# The FUTURE Now?? (TREK's Belt Drive SS DISTRICT)



## dunklegelb (Sep 20, 2008)

Checkit, price is up there but not too bad for benchmark bike me thinks:



















http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/urban/district/district/ 

Belt Drive Tech
Trek uses only Gates C-Drive carbon-composite belts on the District. 
The same belt that is found in motorcycles and snowmobiles worldwide is produced with a 
material that is resistant to stretching and breakage. 
The lighter-than-any-chain-you’ve-ever-owned belt produces a strong, 
smooth ride while eliminating chain chatter and the need for messy lube and grease. 
Experience the most unique ride available with the Trek District.

:thumbsup:

Ooops Sorry didnt realize there was a thread on this bike Already! Such a NOOb! :mad2:


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

It is an interesting design....I heard that they tested belt driven bikes at Interbike and other than some squeaking noise when dirty( that went away with a squirt from a water bottle), it worked great...


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

I saw a Spot SS mtb this weekend . . . so what's the matter with a chain?


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

what choice of gearing is there?


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## bolandjd (Sep 12, 2008)

For motorcycle applications, I think that the belt is definitely the way to go. I love the belt drive on my Harley. For bicycle applications, I'm not so sure. The biggest advantage to belts is they are basically maintenance free. That's a big deal on a motorcycle because motorcycle chains are quite heavy and the lube is quite goopy and messy and the maintenance is all around harder because everything is bigger and heavier and the mechanisms are more complicated. On bicycles, chains are not heavy, the lube is not very messy, and maintenance is much easier and simpler. The downside to belts is that they are expensive and difficult to change the gear ratio to fine tune your needs. That's why sport bikes usually still have chains. The belts themselves are significantly more expensive than chains and the belt sprockets are much more expensive the regular chain sprockets ( I expect it would be for bicycles too). That's why when people want to change the gear ratios on their Harley's (or Buells), they change the sprockets on the primary drive (which are still chain-driven), not the sprockets on the final drive. But bicycles don't have primary drives, so the only way to adjust the gears on a belt driven bicycle would be to replace the sprockets and get a correspondingly sized belt (since you can't add or remove links in a belt).

I see the market for belt driven bicycles primarily in the casual, leasure segment. It would probably work best with something like Shimano's Coasting hub, maybe the Internal gear hubs, for riders who are not too picky about their gear ratios. But for single speed? What if I live in the hills and need lower gears or I live in the flats and need taller gears? It'll be harder and more expensive to change the gears than with a chain setup. And aren't single speeds low maintenance and silent running anyway? So what does the belt really do for you?


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

dunklegelb said:


> is produced with a material that is resistant to stretching and breakage.


my friend broke a belt while riding a Spot at Interbike. Might have been caused by a rock wedged in between? who knows. For street it seems much more practical.

can you resize your massive pic? thx


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Off topic H-wood, but the gear calculator app for iPod Touch rocks.. what a great tool....thank for the heads up


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## treebound (Oct 16, 2003)

Hollywood said:


> my friend broke a belt while riding a Spot at Interbike. Might have been caused by a rock wedged in between? who knows. For street it seems much more practical.


For some belt drive motorcycles I've read that small rocks kill belts almost as much as mishandling them during installation or maintenance. Interesting that a belt broke at Interbike.



> but the gear calculator app for iPod Touch rocks


Got a link?????


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

treebound said:


> Interesting that a belt broke at Interbike.
> 
> 
> 
> Got a link?????


he was cranking up a short climb when it broke. He fell over as a result, cut up his leg a bit. Not super happy....walked the bike back to the Spot tent.

iPhone: 
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=148226


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## treebound (Oct 16, 2003)

Ouch on the breakage,

Thanks on the linkage.


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## BianchiJoe (Jul 22, 2005)

I can honestly say that in my 40 years of cycling I have never once thought, "Gee, I wish my chain was a _belt _that required me to take apart the frame to replace it."


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## SilasCL (Jun 14, 2004)

Hollywood said:


> my friend broke a belt while riding a Spot at Interbike. Might have been caused by a rock wedged in between? who knows. For street it seems much more practical.
> 
> can you resize your massive pic? thx


Same thing happened to my friend. This was after the belt slipped off numerous times.

Perhaps other companies are fine tuning their designs better than the brand formerly known as Spot.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Hollywood said:


> he was cranking up a short climb when it broke. He fell over as a result, cut up his leg a bit. Not super happy....walked the bike back to the Spot tent.
> 
> iPhone:
> http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=148226


There's no belt tool to add a belt link?


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## dunklegelb (Sep 20, 2008)

This would seem perfect for commuter applications. 

But as someone said thats why Dirt Motor Bikes still use chains. 
I wonder how easily you can remove the cog to use a reg chain cog if you wanted.


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## superjohnny (May 16, 2006)

> The worry-free, lube-rejecting, lighter-than-any-chain-you’ve-ever-owned belt also produces a ninja-like quiet ride.


I think it makes sense because chains weigh so much and real ninja's use belts.


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## bolandjd (Sep 12, 2008)

Pablo said:


> There's no belt tool to add a belt link?


Duct tape?


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

bolandjd said:


> Duct tape?


That's way better. I was thinking super glue.


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## dave2pvd (Oct 15, 2007)

Pablo said:


> I saw a Spot SS mtb this weekend . . . so what's the matter with a chain?


Perhaps it is not inefficient enough? Like a belt.


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

Pablo said:


> That's way better. I was thinking super glue.


Stapler? ooo a small titanium stapler for the seat pack!


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