# more Trek belt-drive



## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

eccentric do or hub and split stays/dos... lotsa development, losta proprietary stuff. it is all worth it???


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## cpcritter (Sep 24, 2008)

I love this sh**t. Give a source on the parts and I am all over it.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

cpcritter said:


> I love this sh**t. Give a source on the parts and I am all over it.




uhh, TREK... that one is a concept bike, but you can get b/d on the district (complete w/ deep v-like rims and a "chain"guard). no idea what the stock 55x22 belt sprocket gearing work out to


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## asterisk (Oct 21, 2003)

I'd test one if the LBS got one in but seems like a solution seeking a problem.


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## VaughnA (Jun 3, 2003)

I'd try it in a minute. No mess with lube and very little stretch over time. And it should last longer than a chain. I'd love one on my fixie. Heck, it would be great with a rohloff or alfine hub on a mountain bike as well.


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## ckilner (Oct 4, 2004)

I think the bike is based on the Spot/Orange mtb design and the split stays are needed to get a belt on... the eccentric rear hub stuff looks wierd, and is not on the bikes Trek shows on their website - which shows the stays mounting to a slidable dropout that is used to adjust the belt tension.


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## ckilner (Oct 4, 2004)

*Here is the Trek design...*

Here is the Trek design...

View attachment 142382


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## mellowyellowCJ7 (Sep 19, 2008)

I like that a lot!
One less thing to maintain in the winter commute.
I wonder what this bike will cost.


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## asterisk (Oct 21, 2003)

VaughnA said:


> No mess with lube ....


That's a pretty good point, this would be great on a folder or travel bike.


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

I would gladly pay for a new cheap chain annually rather than deal with that over-engineered headache.



mellowyellowCJ7 said:


> I like that a lot!
> One less thing to maintain in the winter commute.
> I wonder what this bike will cost.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

I'd really like to try one but I can't help but think it would have more resistance vs a chain


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

Dave Hickey said:


> I'd really like to try one but I can't help but think it would have more resistance vs a chain


I've ridden Spot's "Longboard" 29er mtb with belt drive. Pretty sweet. Silent, smooth, no noticeable resistance. Although I've heard for dirt applications they can get squeaky, and there's no way to lube.

for the street its a no-brainer, IMO. No grease marks and would be cool on an internal hub.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

cool...I'll have to try one....


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## Richard (Feb 17, 2006)

Our store manager tried one back at the Trek Fest in August. Really liked it and he's probably going to get one for his flat 3 mile commute.

Our Trek rep had some additional pictures of the driveside dropout design. Actually looked pretty straight forward for both tensioning and "r and r" of the belt should that ever be necessary. Those belts have been turning motorcycle wheels and camshafts for some time now.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

Richard said:


> Our store manager tried one back at the Trek Fest in August. Really liked it and he's probably going to get one for his flat 3 mile commute.
> 
> Our Trek rep had some additional pictures of the driveside dropout design. Actually looked pretty straight forward for both tensioning and "r and r" of the belt should that ever be necessary. Those belts have been turning motorcycle wheels and camshafts for some time now.


+1.

If a harley or a buell won't stretch a belt, I'd think I won't, either.

I'd be interested to see how they perform in winter and in near/sub zero temperatures.


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## Jesse D Smith (Jun 11, 2005)

FatTireFred said:


> eccentric do or hub and split stays/dos... lotsa development, losta proprietary stuff. it is all worth it???


I imagine ring and sprocket life would be phenomenal. This might open up more possibilities for carbon sprocket and rings also.


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## BianchiJoe (Jul 22, 2005)

So to battle the unspeakable evils of lubrication, grease marks and chainring wear, they've engineered a bike with a pull-apart rear triangle? As Tom Ritchey once said of some other bicycle boondoggle, "that's a twenty-dollar solution to a ten-cent problem."


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## 89dk (Jul 31, 2008)

Some guys over in the Mtbr single speed forum have complained that the belt makes a lot of noise and can pop off if not perfectly aligned.


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## blakcloud (Apr 13, 2006)

mellowyellowCJ7 said:


> I like that a lot!
> One less thing to maintain in the winter commute.
> I wonder what this bike will cost.



The bike is going to be around $930.

I to like the idea of belt drive but I wonder two things. What happens when you want to change the gearing? Will there be a choice of these belt cogs and second do you have to buy new belts to accomodate the new length you might need?


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## Colin Y (Jul 1, 2008)

Would the belt slip when wet?

Cool idea!


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

*flag on the play*



buck-50 said:


> +1.
> 
> If a harley or a buell won't stretch a belt, I'd think I won't, either.


just heard that my buddy Jack, big strong sprinter dude, *snapped* a belt on a demo mtn bike at Interbike. Had to walk it back to the tent, leg scratched up a bit.

but wait, that can't happen!! but it did.


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## SSSasky (Apr 8, 2004)

It makes some noise in dusty environments, like the Demo Days in Bootleg Canyon. Little bit of water from your bottle and it's gone, it if really bothers you. The belt supposedly excels in wet conditions, though I have no first person experience with that.

Spot has more sizes of cogs and 'chain'rings available, with different sized belts to match. I'm sure the biggest headache is calculating the belt size for a given combination + chainstay length.

I think the system will be easier to sell when someone makes a clean looking frame with an elevated stay on the drive (or both) side. No splitting the triangle. Easy installation.


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## ziconater (Sep 9, 2004)

*Ummmm....*



Hollywood said:


> just heard that my buddy Jack, big strong sprinter dude, *snapped* a belt on a demo mtn bike at Interbike. Had to walk it back to the tent, leg scratched up a bit.
> 
> but wait, that can't happen!! but it did.


Guess what? I've also heard of a guy on a Mountain Bike who snapped a traditional chain when sprinting out of his saddle (that person being little old me). 

But wait, that can't happen! but it did. ;-)


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

ziconater said:


> Guess what? I've also heard of a guy on a Mountain Bike who snapped a traditional chain when sprinting out of his saddle (that person being little old me).
> 
> But wait, that can't happen! but it did. ;-)


yup...sh*t happens. If I had the $$ I'd grab one of those Spot 29ers in a second. Love the idea of the belt drive.


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

ziconater said:


> Guess what? I've also heard of a guy on a Mountain Bike who snapped a traditional chain when sprinting out of his saddle (that person being little old me).
> 
> But wait, that can't happen! but it did. ;-)


I've snapped chains too! Then I pulled out a chain tool and fixed it enough to get back. I'll need to carry a stapler with me for long belt-drive rides I guess. 

nice first post? welcome


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

Hollywood said:


> I've snapped chains too! Then I pulled out a chain tool and fixed it enough to get back. I'll need to carry a stapler with me for long belt-drive rides I guess.
> 
> nice first post? welcome


I'd imagine anyone doing epic rides on those bikes would simply carry a spare belt in their camelback...couldn't weigh much.


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