Gates belt drive
In 2008 we started to supply belt-drive bicycles</strong
In the beginning we were slightly reticent, but after my famous test in the Himalaya’s I was convinced.
A belt-drive bike is available from all our brands Santos, Koga, idworx, Maxx, Tout Terrain, Gaastra.
After the start of this film, you can watch how I tested the Gates belt!
The advantages of a Gates belt-drive
- No maintenance. The belt does not require oil and hardly needs to be tensioned. If your belt is full of mud, rincing it with water is all you need to do.
- Less resistance (according to Santos). Well, you notice…, but is it real or between your ears?
- Less in weight. Very simple; carbon is lighter than metal. The belt weights 75 grams. A chain around 250 grams.
- Lasts longer. Over four times longer than a chain. But that depends on how you ride and the weather. In our rainy Dutch weather a bit less long.
Disadvantages of a beltdrive:
- It only fits a bicycle with a Rohloff speedhub or Pinion gearbox. Because a belt can only be used with a single chainring and a single sprocket. Therefor not possible with a cassette.
- A belt only fits a belt-ready frame. If you put a chain on a bike, you can use a chain tool. To mount a belt, you need to open the frame. In order to do so, Santos has designed a back fork with an opening. Look at the red arrow on the picture on the left side.
- It is not new anymore. So we have a lot of experience with the belt drive during world tours. If you can afford it, invest in a Rolholoff or Pinion. , I cannot garantee a worldtour. But 10.000 miles should go easily.
- Is it expensive? No it is not, because it lasts longer then a chain. A complete set of chainring, sprocket and belt costs around € 440,-.
- You are a bit scared to buy a belt? Don’t worry. If the belt does not please you, we can convert your bike to a chain drive free of cost.
