Community > Thorn General
gates drive
steve216c:
http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=13850.msg103091#msg103091
energyman:
I have both belt & chain drive bikes and to be honest the belt wins on maintenance. I have owned cars with both belt & chain thingies under the bonnet and I couldn't tell the difference or worried about them either.
On a group tour I was asked to carry a spare belt as the back up van didn't.
They are a bit lighter than a chain too.
Good conversation piece though ! :)
WorldTourer:
Steve, the thread here that you linked to, in which a person complains about maintenance, was complaining about the first-generation Gates sprocket. Like the normal chain sprocket for Rohloff, that used to be threaded and a pain to get off. But now Gates, like Rohloff, has switched to a splined carrier for its sprockets.
The Thorn brochure's notes on the Gates drive is also several years old.
I have met enough satisfied Gates users on long tours now, and read very positive reports from others like Alee Denham, to feel that the tech is now mature. I am planning to switch this year myself.
I do not recommend a Hebie Chainglider. I had one for a few thousand kilometers, but it failed to keep the chain clean in dusty terrain and constantly required tweaking for smooth and noiseless operation. I eventually ended up ripping the Chainglider off my bike in frustration at a Peru truck stop and throwing it away.
A Hebie Chainglider also won't give you anywhere near the mileage of a belt. Chains wear out not because of contamination but stretching.
Captain Bubble:
--- Quote from: WorldTourer on February 10, 2021, 02:04:51 pm ---Steve, the thread here that you linked to, in which a person complains about maintenance, was complaining about the first-generation Gates sprocket. Like the normal chain sprocket for Rohloff, that used to be threaded and a pain to get off. But now Gates, like Rohloff, has switched to a splined carrier for its sprockets.
The Thorn brochure's notes on the Gates drive is also several years old.
I have met enough satisfied Gates users on long tours now, and read very positive reports from others like Alee Denham, to feel that the tech is now mature. I am planning to switch this year myself.
I do not recommend a Hebie Chainglider. I had one for a few thousand kilometers, but it failed to keep the chain clean in dusty terrain and constantly required tweaking for smooth and noiseless operation. I eventually ended up ripping the Chainglider off my bike in frustration at a Peru truck stop and throwing it away.
A Hebie Chainglider also won't give you anywhere near the mileage of a belt. Chains wear out not because of contamination but stretching.
--- End quote ---
I agree. I have had a gates belt drive bike for a couple of years now and it is has performed faultlessly. Rohloff with Gates CDX belt, rear sprocket and front belt ring. My foray into IHG started with Alfine 8 but that soon proved a bad choice so I got a Rohloff 14 speed hub which has been a revelation in comparison. Started off with a chain with the chainglider cover which did ok, but a belt is better, much lighter, pretty much silent and all you need to do is occasionally hose it down if it gets dirty. No faffing about with getting the glider case on or off. Belt drive is a no brainer really. The only upgrade I can see to this is a Pinion 18spd centrally mounted gear box with belt drive. Maybe I get one of those in a few years. Either a Van Nicholas Devron or Smokestone ti fat bike withe with Pinion 18 spd gear box and belt drive would be nice.
pinkbunnyok96:
just clicked on to the veer split drive belt drive, it says "convert any bike to belt drive all for £500" seems a very good system. now i can buy my third thorn and have the best of all worlds) the thorns i have sport tour 35,000 miles curntly thorn mercury 66,000 miles and allso a cube hyde race 3,000 miles
i
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