perplexed Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 OK, I thought there might be a catch, although on the plus side they last forever (from what I hear) and you just need to wash them. Yes, the cleaning thing is supposed to bed quite good, you're right. I'd scope out a couple of the cycling specific forums, there'll be loads of info there I'd guess. Like I say, I've never ridden one, but there'll be plenty on those who have. Edit: From what I remember, a couple of the record breaking round the world cyclists have used belt drives... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meshuga Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Has anyone ridden a bike with the new belt drive system (rather than a chain)? I'm thinking of buying a bike with belt drive. Van Nicholas do them and I like the idea. I haven't but if I ever need to replace my commuter then a belt drive will almost certainly be my choice. Oil attracts grit, which forms a paste that erodes the rest of the drivetrain over time. Sounds like a good idea to me to switch to a belt. The Trek Soho got good reviews last year but I'll bet it'll get the new 11 speed and disc brakes soon (I'm ok with hub brakes but many don't like them). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meshuga Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Well i'm looking to buy towards the summer time, I have been looking at both hardtail and full sus, I dont want to spend a great deal (sub 500), been looking on ebay and the full sus bikes seem to have bad reviews for my budget (was looking at a Saracen Raw 3 on here, but they never got back to me). I have been looking at various specialized ones on ebay, i'm mainly after alu frame, decent front forks, hydraulic brakes(cable would probably do). The reason I dont want to spend a great deal is that i'm mainly going to be riding weekend trails with the missus to get fit. Thanks for your advice. Are carrera Banshee x's any good? For a budget of £500 then definitely go for hardtail - I do loads of extreme trails in white and dark peak, lakes and snowdonia and I have never felt I needed a full sus. Regarding which one to get, check out Wiggle and look under the bike sale section. Sometimes they do huge discounts, so £7-800 bikes can be got for £4-500. One of the best bikes though for £500 is Decathlon's Rockrider 8.1. Ignore the bike snobs who say you need a "proper" brand. Decathlon buy in bulk and that bike has some very high specced kit on for the price. Got a good looking frame too. Plus with a store in Sheffield you can go and try one out. Review here http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/rockrider-81-10-39599 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superted666 Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Great thread! In response to the question of FS or hard-tail. It totally depends on the riding you do. If it's anything less than downhill black runs i would suggest that you opt for a hard-tail as they are more than capable and any money you spend will be on better components rather than the rear suspension. Personally i have two bikes, a decathlon low range road bike (was about £250) which i use for any distance of road riding. Then there is my pride and joy, custom built based on a Kenisis frame with some real shiny bits. Probably cost me about £3k in total but it eats up the trails! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyper Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Some geeza rode round the world on belt drive bike. If it worked for him, then it should be ok. see here .. http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/cycle-show-09-james-bowthorpes-santos-travelmaster-23585 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FulwoodFred Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Cheers for the link, I've got Rohloff's on my Koga so I will try and get the chain switched to a belt. He beat Beaumonts record wow!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danny11 Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 hi chris i had the same bike a couple of years ago and it was one of the best bikes i had untill it had a fight with a lorry:hihi: i also ride the chesterfield canal as it is part of the trans pennine trail and goes for miles but im sorry to say its not all nice and flat all the way:sad: and as for a full service mate the price is 50.00 with 15% off for forum members:) I got a specialized hardback disc. Just wonder what do i get for a £50 service? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilypiglet Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 For a budget of £500 then definitely go for hardtail - I do loads of extreme trails in white and dark peak, lakes and snowdonia and I have never felt I needed a full sus. Regarding which one to get, check out Wiggle and look under the bike sale section. Sometimes they do huge discounts, so £7-800 bikes can be got for £4-500. One of the best bikes though for £500 is Decathlon's Rockrider 8.1. Ignore the bike snobs who say you need a "proper" brand. Decathlon buy in bulk and that bike has some very high specced kit on for the price. Got a good looking frame too. Plus with a store in Sheffield you can go and try one out. Review here http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/rockrider-81-10-39599 Could also check out my post on previous page, but I'm only a female rider....what would I know?!?!?! P.S Rockrider's ok if you want to go back n forth to Decathlon having repairs done.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockjaw Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Sure. My commuter started out as a second hand Carrera Subway 8 years ago. It has slicks on, dynamo lights and hub brakes. The hub is a Nexus. It started out life with an older Nexus with poor seals and eventually rusted inside. The new Nexus hubs with codes SG-8x35 onwards share the same internals and seals as the Alfine 501 model, I.e they are the same except for colour. I honestly will never ever buy or recommend a derailleur bike again, but then it's all down to opinion and experience. Alfine and Nexus are way cheaper than rohloff. This year there is a new 11 speed Alfine out, so it should be built into bikes soon. That may be worth waiting for. As for range, on my Duster 8 MTB the lowest is as low as my old MTB derailleur, the highest is just a bit lower than a derailleur set up, I.e. top speed is slightly lower, but I don't find it an issue. The gear range is made different on road vs MTB bikes by changing the chainring or sprocket, or both. I find the Subway's range just fine. If you end up buying a hub geared bike and aren't happy with the gear range it's easy enough to change the rear sprocket up or down a tooth. Thanks for that. After reading the input on here and doing a bit of research I'm looking at the Charge Mixer which is pretty much at the top of my price range and the Bianchi Camaleonte III which is a little cheaper. Anyone have any opinions on either of those two? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hots on Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Thanks for that. After reading the input on here and doing a bit of research I'm looking at the Charge Mixer which is pretty much at the top of my price range and the Bianchi Camaleonte III which is a little cheaper. Anyone have any opinions on either of those two? Bikes of that calibre are asking to be stolen, especially in the current climate. I bike it to work everyday and personally I'd only pay about £150, £200 tops, for a bike, so if it gets nicked, its not the end of the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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