Belts Are The BEST Bicycle Drivetrain Available (Epic Testing!)
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- Опубликовано: 7 июн 2024
- I've just given this belt drive video a 2023 update, please click on through for the latest information: • Belts Are Now BETTER T...
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0:00 - Intro
1:00 - What Is Belt Drive?
1:33 - Why Are Belts The Best Drivetrain?
2:40 - What Are The Downsides To Belt Drive?
5:05 - How Does Belt Drive Feel To Ride?
5:18 - How Do You Repair A Belt?
5:44 - When Do You Know A Belt Is Worn?
6:15 - Chain vs Belt Resistance
7:41 - Belt Maintenance
8:27 - Belt Tension
9:15 - Do Belts Destroy Bearings?
9:48 - Can You Modify A Frame For Belt Drive?
10:45 - Summary
I've just given this video a 2023 update, please click on through for the latest belt drive information: ruclips.net/video/PhXTl7gApVA/видео.html
They’ve been keeping my trousers up for over 40 years. So clearly they are a solid choice.
I went with a chain, doing just as good a job as my regular belt👍🏽 I'll let you know when i get to 40 how it went.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂
... and have you tried a chain?
😂
Chains are better then belt because you can take your chain off and wear it as a cool necklace.
Well, you got me there. 😎
But you can use your belt..... As a belt! :D
@@roughdude6575 if you can find a belt buckle off a Barbie doll small enough to fit the belt yes😂
🤣
@@theaussienut6346 nah just stretch it around your legs and pull it up till its supportung them baggy pants you got there
i've ridden internally geared hubs for many miles, including rohloff, and they are not going to be right for most cyclists due to heavier drive train and efficiency losses despite the lower maintenance intervals. the belt has two main markets: 1) the few cyclists like yourself who are traversing mongolia and demanding extremely robust drive trains, and 2) clunky dutch-style utility bikes where the user demands near-zero maintenance but plans to keep the bike for a long time. keep in mind that many occasional cyclists treat their bikes as disposable when maintenance issues accumulate, and the higher initial cost of the belt drive w/ gears isn't going to make sense in that market. but i think you did a good job presenting the pros and cons and showing how there would probably be a demand for belts on a few more bikes if people had better information. thanks for your video
Dutch people favor longevity over light weight items, that's why their commuter bikes are made out of steel instead of aluminum.
You are forgetting commuters. I commute about 100 miles a week and intentionally choose a belt/ IGH system due to the low maintenance. Every minute you safe with a lighter derailer system you will spend double and triple on maintenance. An IGH is an excellent choice for everyone except for people that really use bikes for sports. There are reasons why most people shun carbon frames because the advantages don't outweigh the disadvantages. For someone racing the advantages will certainly outweigh the disadvantages. It's always a question what you want to do with your bike. If you want a toy/hobby or just a reliable transport system.
IMHO will chain and derailleur vanish in the long run except for expensive sport bikes and low cost bikes.
its interesting to see people who dont care about society at all 😂
Wouldn't call my bike clunky, but it's Dutch for sure. It's a very light single-speed with a CDX. I use it for my daily commute. The most efficient bicycle I ever had. Cost-effective too!
Or for someone who uses a bicycle for daily commuting, and wants to do as little maintenance on it as that required on a car. My commuting bike is heavier than my road bikes, but is neither clunky nor Dutch-style
Built myself a commuter / touring bike with belt drive and internal gears and I couldn't be happier. Belt drive is so silent! No need to worry about lubing anything, no noises and creaks coming out of the drivetrain, it's so amazing!
Could you tell me what parts you used please?
@@jonathanwickett7028 i've built it on soma wolverine with shimano alfine 11 hub and crankset, sprocket, chainring and belt from gates. Can't remember the exact specifics, i've just followed the guidelines on FAQ of soma website.
I've gone back to "normal" external gears since then though. Even thought the belt drive was silent and maintenance free, I couldn't help feeling the internal hub was slowing me down and I noticed that if I want to keep up with my friends, I've had to struggle way more.
I still miss the maintenance free aspect and the silence from time to time, maybe some day i'll try rohloff hub instead of alfine.
Me: about to sleep
RUclips: Why belt drivetrain is better
Me: well, I guess I need to find out
I don't even have a bike... yet.
Now I have one 😅
@@andreincu good for you:)
@@andreincu is it belt drive?
@@pufferz6788 Nup. I don't cycle that much, yet. 😁
“Belts are lighter than chains.”
XC Mountain Bikers: I’ll TaKe YoUr EnTiRe sToCk
Me: Laughing in downhill mtb😂😂😂
They're also less efficient, costly, and have limited gearing options.
Downhill riders laugh in singlespeed
Alex Paulsen exacely. If you want to lose as much power as possible... use belt
Yes if it has a gear, or it will be waste for mountainbiking
Great advice on the squeak. I had that issue on my tour last summer. I kept adjusting my belt tension thinking it was too loose. It blows my mind to see how loose you run yours. Great video, thanks.
Thanks for the video. It brings back memories riding my 8 geared Gates belt driven Cube Hyde few years back ☺️
I have brown cycling shoes, can I wear these with a black belt, or do I need to match them?
well... does it mean that u're rocking a brown chain now?
Ha ha 🤣
and your tie must go just below the belt
Get some black shoes, you don't want to look like a prole.
Lol 😂
What about the weight of the internal gearbox system compared to the derailleurs and standard chain? Weighing just the belt against the chain doesn't show the whole picture.
you would also need to add in the componenets needed for a bike chain and compare the two.
He added the drive chain go back to when he weighed them and look at the items in the scales
@@3LGang2L your just referring to chain against belt. you would need to compare the chain system with the three different parts - derailer, the casset etc ,etc and compare it to the belt with gearbox. its almost impossible to do that. you would need to buy 2 bikes as same model and retro fit to compare.
simply comparing belt to chain isnt enough.
@Stephen Cho
Overall weight is vital for road bikes, not so much for commuter bikes
People are probably going to boo me but you could totally use nylon or delrin (polyoxymethylene) pulleys and gears with a belt system instead of steel to reduce weight. I've seen delrin gears that can handle 5kw easily and a bike isn't even close to that kind of power.
Thank you for the advice regarding using silicone on the belt to eliminate squeaking. The manufacturer says to use no lubrication, but this video emboldened me to try silicone and it works perfectly. If you're ever touring through the American Southwest, lunch is on me.
Glad to hear it worked! I'm still very happy with the treadmill lubricant.
...Great informative video! Thankyou. All my questions answered in just one video. Happy days!
Epic cycling flex for the intro of this one. "Listen, I've biked to the north and South Pole, across the Sahara desert, up and down Everest..."
Hello
I'd like to contact with you....
Could you please share me any type of contact?
If you've done it, it ain't bragging.
Just pointing out his qualifications.
now he just needs to ride upside down ruclips.net/video/JwBMz1nffu8/видео.html
Your personality is amazing, watching your videos is informing and fun
Many thanks!
I am an automatic door technician and most automatic sliding doors use a belt system. When we start getting noise from the belt what we use is CRL wax lubricant its like a tube of wax that has a lubricant mixed into it. It works really well and may be worth a try because it is probably more likely to stay put on the belt of a bike than the lubes you talked about.
@@Arnold-Larsen Not necessarily. Things like grease and wax are "sticky" but are a lubricant that reduce friction.
For a belt, you also need a gearbox. The Rohloff Standard Speedhub Touring is $1600. Now add a specialty frame, specialty belt, and specialty sprocket and specialty chain wheel. If you use it for commute, touring, or general transportation, you will need secure parking to ensure nobody steals it. The system is heavier and significantly less efficient, so they are never going to make it anywhere weight and performance are drivers, which is typically where the money is spent. Most looking for a touring bike, are looking for ruggedness, and being supported worldwide. As things stand, the system only makes sense for what the author does, and those like him willing to ride an unsupported system worldwide. That is a minuscule market. I loathe chains and derailleurs as much as the next guy, but belt drives will need to get within a Texas mile of the chain drives on price before they can invade any area of significant volume.
awfully its true :(
This is fair, I suppose he did say the best available, not the best value or best in all situations, but I have to say he cannot be right about best commuter bike if it's this expensive.
I bought a belt driven, city bike last year. So I'd consider the advantages, if you buy new.
@@normanproske9151 what price did you land ? they are way to expensive over here :(
i rather buy an good e-bike
Great video! Low maintenance is key. As much as I love tinkering with my bikes I wish they didn't need quite as much attention to be in top shape. Specifically the drivetrain.
Looking forward to your next touring video! Stay safe.
Great video, so informative and spot on! I love my BMC Alpenchallenge and have done 12000+ on it on commute rides. So good. I love my chain bikes too but the versatility of this type of drivetrain is just amazing. Thanks!
Thanks for your videos, always full of data and feedback 🙏🏻
I had a Harley with a belt drive back in 06. Very smooth riding motorcycle. May try the belt drive bicycle. When I see you hauling it across some desert, it does tend to inspire me to get off my ass! Thanks!
Not my thing, but I see where they're beneficial. A lot of good information here. Thanks for giving the cons as well as the pros.
Awesome content! I appreciate that you gave a clear description of your experience and experiences. I've done well over 100,000 ks all weather commuting on chains but I think you just turned me "belt curious".
A really good explanation around the advantages of belt drive push bikes. Well done I enjoyed it and confirmed what I already believed about belt drive riding. Bobby
Well hell...learned a lot! Thank you..
As for myself..not quite ready for belt drive ...yet. ☺
If I took epic rides like yourself, then absolutely. Thanks for posting
Cyclists of the world unite: you have nothing to lose but your chains.
and derailleur, frame, and cassette.....
^^^^
:-)))))
i see what you did, there ! ;-)
well played.
Super nice as usual! Great info!
Great video, I fully agree as my Gates belt runs now 25k km combined wit A Rohloff in 5 years without any problem, only the rear cock was replaced after 22k km because the teeth got sharp. I would never ever go back to chain because of the maintance, dirt, oil and replacement.
I've never had to replace a rear cock... I'm only aware of the cocks in front, that's all I've got. Two cocks might be cool but I'm content with just the one.
You've got me contemplating it now!
So basically I'm getting the disadvantages of both by using a chain drive with a 3 speed hub.
yes
Lol I think you’re right on that one
It's pretty good solution for commuter bike where low maintenance and longevity are main priorities. Gear hub doesn't get any dirt or water inside so it should last 50 000 km or so. Single-speed chain is wider and more durable than multi-speed one, also when both gears are at the same plane (chain doesn't bend to the side) chain wear is much lower. So why not!
@@allmycircuits8850 Funny you should say that, it's a Columbia *Commuter* 3. It's been incredibly reliable, until the 50 year old rear tire gave up recently this summer.
If you've got an enclosed chain guard on your bike so water and grit don't get into the links and a good quality hub, you've actually got a very pretty reliable system that can go for decades with very little hassle.
I've had my first Gates CDX for a few weeks now. I LOVE it! Combined with Shimano Nexus 8 speed. Superb.
Great product, easy to clean -worked out great !
I have been riding and occasionally travel on bike for 20 years. Never convinced by belt like this before. Great job!!
This is actually a human being. A slim one but I think you're being a little harsh.
I have both a Bike Friday Tikit with a belt and Alfine 11 and a Soma Wolverine with a belt and Rohloff hub. Both have been very durable and great in tough weather. On a tour last year on muddy trails my friend’s front derailleur seized up while my Wolverine has no drivetrain problems.
Everybody gangsta until shimano releases belt 10 speed
Di2 belt drivetrain
@@maryhayes7574 gates is compatible with the Di2 variants of the alfine series so that already exists
But shimano will be way more expensive 😱
everybody gangsta until something USABLE AND ADVANTAGEOUS shows up.
Cheers on the excellently done video. I am not a bike tourer so i am not convinced it is better for me. But i see how when you are going long distances, the increased reliability is a very big deal.
I've had my eyes on belt drive for a while now, definitely going to be the go when i get my next touring bike
Excellent well balanced content ... well done !
so damn right I've been using this gates belt and they are rock!!
Very informative, and great presentation. Thank you! 🙏🏻
Why am I watching this? I can't even remember the last time I rode a bike. I guess that speaks well about your video, huh?
You're missing out
I'm watching this because my (relatively) cheap bike got stolen recently, and I'm looking to get into the small details of bikes and their upkeep and such. But I don't think this video will help me much in that regard, so I guess I'm in the same place as you!
I learned that bike chains get longer over time, which I didn't know before...
Wow!
Your knowlwdge, and matter of fact info. Just fantastic!
Thank you kindly!
❤ this commitment for a test. Thank you 😂
And I have just purchased my FIRST one of these great products and have put maybe a hundred miles on my new bike. I am here to tell you belt drive is the way to go. Quiet, smooth, long lasting and strong is what I am looking forward to. You have a fan here.
This channel is soo underrated! Fantastic vid!
Many thanks! It's super niche info so I'm definitely not expecting this channel to blow up. 😂
@@Cyclingabout some is super niche, but some is just really captivating stuff like watching NatGeo, your Galapagos video was excellent
I'm glad it's captivating! 🙏🏼
good quality video - thanks for all the info ...am definitely belt-curious
My Strida has a belt drive from the beginning, 34 years ago. Awesome trip video...
super informative, just what I needed to know, thanks
I have no idea why I'm watching this, but the scenery is amazing. Good shit.
Amazing! I have been riding my steel frame huffy 10 speed and I've been thinking of the most AWESOME new age upgrade for a vintage bike. This would definitely make a sick bike upgrade!
Cool, I'm considering a belt drive. Your vid. Was very informative TKS cheers
Well put together 👍
You're quite the cycle encyclopaedia, Alee! Bravo!
en *cyclo* pedia
I am currently at 35,000k on my belt drive pinion gearbox and brother is 38,000k each of us on the same belt. Good on you for this video, we completely agree with your findings and also run a looser belt with no problems on ridiculously heavy loaded bikes in all terrains. Can't stress enough having a correctly built bike that doesn't flex sidways for a belt drive. Had a single speed like that, with problems breaking and skipping belts constantly. Current single speed never happened even once on a looser belt. Personally I destroyed 3 rohloff hubs in a row quickly. They told me there is a weight/watts limit I was going over. Our pinion gearbox never had those problems. Glad to hear your rohloff is still going strong. We enjoy your channel and look forward to the next adventures in usa.
Those are big numbers! 💪🏼
World traveling and long daily commutes😆
can you use wax as a lube for belts like they do with chains?
"Personally I destroyed 3 rohloff hubs in a row quickly. "
Ruh-roh! And I've heard in several forums that the Rohloff is tandem capable. As someone who has destroyed six rear hubs (3 Hugi/DT, 1 LX, 2 Phil Wood) on our mountain tandem, this is concerning. I think it'll be chain drive & Chris King whenever that Ventana is finally ordered!
Oilcan racer you and your brother have put 35k and 38k on the same belt? You guys must have a pretty good schedule to swap that much🤣
I’ve owned a Trek District belt drive for many years and love it
Great video , absolute belter.
I've had 3 belt drive bikes, the gates belts both developed a small amount of asymetric stretch, but also outlasted any chain I've ever used. The 3rd bike was the ikea sladda, the continental belt failed after only 10 months. Im very happy with my belt bikes
Continental belt was recalled and discontinued.
So...You have 3 belt bikes. 2 of them had belt stretch issues, and the other failed after 10 months. But your still happy with belts.
If I had 3 of 3 fails, I would not be happy.
@@ratoneJR His 2 other belts failed *eventually* ... but only after lasting much longer than any chain would have. Did you skip that part?
@@ratoneJR my 1st generation gates belt stretched and eventually wore out after e years of year round riding. My 2nd generation gates is still going strong after an initial break -in stretch, 2 years on. Very happy with that one
Outstanding balanced content ... well done !!
Love your work.
I put many miles on my chain driven trek. Had it 15 years in Atlanta, ga. And about 7 years in Florida, leaving it on the porch. Rust finally got the spokes, chain was sworn, but fully functional when I bought my first ebike.
Well balanced message! Great!
ah yes, a 10 minute biased video that almost entirely talks about how belts are better than chains, which the overwhelming majority of cyclists have used for decades, is the epitome of balance!
@@NeutralGenericUser How could the video have been improved?
@@NeutralGenericUser more like 100 years
I raise my hat to you, my friend! Great video! All the questions I had about belts answered ... A very enthusiastic thumb up from me!
Awesome! Thank you!
Well said dude! I run belt on my MTB for over 4 years now (with Pinion) and will never go back to chain/derailleur.
@@moa-wg3bo No! The main reason is that an internal geared rear hub is not good for MTB due to the additional unsprung mass at the rear wheel. The Pinion gearbox solves this! The belt is also great with mud, so... Check my videos! 😉
Brilliant content :)
Good findings dude... keep going...
In August 2016 I was crossing the Atacama desert in Chile. I clearly remember passing by a cyclist slowly pedaling up a slope with a bike just like yours. Could that by any chance be you? It was a particularly boiling hot and dry day. I also remember praying to the crazy packed up cyclist in the middle of the desert (who waved at me by the way, as if just on a casual stroll. LOL). What an amazing landscape. Hope you got out of there ok, or the other member of your hardcore surviving adventurers club.
Thanks for advice & presentation.
Very good review thanks
I have 2 bikes with Gates belt drive (SS and Shimano Alfine). Love them so much =)
"this content is not sponsored" too bad, because this is some one off real world testing to say the least
Just imagine, all the thousands of dollars I spent on belt drive parts could have been spent on craft beer!
@@Cyclingabout man, you would be still drunk in the developing countries.
Top informational - Thank you for that 👏
I truly love m belt drive on my Priority 600, fewer tools to carry, easy to clean up at any time, just a little water. Great bike for touring quiet and reliable.
This man is living the dream 😍
You are the black belt of bikepacking
Thanks for the video. As I have no firsthand experience with belts, I can't compare the two.
Very good informative video !
Videos like this are very needed! Thanks!
My feeling are "Belts are bleeeee!" and I need to listen to experience so if I had to choose someday, I can skip my feelings and decide based on facts :)
Appreciate your review. You have tested them more than anyone. Has to be the future.
seeing the places you roam, goodness gracious; i will call you a "MAD NOMAD"
Thanks. Detail info i like
I weigh approx. 110 kg. Nice that me and my bike can be 300 g lighter.
The sun weighs 1,989*10^30kg.Nice that you and your bike can be 3*10^-1kg lighter!
A photon's rest mass is 0. Nice that you and your bike can be infinite times lighter!
Take a 300 gr weight and try to maintain a t-pose. What hand falls first and how much time it took?
@@sirnikkel6746 both at the same time because it got boring before it ever became an issue. For reference I did it for a bit over an hour while watching TV. Both arms felt the same
Your bike can make you more than 300 g lighter depending on how you use it
I never knew that being "belt-curious" is a thing
Welcome! 😂
Sounds like BDSM to me!😈
So, how is it possible, why do the pants dont fall down, how you wear that jeans??
b-curious.
you are a beast of a biker. kudos.
I’m convinced. I’ll get one for my next purchase.
I have been riding a Gates belt drive at hight speed for my city commuter for a while. The belt lost its teeth after about 15-20k km. The resulting repair cost was around 350€. From my experience a Campagnolo chain does last me roughly the same distance and is cheaper to replace.
Advantage of the belt drive - no greasing required even after heavy rain rides. So no maintenance in between.
Disadvantage - you can't shift with pressure on the pedals, you have to time your shifting and take pressure from the pedals.
I have enjoyed my belt driven urban bike but have a chain driven gravel bike as a commuter now and like it better.
15-20k out of a chain is really impressive
15-20k km from a chain is borderline magical...
I'm lucky to get 4000-5000km without overstretching the chain
Yep, was really impressed myself. It was an original campa Veloce 10 speed chain. The last year I used it, I checked it constantly for signs of wear (lengthening) but it just kept on flying through my gears like a charm. I've sold that bike to a friend when it was around 15k km and told her the chain and cassette would need to be changed soon, she kept on riding for another whole year.
I'm on a campy Chorus 11-speed system now and at around 10k km now, without any sign of lengthening. Hoping this will last just as long.
I'm living in a really flat part of my country, so I never climb hills really, but I'm a fairly strong rider and go mostly for short, high intensity training (40-100km). For what it's worth. Maybe the lack of climbs plays a role.
On the other hand, I've lengthened numerous cheap chains on city bikes in the matter of 2000-4000 km
That repair cost seems excessive for just a belt replacement...
@@moczikgabor they replaced the front and rear sprocket with it. They said they didn't look good anymore and would likely reduce the life expectancy of the new belt.
I am not interested in changing to belt drive on my pedal bike, yet it was very interesting to listen to such experiences and conclusions. Informative journalism, pioneering knowledge sharing and a truly epic endurance testing of the belt drivetrain indeed.
i want a belt driven bike now, thanks for another great vid
lot of respect and envy towards your unflinching passion
I've done more than 100.000 miles with the same belt on my 106 cubic inches 1000 pounds motorcycle and it still looks good for another 100.000 miles... :-)
Comparing with a shaft drive, my previous mount, a German Beemer, each shaft axle lasted about 40.000 kilometres, so I had to change it three time in less than one belt drive lasted on a much more heavy and torquey bike... :-)
I hope my current KTM Duke 690 had one to instead of its messy, noisy and dirty chain...
This was incredibly informative, thank you! I honestly had no idea belt drive was used for ultra distance cycling like this but it makes total sense!
I love my belt drive Trek Lync. Its very clean Shifting and Zippy. Alifine 8 speed. Fantastic Bike.
Gates makes performance timing belts used on lots of racecars, really good company 👌👌
Thank you, the most in depth and informative overview of belts I have ever seen, and with your real world experience, very good. Really makes me want to try it, but then I think, if I like it, I would have to replace 3 bikes :)
This man has spent more time pooping outdoors in exotic locations than any other man!
First thought meme.
Second thought, excellent content and loved the video!
His belt drive functions as a full functioning half bath.
I've had my Co-Motion ten years and traveled a lot with it. Looking at the options for a new Americano with a. Rohloff or Pinion gave me massive sticker shock. The Pinion option adding more than I paid for my bicycle.
Terrific job
16 now, got my touring bike last summer, and thought that my Deore derailleur system was already pretty fancy. Now I found out that there are rear wheel hubs costing more than my whole bike... Still love my bike though.
Invest in some thread locker for that Deore. Jus' sayin'.
Whatever bike you have, someone else has a more expensive one. Don't fret about cost too much. If it does what you want it to do, and you enjoy riding it, cost isn't that important.
@@another3997 Yeah. I modified around a bit and now I couldn't imagine it being any better.
The very second you reach for your wallet, there's something better you 'should' have bought.
@@jthepickle7 Nah don't regret my desicions a single bit. I ride that thing every day and it's perfect. The only bad desicion I made was buying Magura brakes. Horrible. Just switched to some nice Shimanos.
Some intresting suggestions. Getting the high belt tension was a big issue for me back in the day. I might give the Gates another try. Although derailleurs setups have become so good the last couple of years, I hardly ever pick the Rohloff any more these days as it feels heavy and slow.
Best Explained 🖤
Very well done presentation!! So professional, and thorough! Thanks for doing this!