drive belt for transmission...

[jul]

Hello,

I'm thinking about to use a drive belt for my futur bike (nomad MK2), i want to use it for travelling on all terrain.
I don't know if it's possible to adapt on a rohloff speedhub without modification? what is the advantage and inconvenience?

thanks!

[bobs]

Hi,

For some reason Thorn have not made their frames compatible with belt drive like "gates" if they did all you would need to change is the front chain ring and rear cog.

Bob 

[Danneaux]

Hi Julio!

Using a belt drive on a Thorn bicycle would require modifying the frame to allow installation/removal of the belt and would void the warranty. Also, it would require the use of a belt-specific Rohloff hub and drivetrain with compatible sprocket and chainring.

Thorn's designer, Andy Blance, explains his concerns and reservations about belt drives and his reasons for avoiding them on pages 22-23 of his "Living with a Rohloff" publication, available here: http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/ThornLivingWithARohloff.pdf

Julio, if you do a search on the Forum for "belt drive" (no quotes), you'll see past posts discussing the matter that will prove helpful in answering your questions about belt drive's pros and cons, and even the experiences of those who own other brands of bikes with them. One particularly useful thread is here: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4397.0

I have made a little tutorial on how to search the Forum effectively, and posted it here: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4390.0

Hope this helps.

Best,

Dan.

[jul]

Ok thanks for this information.

[StuntPilot]

I met a couple of guys touring this Summer in Germany. One had a Rohloff belt drive, very nice (sorry, can't remember the make of bike) and we had a discussion about it. They were both frequent tourers round Europe. The belt drive Rohloff guy said he liked it but if venturing further afield would probably change back to the traditional chain. He gave me the impression that for longer tours the reliability is not yet proven over time.

Perhaps Thorn know this?

[il padrone]

Rohloff's list of bike manufacturers that do approved belt-drive models.

[bobs]

I met a couple of guys touring this Summer in Germany. One had a Rohloff belt drive, very nice (sorry, can't remember the make of bike) and we had a discussion about it. They were both frequent tourers round Europe. The belt drive Rohloff guy said he liked it but if venturing further afield would probably change back to the traditional chain. He gave me the impression that for longer tours the reliability is not yet proven over time.

Perhaps Thorn know this?

  James Bowthorpe  would disagree.

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/james-bowthorpe-home-after-breaking-round-the-world-record-23324/

[il padrone]

I'd suggest that James Bowthorpe have nothing more to do with Lance, if he values his own credibilty 

[NZPeterG]

Well well belt drives!
HD motorcycles (Hog)  are powered along by bands (betls) but breck all the time in NZ because of the stones on our tar sealed roads.
Stick to a chain and lube it..

Pete

[Pavel]

We met a dutch couple on our summer tour who were going in the other way, on a cross isa tour and they both had bikes with belt drive.  They said that they had used them to cross South American and now the US.  No problems, apparently.

I envied them.

[mickeg]

The Rohloff has a range of 526 percent which most people find totally adequate, but my derailleur touring bikes have a range of 630 percent.  Thus, I am a little more demanding for range of gearing.  I usually use a 44t chainring, but have a 36t for when I anticipate spending several consecutive hours climbing steep hills.  (Rear sprocket is 16t.)  For home use, only the 44t is installed because I also have a chainguard/bashguard installed on the double crank.  But when I tour I plan to put both chain rings on the bike before I leave home.  It will then only take a few minutes to remove the two quick disconnect links in my chain to remove the short section of chain to switch from the 44t to 36t and a few more minutes to adjust the eccentric. 

I recognize that few people would set up their bike like this, but for me this is one more reason to avoid a belt system.