Show me your belt-drive single-speed builds

[Deleted member 121159]

Is anyone running a belt-drive single-speeder? The idea of an ultra low-maintenance ultra reliable ultra distance machine excites me. Please show us what you've got!

 

[Deleted member 121159]

To kick things off...look at this beauty from circa 2009

 

[ColinJ]

I haven't got one, but I would love to own one fitted with decent mudguards. It would make an ideal winter bike.

My chain-driven 'singlespeed' ** bike does not have mudguards and has been suffering from the results of getting splattered with salty grit on recent rides. I got back frozen after one ride and didn't feel like cleaning the bike right then. When I went to do it the next day the chain and rear brake were already seizing up from corrosion. I don't particularly enjoy myself getting salty grit splattered either!


** I fitted extra gears to the bike for steep climbs but do nearly all my rides using just its original gear ratio

 

[Jotheboat]

Here's a guy (minus head for privacy!) I met in Maryport, Cumbria at the start of C2C ride.
His cycle is a belt-driven, single gear, electric Harley Davidson! Attached at the rear is a trailer containing Oscar the wonderful dog.
The guy had awful arthritis in his hands so was unable to use conventional gear changers. But what he could do was change the power setting so he could tackle hills. Technology here is helping a keen cyclist keep going - which is why I also have an e-bike.

 

[Sharky]

Not clear on those photos, how do you tension the belt?
Presumably, the seat stay and chain stay are not welded together, to allow the belt to be replaced, but doesn't seem much scope for adjusting tension.

As an SS and fixed rider myself, I often change the sprockets to raise or lower the gearing to match my fitness or lack of and the belt system seems a bit restrictive? You can't add or take away "links" from a belt!

 

[ColinJ]

Not clear on those photos, how do you tension the belt?
Presumably, the seat stay and chain stay are not welded together, to allow the belt to be replaced, but doesn't seem much scope for adjusting tension.

As an SS and fixed rider myself, I often change the sprockets to raise or lower the gearing to match my fitness or lack of and the belt system seems a bit restrictive? You can't add or take away "links" from a belt!

I found a review HERE. It is a carbon frame so they used fancy eccentric removable dropouts!

 

[Sharky]

I found a review HERE. It is a carbon frame so they used fancy eccentric removable dropouts!

Looks good for fine tuning the tension, but if you wanted to put on a real H/C gear or a big time trial gear, could be problematic.
Perhaps belts are available in different sizes to give more options.

 

[Deleted member 121159]

Not clear on those photos, how do you tension the belt?
Presumably, the seat stay and chain stay are not welded together, to allow the belt to be replaced, but doesn't seem much scope for adjusting tension.

As an SS and fixed rider myself, I often change the sprockets to raise or lower the gearing to match my fitness or lack of and the belt system seems a bit restrictive? You can't add or take away "links" from a belt!

I believe they do different lengths, so theoretically you could have a few different ones to suit each sprocket size.

 

[ColinJ]

Actually... I would also want disk brakes on a belt-drive bike to make it ideal for winter. I have worn out rims (and brake blocks) on steep salty/wet/gritty wintry descents in the past.

 

[ColinJ]

Info on Gates belt drive system HERE.

 

[Deleted member 121159]

DIscovered this bike today (Bombtrack Outlaw)!