Shiseiji

I only live 3.25 mi from work in N. VA (NOVA to those in the area), all paved. I've decided I want to invest in trying to ride and get off the bike and walk into work over 3 seasons. Other wise the logistics of the ride just eat up too much time. So I'm looking for a 7 or 8 speed speed IGH belt drive bike that will take 35 tires. I'm 6'1"/73" and am up to 230 hence the desire to get moving again. The Fuji frame is too small, I don't want to pour more $ into it, and I don't really want to cut Schwinn for the belt. So I'm soliciting opinions.

TIA

I-Like-To-Bike

Why not forget the belt drive? Your choice in bikes will be infinitely larger and no doubt less expensive at no loss in comfort or reliability. A belt drive will add little or no value to your commute.

fietsbob

Dont be locked into big wheels and Bike Friday has 2 versions with the belt.

can be made to your size.. both [Tikit & Silk] fold,
so the bike wont have to sit outside where the Jealous Vandals do what they do.


But yea Gates belt drive gets the bike, any with, up around $2K, or more..

peterwhitecycles has the German Tout Terrain frames, they have a split stay Belt drive version.

CoMotion another Oregon frame building bike company has them too..

PaulRivers

There aren't a ton of options, so mostly you can just search the internet for "belt drive bike". The Trek Soho was the first one that popped up for me.

For a 3.25 mile commute, that seems good to me. Civia also makes a road bike with a belt drive -
https://www.civiacycles.com/bikes/bryant/

But honestly, if you're not riding in the winter I don't know that it's worth the cost. I live in Minnesota, and ride in the winter, and bought an internal hub bike (would have bought a belt drive if they had been out already, probably) because of all the sand and stuff on the road.

But for 3 season commuting, I would probably just stick with a normal bike with a chain. That's what I use for my summer commuter. Something with a chain guard to keep the chain from getting on your pants. If you're going to ride in the rain then fenders and you might need to add a little oil to the chain at the end of the ride (note that I said "add" - you don't need to clean the chain, just add some oil to keep it from squeaking next ride).

Some people make a huge neurotic deal out of cleaning their chain, but it's not really necessary. I rode a bike in college without ever doing more than adding oil when the chain got sqeaky, and I rode it for years without issue. Any incredibly minor loss in efficiency isn't any more than you're going to get with a belt drive. I'd just save myself a LOT of money and buy a regular bike with a chain.

Shiseiji

Idea for the belt was to try and minimize the logistics. It's 100% time management. And I'm a sucker for traditional diamond frames LOL. Though I suspect my back would be happier with the taller steering tube. As a reference I ride a Brooks B-190

Federal Building, we can't bring the bikes in the building but I get away with leaving my beater Huffy with an old Shimano 333 in the garage for runs around Old Town so I'll probably leave it there during the day.

I volunteer at our local bicycle coop, helping out during open shop and teaching basic maintenance, so knowledge isn't the issue. I wanted to see if others knew of any bikes my Google quires didn't bring up, I'll be taking a look at Bike Friday, so I know I missed at least one and hence the question.

I wear a suit, and there are some full chain guards out there, but I thought it was worth asking to see if others knew of bikes where I could avoid the whole issue. I'm toying with the idea of a Civia Twin City Step-Over but the welded on rack is a detractor when I have a nice Topeak bag/pannier I can just quickly unclip and bring into the office.

Maybe I'll just end up building something. I've been looking for an excuse to get an oxy/acetylene torch, this might be it. I've got a 60cm Japanese steel frame, darn name on the badge is escaping me at the moment, sitting in the garage. Trouble with that is I'm sure I'm sure it's 120 mm and I'd have to spread it for the IGH. Something else I was hoping to avoid LOL. Anyway, thanks, and I'll be watching for any other ideas that pop up. Fortunately I not in a time crunch.


s

Steely Dan

if money is no object, i'd seriously consider this if i were you:

The ultimate belt drive/IGH/hydraulic dis brake bike

Shiseiji

Sweet, but I'm strictly middle class. The majority in the House of Representatives Congress has decided that all federal employees are pond-scum sucking leaches, so I'm not biting off anything that I can't manage with cash and that bike is wayyyyyy out of my league. I've got money saved for this beast, but no more avoidable debt. Businesses aren't the only group that would like a bit of certainty.

R

babaluey

I've been riding a Spot Ajax for the past year and am pretty happy with it. Alfine 8 speed, Gates belt and disc brakes. It's great not having to worry about cleaning/lubing a chain. Mine came with 32mm tires, will probably take 35.

dynaryder

They don't make those anymore.

Shiseiji: there was an Ixi bike on eBay not long ago,from somewhere in NoVa. Not a traditional bike,but 4spd IGH,belt drive,front disc/rear coaster. If you're only using the front brake for panic stops,then pretty much all you'd have to do with it is put air in the tires. I think it was also a breakaway model,so you could just bag it up and take it inside with you.

Otherwise,a belt really isn't going to do much for you unless you're putting in serious miles in wet weather/road salt. With an IGH you can run a chain guard which coupled with full fenders will keep a chain pretty clean.

erg79

If you're not married to getting a belt drive, you might want to consider a Torker Graduate. 5-speed Sturmey-Archer hub, drum brakes. Put on a chain guard and you should be good to go.

fietsbob

apparently the Irony of that has not had them sending back their Checks to lower the budget, just the cut other guys.

plenty to go play War games off Korea, and Fly 2 B2's mid air refueled a few times there and back.

[P&R mode off/]

The German Hebie company Makes a decent low friction plastic chain cover .
[fits Shimano's IGH 38 or 42t chainring]

you can still chew up trouser legs in those Belt drive, because it's still exposed.

Wilfred Laurier

if you are wearing suit pants you are likely also wearing socks

tuck your right pant leg into your sock and untuck it when you arrive

although chainguards are easy to come by these days

nstarrider

I've been looking for same. Here's one that appeals to me. I haven't found anywhere around here to test ride.

https://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/life...-sport-dlx-13/

I-Like-To-Bike

Something doesn't add up. Either you want to save time or you don't.
Bike chains require as much time as you feel like spending on them from nothing except a 10 second spray of lubricant every other month or so (my choice), or an ungodly amount of time cleaning and futzing for the OCD crowd.
You will never spend the time on chains that you will building a bike just to use a belt drive.

megalowmatt

I was going to suggest the Ajax or Acme. Great looking bikes.

But yeah, needing belt drive is limiting and costly.

tjspiel

Hmmm. Spend hours doing something challenging and fun to avoid spending time on something dull.

Adds up just fine.

Breathegood

Not much love out there for the belt drive bikes....primarily from those that have not put significant miles on one. My belt drive will be one year old this month and has ~1700 miles on it. I don't care how easy anyone says it is to maintain a chain driven bike, the belt bike is easier. PERIOD! I currenlty have four chains and one belt. Over the last year, the belt bike has bar far seen the most miles, and has still required less maintainence than any of my chain driven bikes except the SS. Granted, some of that also has to do with the IGH vs. derailleurs, but the belt drive is cleaner, smoother, quieter, longer lasting, and easier to maintain. I keep all my bikes clean and well maintained, and the belt drive makes the rest seem like dirty, noisey, grease sloppers. No calf tats. No need to tuck in a pant leg or find the perfect length of velcro strap. No need to keep the garage stocked with degreasers and lubricants. All I've had to use on my belt is a hose and a rag, and the rag could be considered a luxury.

If I were looking for a new commuter, I would be looking at a Spot Ajax, Acme, or Sprawl. Spot's sliding vertical dropout makes flat repair and belt tension a snap. Spot also worked closely with Gates in developing the belt drive, so the bikes are designed with a belt drive in mind and not as a quirky afterthought. I've personally seen and inspected a few Spot bicycles and they are a quality piece of craftmenship.

If you want to have drop handlebars, there are a couple of shifter solutions for IGH. I have the JTek bar end shifter with the Shimano Alfine 8sp hub, and the combination has worked fantastic. The only complaint that I have with the JTek shifter is that the paddle is about 1 cm too long for my taste, but it is a solidly constructed product. If you want an 11spd hub, Versa makes a brifter for that, but it is expensive. I have no experience with the Versa, so I cannot comment on it's function and build quality.

If you are unfamiliar with removal and replacement of an IGH wheel, it can take a little getting used to compared to a QR with derailleur, but it isn't rocket science. The gear range is not all that different than the compact double I run on my road bike. I get a little spun out on long descents, but I haven't found a hill I couldn't gear down and spin up.

hubcap

Belt-drive bikes galore here:
https://beltbik.es/

I-Like-To-Bike

Got it. One minute a year of maintenance (spraying on a lubrication bimonthly) gets boring after awhile.

Missed the part in the OP where he was looking for a "challenge."

tjspiel

The dude volunteers fixing bikes. I know he says his interest in a belt drive is strictly about time management and logistics but he's also posting on a forum filled with bike enthusiasts, - some of whom can read between the lines.

When you read this, what do you think?

"I've been looking for an excuse to get an oxy/acetylene torch, this might be it."

I think this is somebody that likes to tinker with stuff and learn new skills.

I-Like-To-Bike

I remember that he posted in his OP, "I don't want to pour more $ into it, and I don't really want to cut Schwinn for the belt."
I think if he is looking for a frame building challenge he doesn't know how to express it.

shepherdsflock

Holy dollar signs, Batman! How much does that rig cost?

megalowmatt

It looks like the Alfine 11 is $2700.

https://alexbicycles.com/product/13bm...1-183788-1.htm

spare_wheel

meh...i will raise you about $800 (and an extra $400 for the gates belt conversion):

https://www.orbea.com/es-es/bicicletas/diem-s10/

7 years going and still the most beautiful hybrid on this planet.
(i have the geared version with full ultegra compact and shimano hydraulics)

Shiseiji

Thanks everyone for their input. After all these years on a PC and I still only type about 20 WPM, so I was probably too cryptic and on a forum, well it's a balance.

Time management in the morning. I want to get to work as clean as possible with as little time spent preparing for/recovering from the ride as possible, not have to stock shirts and pants at work, etc. I'm lucky, I have an office but just not enough room for clothes. Yea, many would consider me lazy. Whatever.

The money deal is with the Fuji in specific as the frame is too small. I don't want to put more into it when it will still be too small. So to save time in the mornings, I'm willing to spend a reasonable amount on a bike knowing that others need to put food on the table just like I do. Enlightened self interest I can handle, it's greed I can't. I'm not married to the idea of a belt, but if you don't ask, you'll never learn.

I really like the looks of the Norco Cityglide but the only on-line vendor I found is sold out of the large frame and no dealer close to me. The Breezer Uptown, chain, oh well, but a nice sale on a couple of sites with a dyno and lights. The Spot looks like a good bike too, I'm running through the spec. sheets to see if it has a lot better group hence the higher cost. The Raleigh is on the list to check out. And the outlyer, just for the look, is a Pashley Roadster. Chain guard included.

Hubcap. thanks, I have been looking at that. I wish more sites used "IGH" and "Belt" as sorting tags. In a perfect world . . . Any additional input is more than welcome. I tried a quick look at the 'Bay, but the listing for the Ixi (abbreviation I don't know?) didn't come up in a search. I'll try the closed auctions later.