[Closed] I've gone and done it now... Full-sus, belt-drive content...

cool... I'd love to get another Kona A and do the same (though probably with an Alfine out the back 🙂 )

Are you sure there will be enough flex in the belt?

Bandito what belt drive system have you used is it a gates one? And if so can i ask how much didi it cost?

Are you sure there will be enough flex in the belt?

don't need it on the A... it pivots round the BB, so no chain growth etc 🙂

Cool 8)

the belt doesn's stretch at all - what do I want flex for?

psychle - If I can find the funds (and it survives the winter as a SS) I'd like to put an Alfine 11 on it next year.

Yes, its a Gates. Cost about £200 for both sprockets, belt and horrifically expensive delivery from Germany. I've heard rumours they'll do a bulk-buy discount.

[gob smacked]

psychle - If I can find the funds (and it survives the winter as a SS) I'd like to put an Alfine 11 on it next year.

Schweet... the perfect winter bike eh!? 8)

Only asked don't take it to heart.

well- the perfect winter bike would be rigid frame/forks, but belt-compatible rigid frames are hard to come by (yet)
I wanted to build one up to give it a go before buying a new belt-specific frame.

I'd tone down that 4th tag before the wife see it. It's essential!

Very nice.

i have have been looking for a Kona A to do just this! Interested to hear what it cost and how it runs?

that is the bike of the future

That washing in the background should be dry by now.

Bandit where did you buy the kit from was it direct from gates. I'm looking into it myself at the moment and am shortly having a custom frame built up

Neil - do you mean the tablecloth? or the Sofa? Poor stalking!

What have you done for top tube hose guides? Cable ties? John Swann @ the bike shop is using two silver ones on his A so if you buy a black pair he'll swap one.

Oh, and his is faster. It has white forks.

That's ace, keep us updated will you?

That is great!

How well does a concentric BB/Pivot bike pedal?

i've wanted to do this to my Kona A - but have come to the conclusion that an unemployed person, who has 3 working bikes already, cannot afford to do this.

or to keep the kona A frame.

hence mine is for sale 🙁

Ringo - belt was direct from Universal Transmission (Nicolai)

Will update with more pics and ride review, erm, once I've ridden it!

NIce idea, but my god that is an ugly thing.

Sorry

I had a quote of around £150 from [url= http://www.shandcycles.com/ ]Shand Cycles[/url] for a belt and sprockets, so a bit cheaper than getting direct from Germany.

Might be worth giving Steven a shout if anyone is interested.

Cheers, Rich

Good skills, looking forward to having a go. Makes me think of those rubber band powered aeroplanes I built as a kid.

Also leaning your bike against the wall like that is going to mark the paintwork.....

very nice Paul. Can I ask why rigid frames cannot take a belt drive?

Rigid frames can take a belt drive. But you have to get the saw out to fit it and then weld it together again, so it ain't going to be cheap or pretty!

SS FS? 😯

ah just realised that. 🙂

I guess with the full sus you take the rear linkage apart to get it on? guess someone needs to invent a belt that can be split then put back together....

I believe there are some rigis frames around that can be 'split' and rejoined. Doubt a belt can be made strong enough to be spilt

I have wanted to do the hardtail belt drive as well but not have a one off frame made. After looking around I bought a Whyte 19 as it thats looks good to cut and rejoin with plates. Will post pics when both brave enough and flush enough for the belts etc Thanks for link to Shand Cycles

I've been looking at doing that with one of these:

[img] [/img]

only problem is they don't have horizontal dropouts so I'd have to stick to magic ratio

How does a belt drive pedal? Is it as instant as Metal? Or do you notice some slight stretch? Is it completely silent?! I want a full review!

Neat job ir_bandito 🙂

I was planning doing this to a Kona, but the price of the frame I was looking at went up, and I got diverted onto other projects and I'm not that keen on suspension anyway.

I'll be interested in your ride reports.

(BTW if you get flex problems they can be fixed.)

I think Chipps tested an experimental Orange P7 singlespeed with a belt drive of some kind and was quite impressed with it. I recall he said it felt like a chain but very quiet and it continuously shed any mud it picked up.

ill say it again it is the future

no nasty oily rattly chain to catch mud and clog up

pivot around the bb solves chain growth problems and probably avoid a lot of complicated suspension designs all wee need now is a lightweight belt compatible 10 speed version of hammerschimdt and life will be good

come on bike manufacturers sort it out

kona dont even make the A anymore do they?

That, with a rohloff, is the ultimate.

[i]kona dont even make the A anymore do they?[/i]

there are 'issues' with having a main pivot that is around the BB as far as pedalling efficiency is concerned. It's not an issue so much on play bikes but for the Kona A which was an xc bike they were a problem.

I guess new shock designs may help, though?

Why can't you have a chain tensioner on a FS belt drive bike?

molgrips - I think belts need more tension than a spring loaded tensioner provides

Kona still make the "Bass" I think which pivots around the BB. Was featured within the last 12months in the mag...

I've got an 18" Kona A if anyone wants it for spares. The front triangle is destroyed (broken around the BB shell, and the top tube's got a nasty ding) but the Fox shock is good and the rear triangle is sound - it's the disco slidey one rather than the v-only one!

the van nichols on the latest eurobike story has a roller to keep it on, is taht what you mean?

[img] [/img]

I cant quite work out what that roller is doing. its too far back to be used as a guide and its past the contact point so it cant be adding any more tension

Thinking about trying a belted here also if anyone thinking of a group buy
J.