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Bought them direct from Gates Europe. Mrs Nicolai in fact 🙂
email sales@carbondrive.net
delivery from Germany is shocking as they use UPS (£30!). Worth getting together as much of a bulk order as you can to justify it.
I did find a shop in the States selling it the other day
[url] http://www.rememberdelaware.com/m-1097-gates-carbon-drive.aspx [/url]
Don't know how exchange rate and delivery compares cost wise.
UPDATE:
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5098/5505727994_f88b1c6f9e.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ir_bandito/5505727994/ ]DSC_0407[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ir_bandito/ ]ir_bandito[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5218/5505132039_c3a0b8a3aa.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ir_bandito/5505132039/ ]DSC_0406[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ir_bandito/ ]ir_bandito[/url], on Flickr
Assembled last night. To be tested tonight, once the front brake is bled.
[b]IT WORKS!!!!! IT ****IN' WORKS!!!!!![/b]
Happy me.
🙂
🙂
Nice one! Been following this thread for a while now.
Is that dropout handmade/custom?
Well done. That's a good snubber you have there, should be bulletproof 🙂
what is the A like to ride? do you have to be super smooth? the only people who seem to make bb pivot frames these days are free ride / dirt jump companies.
Chef - yes, I made it with a milling machine and profiled it with a hacksaw.
There was a hint of belt-slipping on a very rough climb last night, which I'm sure still down to frame flex through the pivots. So the next plan is to get another pair of dropouts made to convert thePro2 to bolt thru which shiould stiffen it up a lot more. And while I'm at it, I'll add tensioning bolts, and move the mounting bolt holes so I can get a smidge more tension in the belt.
podge, I'm sure the RP3 shock and SPV forks help with the boingyness. It is a lovely bike. Climbs well and descents are great fun so far.
I would quite like to do a conversion to a Cowan DS, or one of the new Commencals with the concentric pivot...
Albeing well, I'll be riding it at Dyfi.
I think I might just have to find my self a frame. there is a brand new off the shelf Taiwanese one that looks ideal except it has standard vertical dropouts.
ir_bandito most drop outs take 10mm as standard you could upgrade to 10mm bolt up or 10mm through bolt with a DT Swiss QR if you are feeling flush or a superstar one for cheep. There is alot of stories about the 12mm Maxle light breaking and the 12mm hope centre tube failing under load.
I've picked up a 12x135 conversion kit for cheap of the classifieds here, and plan on using the superstar bolt-thru (or original Maxle - not Lite, if I can find one). Syntace would be nice though.
Long term plan is to get some belt-capable frames designed and manufactured, using knowledge gained which I wouldn't have had a clue about otherwise.
After the bolt-thru on the A, I'm going to get an old steel frame and change the dropouts for something a little special that I've come up with 😉
thepodge - Member
I think I might just have to find my self a frame. there is a brand new off the shelf Taiwanese one that looks ideal except it has standard vertical dropouts.
Just use a eccentric external BB, eg [b][u][url= http://www.forwardcycle.com/products.html ]the Forward Cycle one[/url][/u][/b].
Where are the frames?
so, one of these:
[url= http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/images/10mm-QR.jp g" target="_blank">http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/images/10mm-QR.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
and convert the hub to 10mm, using normal dropouts.
Hmm... its an idea...
would the ebb take the high loading of a belt drive? I can't see why not but then I've never messed with an ebb.
can't remember the name of the frame manufacturer but I have it linked at home, I'll mail you and ir_bandito when I'm back as I might be able to help.
I have my doubts about EBBs and belts, having had a couple of EBBS in the past.
That said, a few manufacturs do them.
Yup one of them there superstar jobbers and one of these
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18761
similar to 12mm, still QR = winner. Tis what i have planned for my Iron Horse Mk iii
[url= http://www.tankcycle.com.tw/product.asp?gpid=3&****dno=F000002 ]http://www.tankcycle.com.tw/product.asp?gpid=3&****dno=F000002[/url]
I've seen a few people with prototypes that look exactly the same as this just with different stickers. Spot had one with belt drive at last years expo.
[url= 
]not keen on the wheels but that looks nice.[/url]
Is there any reason you have not used that little roller/tensioner at the front of the drop-out to actually tension the belt same way as they do on cars?
I believe that some of the belt development takes place in the factory along the road from me.
its not a tensioner, its a snubber. i can't remember what its there for
The snubber is there to stop the belt riding up on top of the pulley. It doesn't touch the belt in normal conditions so there is no added friction.
The belt will ride up if the rear cog goes out of alignment with the front, eg during chainstay lateral flex. By having the snubber at the 7 o'clock position it is possible to remove the rear wheel in a vertical dropout with minimal interference from the snubber (the snubber would have to be removed otherwise).
To get a mental picture of what is going on, think of a set of parallel lines arriving to mesh with another set of parallel lines. It only takes a little angular displacement to put that out of sync.
I've actually replaced the roller (standard Gates issue) as it was sticking on the pin (my fault as a tolerance issue) and wearing flat from the belt, rather than turning. Fitted a 2RS bearing which works much better. Now only getting problems with the belt slipping off the side of the pulley occasionally. After having a good look and a ride on the Orange Strange proto, its got two flanges on the pulley, so I might bodge an outer one on...
In the words of Mr Tong "We Continue!"
The roller worked a treat to prevent ratcheting, but the frame flex meant the belt was still slipping off the side under power. Hopefully converting the Pro2 to bolt thru will reduce that, but in the meantime, I've just made an external flange for the sprocket, from an old cassette.
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5016/5572694014_9a312df3f4.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ir_bandito/5572694014/ ]DSC_0468[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ir_bandito/ ]ir_bandito[/url], on Flickr
Update as soon as I get a chance to ride it...
On the subject of flanges, despite Gates insisting they're not needed, I've found some Spot branded ones in an online shop, and even in the Gates Carbon Drive parts list, but no mention of them in the instructions...
Centre-Track appeals.
I love this thread - keep up the good work.
I don't see the point to belt drives on anything other than commuter bikes, but I do miss my Kona A a lot. Even thought it was a 16" and a size too small for me, it was such a fun bike to ride. Wish I'd never sold it...
Adam, i agree completely, in fact i want to design commuter/utility bikes, but I wanted to learn about belt-drives first.
The A is perfect for fitting the belt to as the frame splits, and there's no belt-growth etc. And i figured if I can make it work on a mtb, then I can make it work on a commuter bike.
And actually, having no rusty chain on a mtb is a good thing...
this is one of the most interesting threads i have read for ages, keep up the good work.
Sooo...
just went out for a spin. The outer flange keeps the belt on, BUT, the problems have moved elsewhere, to something more fundamental with the bike.
Even with the big fat nordlocks, and the bolts torqued as much as I can, the chuffin' dropouts are slipping. Nothing for it but new dropouts with integrated tensioner bolts (like newer Konas).
Still, it means I can do the bolt-thru.
Watch this space..