don’t get me wrong — i think a belt-drive bike is fucking AWESOME-looking, and would not only be SILENT, but likely lighter, too. (debatable, because of thicker chainwheel and cog, but still, it could happen.) it may also have easier maintenance (again, debatable, but maybe), and it definitely looks fucking COOL.

but i’m wondering what’s maybe the obvious — is it STRONG enough? if i’m riding a belt-driven fixie and i torque backwards to affect subtle speed changes, is my drivetrain going to skip? do i have new concerns now, specifically regarding the lifespan of the belt? is a carbon/teflon/adamantium belt actually more expensive than a chain? HOW THE FUCK DO I CHANGE IT? it’s not like it has a master link or something. i mean, on a frame that’s MADE for a belt, such as the above, you can see they’ve heavily modded the drops to actually create a gap through which you can mount the belt, but on conversions or otherwise, you’d have to have at least one of your drops converted, or be handy with a welder.

i’ve got mixed emotions. on the one hand, i love it. on the other, i fear it. and the american way to react to fear is to hate it. HERE’S the link — you can decide for yourself.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Follow this topic in the R3 Forum here!

Related posts:

1. f8t Offering Belt-Drive Customs
2. Want the Sweetest Belt-Drive Bike Around?
3. Bike Technology Makes Self Retreat, Sound Old, Bitter