Originally Posted by
Thulsadoom
I'm wondering how that would be done. Would it be a simple matter of cutting out a piece of the seat stay and making some sort of coupler? Would it be a screw together coupler? Or a sleeve of some sort?
I'd like to think I can take my current Trek 520 frame and do this modification (or have it done), in order to convert to a belt.
Anyone?
I've seen one single S&S coupler on a seatstay -- undo it and simply spread the stay barely wide enough to get the belt through. Also, a couple different systems with some kind of bolt(s) holding the chainstay together at a break for the belt by the rear dropout.
I work in a Trek shop and have to deal with belt systems on a semi-regular business. Most of the issues are noise related -- people expect dead quiet, but if alignment or tension is off, there will be noise. PITA figuring various objectionable noises out and fixing them.
Also, frame flex is an issue. There's a couple of carbon SS Superfly 29ers with belt drive out there and users have had issues with belt slippage and belts coming off usually the rear cog under high torque situations.
Builders should also keep in mind that cogs and belt-rings are much wider than their chain drive counterparts which needs to be taken into account around places like the bb/drive side chainstay, especially considering alinment between front and rear cogs, i.e. belt-line has to be near perfect.
More headaches than benefits IMHO...