Gates Belt Drive Bicycle Review

Created by gates corporation a global leader in belt drive technologies gates carbon drive is the best high mileage bicycle drive on the market.

Gates belt drive bicycle review.

There s no doubt that gates carbon belt drive is an excellent drivetrain solution for long distance touring bikes. Mechanical belt drives were used as pully systems as far back as 15 bc and started being used in heavy machinery in the 19th century. Whether you re an urban commuter rugged mountain biker ebike rider or casual cruiser gates carbon drive has a solution. Ten years later it is safe to say that this indeed happened.

Strida have since gone on to commercial success and have gained a niche in the marketplace. The belt drive system isn t cheap but the extra cost. I completed a two year 31 000km trip between europe and australia using a gates carbon drivetrain. An article published by gizmodo back in 2008 boldly stated that chain drive bikes were becoming a thing of the past while belt drives were taking the forefront.

To put that into perspective a standard derailleur drivetrain will rarely shift well after 10 000km. The centertrack drivetrain has performed flawlessly on sealed roads and under all weather conditions. The soho s 599 is a straightforward single speed bike built with simplicity in mind. Using a gates c drive carbon composite belt trek bills it as brutally tough yet cleaner than any chain you ve ever.

Although a patent was filed in 1890 for a belt driven bicycle since then the challenge of making the belt stiff enough to not flex or break while staying on its track has proven elusive. When it gets sandy or when the grit on. But the folks at gates aren t convinced a chain is the best way to drive a bicycle. The final entrant in our list of 11 of the best carbon belt drive bikes.

A gates carbon drive. I started with belts on my modified surly long haul trucker and 10 000km later i used dual belts on my co motion tandem. In the late 1980s the founder of strida folding bikes approached gates about using a gates belt. The higher end soho 989 has an intriguing belt drive set up paired with the internal gearing of the 8 speed shimano nexus 8 rear hub.

The history of belt drive bikes. I ve got a belt drive touring bike and a belt drive tandem sitting in my garage which both have 30 000km on their original belts. Chain drive vs belt drive. They were used on bikes at the turn of the century but the first commercial bicycle with a drive belt was the infamous bridgestone picina in 1980 the bridgestone picina was a folding bike popular in japan but never really sold.

Efforts to use belt drives on bikes date to the 1980s and earlier. A heavier and more robust option than many others in this line up but worth a look as an alternative to an e bike for anyone looking. Even motorcycles come with belt drives nowadays which shows just how pervasive the technology is. Say goodbye to high maintenance bike chains.

The bike of course comes with gates belt drive coupled with the shimano nexus 8 speed drive train.