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Carbon drive system


AndreZA

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Belt drives are nothing new and each year at Interbike in Las Vegas there is a new company launching a belt drive system. Belts and pulleys (not cogs, like they say) have driven motors and pumps, motorcycles and a host of other machinery for more than a hundred years, not to mention my lawnmower.

Yet, the minute this "technology" is reinvented for cycling, they have to use the C-word.....carbon. All sorts of fibres can be used in these belts, yet no cyclist worth his/her salt with settle for less than C*A*R*B*O*N and here we have it, the CABON DRIVE. Puhleeese.

 

Then, they go on to talk about increased efficiency. C'mon someone, moer me with a wet fish. The efficiencies of drives like these are well known, well documented and dont need speculation.

 

Make no mistake, I like the idea, but can do without the marketing rubbish. I find it strange that they didn't mention the obvious solution to single-speeding - internal gear hubs like Rohloff and even Shimano, Sturmey Archer and others.

 

Oh, and one final gripe, they talk about cogs. A cog is one tooth in a sprocket or gear. They actually refer to pulleys.

 

I hope this concept finally makes it to market because I think the chain and sprocket on mountainbikes can be improved on. Leave road bikes alone, chains aren't an issue there.

 

 
Johan Bornman2007-08-29 09:30:17
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Johan, I remember reading an article a while ago where keeping the belt in one piece was an issue because of the design of the bicycle? On a chain you can break it and put it back on, but one of the benefits of a belt was that it didn't have that weakness?

 

The article I read (blown if I can remember where!), had to design a rear triangle that could be disassembled or something!
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Johan' date=' I remember reading an article a while ago where keeping the belt in one piece was an issue because of the design of the bicycle? On a chain you can break it and put it back on, but one of the benefits of a belt was that it didn't have that weakness?

 

The article I read (blown if I can remember where!), had to design a rear triangle that could be disassembled or something!
[/quote']

 

Yes, that is one minor drawback of a belt drive - there are others too. But designing the bike to accommodatge a one-piece belt is realitively easy. It is a question of the dropout that disconnects from both the seatstay and chainstay. I think many carbon bikes with alu dropouts are already bolted onto the frame. They would be able to accommodate a belt.
Johan Bornman2007-08-29 11:47:25
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  • 2 weeks later...

Johan - Frank here from Spot Brand.  Read some of your comments and would dig having the chance to give you more info on the system. Bell me or email and I would be happy to give you all of it - both barrels.

 

Thanks - Frank

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...if you're on holiday and your fanbelt breaks... ;-)

 

 

 

What about stretching, hardening, and friction?

 

 

 

I'm not putting it down...these are legitimate queries I'm interested in.

 

 

 

Cheers, N.

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