belt drive in winter
 

HI,

I’m looking to buying a bike with a belt drive (supported by a 500/14 Rohloff internal gear hub). Has anyone got any experience in using it in winter conditions?

I’ve never used this type of drive (a belt or a Rohloff hub), although I did run a chain-driven Shimano Nexus internal gear hub on my commuter in winter and was quite happy with it, and would like to avoid any issues which may pop up in winter. The winter conditions I’m having in mind include: sticky snow, sand, debris, slush, water mixed with salt, ice-dissolving agents or anything that you may possible find on a road, sub-zero temperatures (up to -20 degrees Celsius/32 degrees Fahrenheit) and (black)ice-covered/slippery surfaces. The bike will be also kept in sub-zero temperatures for most of the day albeit in an enclosed space. So far, I’ve read this*, but it’s been a while ever since and I’m wondering if anything has changed in this respect or maybe I should make up my mind towards a Rohloff internal hub driven by a chain?

Any input would be appreciated.

Thank you,
T


* it turns out I can't post URLs
bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/5380/how-do-belt-drives-perform-with-snow
bicycles.stackexchange.com/a/29669

Hi Thomas,

i have exactly the setup you are inquiring and have ridden my Rohloff/Gates combination for two winter seasons now without any negative effects. Currently the bike has 9000km, all commuting in any weather.
Only the -20C I can't match as the coldest we've seen so far was -11C. And of course the combo made it through without a hitch.
Still sporting the original belt and beltring. The only thing I had to fix were the eggbeaters and swap brake shoes. (yes, I commute on clickies and MTB shoes)
I also have yet to clean my bike (i know, i know a clean bike is a fast bike, bla bla) and yet, no problems.

Very satisfied and happy with my setup and expecting many more years of worry free commutes.

Thomas

Nope, but I thought a belt in a chain case would be ideal ,
a chain in a chain case rarely gets oiled ,
and hiding the belt keeps grit from getting at it and wearing the cog wheels,
and ice jamming it, when exposed,

and wont say 'steal this bike' so loudly, either.

I've read some reviews regarding the belt drive that it doesn't work well in the snow and ice will clog up the system and render it inoperable. I've not any first-hand experience. I had contemplated on getting something like this until I read the reviews.

A friend and I have plenty of experience with belt drive in winter. The belts are ride and forget. We both run a Gates belt drive with center track, and the drive has always "just worked". There's nothing to clean or to lube. My friend parks outdoors sometimes, but hasn't ever commented about snow clogging the belt. I've not had any problems either. Belt in winter has been good for us.

No experience w/Rohloff though. My and my friend's hubs are Shimano Nexus and Nuvinci N330.

For context, we live in a snow belt region near Lake Superior. We routinely have 2-3 feet of accumulated snow on the ground. We are one of the top snow regions in Michigan. He and I do short commutes of 1-3 miles, and less often we do longer rides in winter that might hit eight or ten miles. My bike is almost always parked inside, whereas he will sometimes leave his out all day.

Thanks for your useful answers and interesting input. :thumb:
I've been also wondering about using an internal gear hub (Rohloff in my case) driven by a chain encased in a chain glider, but I'm not sure about the friction between the chain and the case itself, and noise generated by it.

If I could ask you a few more questions.

What is the bike frame made of?
What type of brakes is used and how would you assess their work under the conditions in question?
Do you use dynamo-powered lights? If so what dynamo is it? Have you come across any trouble using the whole system in winter? If you run/know of a lighting system based on different source of power which you find better-suited for winter conditions, please let me know too.

Not sure which of us you are directing your questions to, but in my case: 1) Aluminum frame, 2) Disk brakes, and they are fine, and 3) I have dynamo now, but only just got them.

I have a belt drive with Alfine Hub for my winter bike. I love the belt and unreservedly recommend it for winter. Zero problems over two harsh winters. I'm not thrilled with the fussiness of the 8 speed Alfine. maybe I should simplify to a 3 speed? I had a single speed which was great maintenance-wise but found I needed more options depending on conditions.