Removing and refitting rear wheel on belt drive bike?

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This Wreckage

Active Member
I have a Gazelle Esprit belt drive bike with hub gears which has a rear puncture. Can someone advise me on how to remove and refit the wheel? I'm aware that it can be quite complicated, but I have no option other than tackling it myself. The photos were taken with the bike upside down.
 

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Last edited:

numbnuts

Legendary Member
 
OP
OP
This Wreckage

This Wreckage

Active Member
Opposite of fitting !

I don't trust my very basic skills on this. I'll have to pay the dealer to collect it and tutor me in fixing it. Expensive, but what else can I do? I was hoping this would not happen - the bike comes with tougher tyres and I got them to install slime-type tubes, but there's a huge nail stuck in the tyre which no protection would prevent.
 

Gwylan

Veteran
Location
All at sea⛵
I have a bike with a belt. How you tension the belt varies.
There are two nuts close together in your photo. It might be those. Google or YouTube your bike for some idea
Or ask the manufacturer.

Do you know how you should release and re-tension the belt?
Find out and I'll try to help.

It is not difficult. Well, I can do it
 

Big John

Legendary Member

View: https://youtu.be/RQ8RjjkHZCs?feature=shared


Whichever way you paint it the job is a bit of a faff but that's just bikes. We either get to grips with it or we let a shop do it. It's cheaper in the long run to learn a few basics but if you're not confident your local bike shop will sort it 👍
 
Location
Loch side.
I don't trust my very basic skills on this. I'll have to pay the dealer to collect it and tutor me in fixing it. Expensive, but what else can I do? I was hoping this would not happen - the bike comes with tougher tyres and I got them to install slime-type tubes, but there's a huge nail stuck in the tyre which no protection would prevent.

Lay the bike flat on its side and fix the puncture in situ. No need to take the wheel off.
 

Stroudy

Active Member
Yellow Saddle's advice is good. You can just lever the tyre off one side of the rim where the nail is and pull out a section of the tube. Sand it and patch it in situ, then refit it and lever the tyre back on.

If you do want to remove the wheel, shift to the gear with the slackest cable tension. On my Alfine 8, that is 8th. I think Nexus is the opposite. Using a small allen key (I think it's a 2.5mm) as a lever in the hole on the cassette joint, rotate the cassette joint against the spring tension, and pop the cable end bolt out of its housing. Loosen the axle nuts and slip the wheel out of the dropouts. Gently slide the belt off to one side and the wheel will be out.

When refitting, bring the wheel back up and gently fit the belt from the side, then slide the axle back into the dropouts and tighten the axle nuts. Using the 2.5mm allen key again, lever the cassette joint against the spring, so you can put the cable end bolt back into its slot. Shift to 4th gear and check that the two yellow squares UNDERNEATH the cassette joint are lined up exactly.

It sounds worse than it is. I practised a few times at home, so that I will be okay out on the road.

(My bike has an eccentric BB for tensioning the belt, where yours has two bolts to move the axle back, but you shouldn't need to adjust the belt tension when remving the wheel).

Stroudy
 

Stroudy

Active Member
Here you can see the use of a small allen key to rotate the cassette joint against its spring tension, to pop out the gear cable retaining bolt.
 

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