Cargo Bikes

I don't know about the difference with an ebike, but I get just under a year from my belt drivetrains before they start growling. But I'm working 7 days a week. You should get a lot more if you're only using it for a bit each day.

Every 3 years for non-commercial use

Looks good - shame the city didn't think of getting one to clear the cycleways!

Its Vancouver. Rarely gets any amount of now

That would require a pristine pavement as well, not generally a thing in my Canadian city.

Poop. RIP Douze. Given that they're not sold to Australia anymore, this constitutes a write off pretty much

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Epic

I would swap front to back, then left to right every 2k or so, helps them last a bit longer.
On a mid drive cargo maybe 6k to 10k until u you start getting the noise depending on use. More if lighter use and less stop /starting.

I’d look at getting that welded. I can’t tell exactly where that is but it looks like it can be saved.

No frame builers around in Adelaide anymore, as far as I can tell. The crack is almost through the whole of the step through top tube where the BB tube meets it. pretty high stress area.

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Don't need a frame builder for something like this just a welding shop that will take on small jobs. Would 100% get that welded up and have em bang on some gusset’s. Cargo bikes tend to be more industrial tubing anyway vs proper bike tubing.

Ok. I'll see if I can find someone and get an opinion. Worth a shot before it's a total write off.

Definitely! If you do get it gusseted make sure they leave the ends unwelded. Or it just moves the stress points.

Would be a tricky area to cleanly gusset with the bent tube, right?

Maybe have em drop in a “toptube” as well. Seems the issue is that the bb adds stress at a bend. But really especially if this is steel i would not think 2x about welding this up.

Yep, Rear of the bike is steel, front is aluminium.

Yeah, no reason this bike should not live to see thousands of more miles. Even if you decide not to fix it id sell it on as someone else will.

How it will end

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wowww...fab !!!!

The Vancouver snow plow !!

I don't know about the difference with an ebike, but I get just under a year from my belt drivetrains before they start growling. But I'm working 7 days a week. You should get a lot more if you're only using it for a bit each day.

I work at a shop servicing mostly commuter and cargo bikes with Gates and noise is pretty common and easy to fix:

• keep your tension in spec (belts stretch)
  
• hose the drive train down regularly
  
• If the noise persists, add a thin layer of silicon grease to the teeth of your chainring/cog (avoid sprays, and double check it's not petroleum-based before using)
  
  

Interesting to hear people use noise as an indicator of wear - we see bikes ridden in dusty conditions develop noise in the first 500km as well as belts at end-of-life that are completely silent.

what is the interval between swapping the gates belt drive on an ebike?

My shop is in Seattle and we see them get about ~12,000-13,000km on bikes w/ Gen4 Bosch. Can't speak to areas with more salt/snow, tho.

@pascalo welcome to the club! Our step-through Douze snapped pretty much where yours has cracked. Ours failed about 30mm from the weld. It developed a creak that I couldn’t locate and then it dawned on me that the creaked sounded very familiar having busted a few frames... :O

The step-through was bought for practical reasons as it was easier to get/on off and get into our garage/store as we could “step-through” the bike when space was tight.

It broke after 2 years use and was replaced FOC by Douze with a Messenger frame (with top tube). It was like night/day in terms of stiffness!

No way is that a right-off. A good frame builder will be able to replace/repair/gusset and add a top tube for good measure. They’re great bikes and the cost of everything is crazy these days so a repair is worthwhile IMO if you’re still using it.

Douze have seemed to have abandoned the UK too :(

The growling I was referring to is the noise they develop when the cogs are totally worn and developing hooked edges. Not general noise from dirt etc.
I use wear as an indicator of wear, not noise. 😁

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That definitely shows a difference between electric and non electric as I ride about 15000 miles a year, or 24000 km and as I was saying, they're usually done just before a year is up.