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Belt drive, gravel size tires? Cheap?

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Belt drive, gravel size tires? Cheap?

Old 11-24-18, 09:54 PM
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Sullalto
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Belt drive, gravel size tires? Cheap?

As the rainy season begins and I dread having to clean and lube my chain so damn much, I find myself wondering about belt drive. And the terrain is mostly flat for my go-to ride/commute. So why not single speed?

Except I don't know where to shop, since I imagine belt drive bikes that fit 35-50mm tires are a bit of a niche product. Edit: Drop bars are a massive preference.

Do y'all have any suggestions for bikes to look at and consider?

Thanks.

Last edited by Sullalto; 11-25-18 at 12:54 AM.
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Old 11-24-18, 10:13 PM
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That all comes down to the budget. Lots of flatbar options out there, from a $450 Motobecane Elite Eight to $1,900 for a Cannondale Bad Boy 1 or $3,000+ for a Co-Motion Siskiyou.

Spot Bikes makes some gorgeous belt drive bikes. The Rallye SS is particularly attractive. In the commuter class, the Ajax is also nice.
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Old 11-24-18, 10:34 PM
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Soma Wolverine is belt-drive compatible and can take a 45mm tire with fenders.
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Old 11-24-18, 10:48 PM
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Trek District SSB - 2016 - $299
https://www.trekbicyclesuperstore.co...b-233067-1.htm

It comes with a bit smaller tires, 32's.

This is just an example. They come up on craigslist once in a while and there is some old stock out there.


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Old 11-24-18, 11:39 PM
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Are there any belt drive group sets out there with at least 5 gear speeds ?
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Old 11-25-18, 12:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Teamprovicycle
Are there any belt drive group sets out there with at least 5 gear speeds ?
Shimano(8&11) and Rohloff(14) internal gear hubs. Does SRAM still make IGH's?
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Old 11-25-18, 01:15 AM
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Originally Posted by DrIsotope
That all comes down to the budget. Lots of flatbar options out there, from a $450 Motobecane Elite Eight to $1,900 for a Cannondale Bad Boy 1 or $3,000+ for a Co-Motion Siskiyou.

Spot Bikes makes some gorgeous belt drive bikes. The Rallye SS is particularly attractive. In the commuter class, the Ajax is also nice.
Thanks. The motobecane is a serious contender! You're right, the Spot Bikes are attractive, but if I was spending 2k+ I'd probably spend it a bit differently.

Do you have any other drop bar suggestions? For IGH or single speed?
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Old 11-25-18, 01:17 AM
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Originally Posted by TimothyH
Trek District SSB - 2016 - $299
https://www.trekbicyclesuperstore.co...b-233067-1.htm

It comes with a bit smaller tires, 32's.

This is just an example. They come up on craigslist once in a while and there is some old stock out there.


-Tim-
If I weren't 6'4" I'd buy that immediately.

I don't NEED big tires, I can do the ride on 28mm gravel kings. It's not particularly demanding hardpack, but when there's a bit of snow or mud, I just like to be able to choose my own line, rather than have the ruts dictate my line.
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Old 11-25-18, 05:11 PM
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Belt drives need larger cogs because they are harder to flex. Also, they can be damaged if sharp stones or glass get trapped between the belt and the cog. In normal use, they last a long time and are low maintenance. However, it would limit your options for tweaking the bike. Probably cheaper and easier to have two or three chains, swap them once a week or so, and have a chain cleaning session every so often. Introduce economies of scale into the cleaning process!
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Old 11-25-18, 05:37 PM
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Belt drive and serious mountain biking are sometimes incompatible but it should be ok for dirt roads and is certainly great for commuting.

Priority makes a few options... a commuter and a cruiser. Soma has belt compatible MTB frames, not just the Wolverine. Ventana is made in the USA and has belt compatible MTB frames, and they can make you a custom, but $$$ compared to larger volume Asian products. Many belt frames are convertible between hubs using optional dropouts.

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Old 11-25-18, 06:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Darth Lefty
Priority makes a few options... a commuter and a cruiser.
The Priority 600 has a Pinion 12 speed gearbox. It is an interesting product.

https://www.prioritybicycles.com/products/the600


There is a thread on it in the General forum.


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Old 11-26-18, 07:45 PM
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I can help you with belt drive, gravel and single speed. I can't help you with cheap:




https://www.rodeo-labs.com/flaanimal4/
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Old 11-26-18, 11:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Carcosa
I can help you with belt drive, gravel and single speed. I can't help you with cheap:




https://www.rodeo-labs.com/flaanimal4/
I didn't back the kickstarter because I had just gotten burnt by vaporware for some other thing.

I regret it. A LOT.

That blue is so damned sexy.

I'm probably going to forgo belt drive and get a kilo WT, then swap the tires and add fenders.
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