Yes but not like that. I have 2 belt-drive bikes with internal hub gears. For a utilitarian city bike, I think there’s nothing better and they will be much more common as more people try them.
List of benefits:
Basically no maintenance required. You might need a yearly oil change.
You can change gears while stopped
Nothing oily to get your pants dirty
Virtually silent. The ones I have don’t even click while free-wheeling.
Downsides:
Most internal hub or gearbox transmissions don’t like changing gears under load
They’re heavier than a chain and derailer setup
They’re generally more expensive
They require a frame that can split somewhere in the right side chain or seat stay. This isn’t a problem if you get a bike with a belt but it makes it pretty much impossible to convert an existing bike
To change your transmission, you need a whole new wheel (or de-lace, and re-lace your existing wheel).
Worm gears? Internal hubs are generally less efficient but that only really matters when you’re racing. For groceries, the extra reliability is worth it to me.
Virtually silent. The ones I have don’t even click while free-wheeling.
I actually view this as a downside, or at best neutral. I find the click of free-wheeling to be the most effective way to alert pedestrians to your presence, because a bell should not be used except as an equivalent to a car horn (and pedestrians often react unpredictably if you misuse it), and your voice can sometimes come across as a little aggressive even if the intent was purely informational. But the click of a freehub makes it clear you’re there, while also making it clear that you’re slowing down and being patient/careful.
Yes but not like that. I have 2 belt-drive bikes with internal hub gears. For a utilitarian city bike, I think there’s nothing better and they will be much more common as more people try them.
List of benefits:
Downsides:
Also, internal hubs feek inefficient compared to external, worm gears.
I have rebuilt 3-speed ones like Sturmey Archer, despite being told by the bike shop manager I worked for that it was impossible.
Thete were 2-speed hubs that shifted with a brief backpedal, rode one for years, no external controls, just a slightly larger and heavier hub.
Worm gears? Internal hubs are generally less efficient but that only really matters when you’re racing. For groceries, the extra reliability is worth it to me.
Me riding an SLX drivetrain with an ebike-specific KMC chain without cleaning or lubricating it for 2 seasons: No maintenance required
Is it easy to repair a flat tire, on a belt bike?
By easy, I mean at home with basic tools, not at roadside on a rainy night.
That is my main worry about belt and internal gearbox bikes (I have flats quite often even with new tires)
I’ll let you be the judge. This is the official instructions video for my main bike.
Neat. 10 min, with clean hands at the end. Thank you!
I actually view this as a downside, or at best neutral. I find the click of free-wheeling to be the most effective way to alert pedestrians to your presence, because a bell should not be used except as an equivalent to a car horn (and pedestrians often react unpredictably if you misuse it), and your voice can sometimes come across as a little aggressive even if the intent was purely informational. But the click of a freehub makes it clear you’re there, while also making it clear that you’re slowing down and being patient/careful.