this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2024
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Are Chainless Belt Gears The Future of Bicycle Drivetrains? (www.youtube.com)
submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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I doubt these will take off. They do look cool Af while shifting imo

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (4 children)

Yes but not like that. I have 2 belt-drive bikes with internal hub gears. For a utilitarian city bike, I think there's nothing better and they will be much more common as more people try them.

List of benefits:

  • Basically no maintenance required. You might need a yearly oil change.
  • You can change gears while stopped
  • Nothing oily to get your pants dirty
  • Virtually silent. The ones I have don't even click while free-wheeling.

Downsides:

  • Most internal hub or gearbox transmissions don't like changing gears under load
  • They're heavier than a chain and derailer setup
  • They're generally more expensive
  • They require a frame that can split somewhere in the right side chain or seat stay. This isn't a problem if you get a bike with a belt but it makes it pretty much impossible to convert an existing bike
  • To change your transmission, you need a whole new wheel (or de-lace, and re-lace your existing wheel).
  • There are fewer options.
  • Generally, you have fewer gears
[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Also, internal hubs feek inefficient compared to external, worm gears.

I have rebuilt 3-speed ones like Sturmey Archer, despite being told by the bike shop manager I worked for that it was impossible.

Thete were 2-speed hubs that shifted with a brief backpedal, rode one for years, no external controls, just a slightly larger and heavier hub.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Worm gears? Internal hubs are generally less efficient but that only really matters when you're racing. For groceries, the extra reliability is worth it to me.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Me riding an SLX drivetrain with an ebike-specific KMC chain without cleaning or lubricating it for 2 seasons: No maintenance required

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Is it easy to repair a flat tire, on a belt bike?

By easy, I mean at home with basic tools, not at roadside on a rainy night.

That is my main worry about belt and internal gearbox bikes (I have flats quite often even with new tires)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Virtually silent. The ones I have don’t even click while free-wheeling.

I actually view this as a downside, or at best neutral. I find the click of free-wheeling to be the most effective way to alert pedestrians to your presence, because a bell should not be used except as an equivalent to a car horn (and pedestrians often react unpredictably if you misuse it), and your voice can sometimes come across as a little aggressive even if the intent was purely informational. But the click of a freehub makes it clear you're there, while also making it clear that you're slowing down and being patient/careful.