tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12831567.post6335332017366881579..comments2024-03-28T08:40:23.164-05:00Comments on Guitar Ted Productions: Thoughts On Belt Drive Systems For Bicycles: Part IIGuitar Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10960580677548417562noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12831567.post-60823336059641131072010-09-02T21:14:24.802-05:002010-09-02T21:14:24.802-05:00I use my Spot Longboard for my winter commuter. I ...I use my Spot Longboard for my winter commuter. I live in Edmonton, Canada, and last winter was my first using it. It was a nightmare to get set up right, but I found a mechanic with experience with belt drives and he got it right. My biggest problem was the quick release on the back wheels being too tight which caused the hub to sieze up. Or something like that. Loosening it up a bit did the trick.<br /><br />The Spot tensioners are crap, but they're working ok now.<br /><br />It was a very tough winter, and extremely cold. The bike performed like a champ. I have about a ten mile commute each way with some road, some path, and some trail. In winter, even the roads can seem like a trail. And the snow and ice used to get into my chain, which made shifting gears a risky proposition, so a single speed works well.<br /><br />Once you get it set up correctly, you don't have to worry about a thing. It's great. I'm actually looking forward to winter.<br /><br />As far as it being quiet, it's really no quieter than a well lubricated chain on a well maintained bike in my experience. And the belt keeps on going, where I have to replace my chains every year. The belt does start to make some strange noise under heavy torque (going up a steep hill) when it gets colder than minus twenty, but all of my bikes start to get a little wonky sometimes when it's really cold.<br /><br />I don't know that I needed a belt, but I'm enjoying riding this bike immensely. My customer service experience with Spot wasn't good though.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10914735546483090638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12831567.post-8067385101460325592010-08-27T20:05:52.917-05:002010-08-27T20:05:52.917-05:00Maybe,just maybe the belt system is just not inten...Maybe,just maybe the belt system is just not intended for off-road use. The higher torque factor, mud, dust and lower gears might just over-whelm the system.<br />ariArihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13083766829086663770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12831567.post-25048864204718691202010-08-27T10:24:13.302-05:002010-08-27T10:24:13.302-05:00FINALLY! Someone else who feels the same way I do...FINALLY! Someone else who feels the same way I do about belt drives and will post it for all to see.<br /><br />I have been "trying" to run a belt drive since getting a replacement frame from Spot. They sold me the entire belt system at cost, otherwise I would have just stuck with a chain. Even at cost the CDS was expensive and I couldn't find replacement parts anywhere. I started having ratcheting problems from the very beginning and tried everything possible to get the system to work properly.<br /><br />Finally, after a couples months and a lot of frustration I posted a review on my blog. I tried to be as fair as possible and mentioned the pros as well as the cons. To their credit, within a couple days of my post, a representative from Gates posted a comment and suggested I contact him. I did and was treated to some impressive customer service. He warrantied my belt and had some suggestions to get the new one working. Long story short, it worked for one race and a couple rides. The ratcheting came back with a vengeance at Raystown Lake and I have gone back to my chain.<br /><br />I have found very few comprehensive reviews of the Carbon Drive. Most are brief rides at trade shows and these are woefully inadequate to judge the long term reliability of the system. I imagine most people who have bought into the Carbon Drive have had problems similar to me and Guitar Ted. It would be great to hear from the rest of you.Toddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02060374591974736889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12831567.post-70294716243342202482010-08-27T08:33:10.379-05:002010-08-27T08:33:10.379-05:00Let's not forget that we also need to have a s...Let's not forget that we also need to have a special frame that "opens" between the seatstay and chainstay to allow the belt to get into the rear triangle. I think the whole thing is just too complicated. <br />Surly chainring, 15 dollar chain, decent cog is all we need. <br />AriArihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13083766829086663770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12831567.post-59602688889814704182010-08-27T07:42:24.473-05:002010-08-27T07:42:24.473-05:00@Wally Kilburg: Excellent point! I have to say tha...@Wally Kilburg: Excellent point! I have to say that I too am amazed that it works there, but not on a bicycle. I theorize that it has something to do with the tooth profile. A motorcycle has no issues with the way teeth on a belt engage and disengage a cog. However; I wonder if efficiency of a bicycle rider is negatively impacted by too aggressive a profile on the belt and mating cog. That may increase the likelihood of success in terms of eliminating ratcheting, noise, and belt wandering, but may negatively impact efficiency in terms of the rider. <br /><br />Causing a power loss due to belt engagement on a bicycle would not be acceptable either, so that may be the root cause of the issues they face with bicycles.Guitar Tedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10960580677548417562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12831567.post-53787476269327600842010-08-27T06:43:22.294-05:002010-08-27T06:43:22.294-05:00I'm not a bicycle belt drive guy but belts are...I'm not a bicycle belt drive guy but belts are used in motorcycles with very high torque applications. I'm sort of amazed that they can't get something to work for a bike.Wallyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10702260247824786727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12831567.post-67012774480357252852010-08-27T06:08:26.968-05:002010-08-27T06:08:26.968-05:00Word.
Belts belong on trousers.
Chains work fine...Word.<br /><br />Belts belong on trousers.<br /><br />Chains work fine, especially with that beautiful only-to-be-found-on-a-SS straight chainline. I barely ever have to even oil my chain, let alone clean it, and even top quality chains are (almost) dirt cheap.<br /><br />This was a solution seeking a problem. Or maybe creating a problem?kurisuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14062701880558062949noreply@blogger.com