tension than metal chains meaning they wear the components, such as bottom bracket bearings, quicker and if they snap they can do a lot of damage.

No idea how you'd get a derailleur to work on them either so you'd be stuck with single speed

Norman_Castle

Lots of belt drive options. Mostly expensive. I like the idea of belt drive and hub gears. http://cyclingtips.com.au/2012/02/urban-belt-drive-bikes/

Keep_pedalling

I do have one bike with a 14 speed Rohloff, which could potentially be converted from chain drive to belt drive, however I think I would prefer a frame that is specifically made for the purpose, rather than risk ruining the best touring bike I've ever ridden.

Gates carbon belts don't snap and have been used on a number of round the world rides. Combined with a Rohloff speed hub provides a low maintenance machine that does not get oil on your trousers.

Marco_Panettone

They've created a solution for a non-existent problem. Great - no chain so your suit will be clean, except there are no mudguards either (and a full chain-guard would do that anyway!). Oh, and you can't carry any luggage either. If anything breaks you can't replace it with easily-available off-the-shelf stuff yourself.


When do you need to put a bike in a car anyway, without needing the book space for other stuff too? There are loads of cheap carry-racks available anyway.


Just a bit odd.

vikingaero

It's very easy to create a concept when funds are unlimited. The trick is to create one that is the same price as the competition - ie a mid range road bike or simply affordable.

I wonder how the bike rides - stability etc with the rider on top of the rear wheel?

Johnmcl7

Is there a more up to date list of belt drive bikes, the one above is unfortunately out of date.

I have a belt drive hub gear hybrid which I've ridden for a few years but I've gone off it this year with fit issues (which I haven't experimented much with as it's been great getting shot of the wrist/keen pain) and the hub adds a fair bit of weight to the back of the bike. I've been using the road bike for now but it's not going to be great in the winter, I'd like to get another belt drive bike as I like the belt but options currently seem to be thin on the ground particularly from large manufacturers. Ideally I quite fancy something like the single speed Genesis CX bike but with a belt drive instead (drop bars, disc brakes).

John