Belt drive movement gaining momentum
Sunday, 9. September 2007, 04:36:10
Singletrack photos
So, is the bike of the not-too-distant future gonna be belt-driven? Well, some wayward folks in the bike industry believe so. From BikeBiz: 'Belt drives are nothing new in the bike industry. Many have been tried in the distant past and, more recently, there have been rubber/Kevlar belt drives but none have had the efficiency of ye olde bicycle technology: the roller chain. However, in 2004 Brit Errol Drew introduced the belt-drive iXi bike via his US company, Delta. He said his composite belt drive had 98 percent efficiency, "the same as a chain." Belt drives keep cropping up because they don't require lubrication so won't smear the rider with oil. They promise almost zero-maintenance riding. A good, efficient belt drive system would be perfect for utility bikes. Smooth, silent, and clean, an efficient, super-strong belt drive system could be considered the Holy Grail of bicycle transmission.' More / Orange P7 belt-drive singlespeed / Belt drive thread at MTBR forum
