Route 66

I bought this bike about a month ago and I think I'm in love. I've been riding a bike for 60+ years and I was hoping to find one that didn't require all the usual maintenance. This is my Spot ACME belt drive bike. It's made in Colorado and has a Gates Carbon drive that's lasts four times as long as a conventional bike because the belt doesn't stretch the way a chain does. It also has a Shimano Alfine 11 speed shifter with the gears sealed inside the rear hub. Because it is belt driven and the gears aren't exposed, the bike is super quiet. The only routine maintenance needed is to do an oil change (50ml) on the rear hub every 7K miles. I'm as pleased as I can be with this thing. No more cleaning and oiling a chain, adjusting a derailleur and hearing a chain ride the gears!

wolfchild

California has such nice weather that bikes ridden over there don't need any maintenance ..Go ride in the Northeast or Canada during winter and I guarantee you that pretty looking bike is going to need maintenance.

Maelochs

It suits your needs and provides you with all the features you desire. You got the right bike.

Good for you.

frogman

[QUOTE=wolfchild;22266209]California has such nice weather that bikes ridden over there don't need any maintenance ..Go ride in the Northeast or Canada during winter and I guarantee you that pretty looking bike is going to need maintenance.[/QUOTE

Trying to figure out whether your sarcastic remark is trolling or you are envious of a bike with a superior drive system than yours.

First of all he didn't say that it didn't need maintenance like you are implying. He indicated it will need less maintenance then a convential chain drive system.

Route 66

Thanks! I ride every morning but it's only for 7 miles, so this bike is perfect for my needs.
10-11-21 05:53 PM

Rolla

You should get out more.

Route 66

Nachoman

[QUOTE=frogman;22266585]I personally don't feel like bicycles are high maintenance. But to each their own. My daughter thinks pumping up her own tires is a big imposition. So I get it.

indyfabz

The former.

Route 66

[QUOTE=Nachoman;22266655]Maybe you'll look at things differently when you're 69 years old.

indyfabz

status confirmed.

That is all.

70sSanO

Nice bike. It is a good alternative to a 1x11 with a RD.

Bike maintenance can be a pain or a hobby. Or maybe it’s a hobby until it becomes a pain. Either way, enjoy!

John

Chuck M 

Seems it never rains in southern California
Seems I've often heard that kind of talk before
It never rains in California
But girl, don't they warn ya?
It pours, man, it pours

Edit: Not meaning to stir the pot, just showing my age. I actually dig the OP's bike.

Rick

I live in California in the high desert. It literally has the least amount of rain and snow of any place I have ever lived. I have a Co-Motion Pangea Rohloff. I am 63 years old and prior to this bicycle I never thought of cleaning and maintaining a conventional drivetrain as a problem. My Pangea Rohloff helps me to be motivated to ride more often. Sometimes its the little things that make life more fun. There is allot of wind storms were I live and for the first time in months it is really raining with some hail. It has been proven that belts last longer especially in severe weather and adverse conditions. Unless somebody rides a bicycle with a belt and a Rohloff or pinion they have no idea what they speak of about how much maintenance. There are allot of little things that are not necessary when you have a belt equipped bicycle.

Bmach

Nice looking bike. Might be fun to take for a ride.

enjoy.

jaxgtr

A friend I used to work with has a gates system on her bike, her main transportation, does not own a car, and puts 8 to 10k a year on it and it has a similar setup Live in Florida with lots of rain and crap from the road, she loves the bike and not having to worry about drive train maintenance as much as she used to do.

ColonelSanders

Is there any inefficiencies/drag with your drivetrain that you can notice?

I am intrigued by the 11 speed Alfine, but wonder if there are any slight negatives to the positives that a derailleur-less system brings?

Lazyass

I've always been interested in belt drive and that's a nice one. I see Microshift makes Alfine 11sp drop bar shifters, that would be my first mod. *edit* I forgot the brakes are hydraulic. That wouldn't work.

How much does that bike weigh?

Rick

Alee Denham at cyclingabout fell off of a cliff and his belt lasted nearly 20,000 miles. I don't believe a bicycle setup for a belt has the same vulnerability as a derailleur setup, were you can snag or bang the derailleur.

indyfabz

Why?

PeteHski

We had a couple of high-end kid's bikes (Early Rider Belter) with belt drives and they were great for that use. One was a single speed and the other had a 3-gear hub.

But for full range drivetrains, I think chains and derailleurs have finally got to a point where they are pretty much maintenance free anyway. For me the turning point was moving to a dry wax lube.
However I can see the attraction of a belt drive for a bike like yours. It would save the 5 mins it takes to re-lube my chain every 150 km or after any wet ride and no chain corrosion if I leave it wet!

mstateglfr 

That is about as purpose built for what you want and how you use a bike as you can get. I hadnt heard of that brand- local builders using aluminum are relatively rare. Very neat build.

CAT7RDR

The price ($2K) seems on par with a nice aluminum entry level 105 level equipped bike.

Any downsides? 25 lbs if that matters? No drop bar bikes?

Why are they not more popular?
Seems if you are a high mileage cyclist, you save on replacing chains and cassettes as well?

Route 66

When I first got it, it thought that there was a certain amount of drag vs. my previous bike (Cannondale Quick carbon 1). When I got back from that ride I put it on my stand and noticed that the brakes were rubbing. I centered the the discs around the rotors so that the wheels spun freely and took it out again. This time I didn't notice any drag at all. In terms of absolute efficiency, I don't know if a belt drive can match a conventional drivetrain yet or we'd be seeing the pros using them.

Route 66

For the kind of riding I do, (7 miles each morning) its 25 Lbs. weight and the lack of drop bars isn't an issue. For a long distance cyclist though, it might be.