I doubt these will take off. They do look cool Af while shifting imo

  •  JillyB   ( @JillyB@beehaw.org ) 
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    4 months ago

    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).
    • There are fewer options.
    • Generally, you have fewer gears
    • 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.

    • 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)

    • 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.