Belt drive fixed

I think the market is pretty huge - single speed and hub geared which mostly is commuter/general purpose where dirty chains are not appealing.

i.e. this;

the perfect tools for the commuter, apart from the water bottle.

You're right, a commuter bike would definitely need a latte holder and a granola bar tray.

I don't think letting blind people commute on bikes is a good idea.

i.e. this;

the perfect tools for the commuter, apart from the water bottle.

Looks shit... perfect commuter bike for someone that only rides at 5 mph on the flat ed ... need something more agressive uphill.

on the flat? why it's not suitable for uphill?

edited - now I got what you mean, it actually got an 8 speed internal gears hub, not singlespeed.

Rather ride singlespeed uphill. Easier, I don't have to worry about what gear to mis-choose.

learn to choose the right gear.

The problem with that trek is the brakes.

As a commuter/utility bike it is brilliant. The gear range, geometry, and wheel strength (assumed), make it suitable for carrying small loads or maybe a child seat. The belt drive, hub gears, and non-rim brakes, make it great for hassle free winter commuting. But the weak brakes let it down, in terms of both of these uses (IMHP).

I agree its not the most aggressive of geometries, but then thats a matter of peronal preferance.

I'd rather have a titanium frame, and a rohloff hub myself though.

Doesnt have a coffee thermos though, so is anti-porn.

Feck me.
I'm in love! Custom titanium fully rigid 29er, with belt drive. (Sorry but this is going striaght to the porn thread as well)

[ame="http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=592893"]Bah BAh Belt Drive (sheep content) - Mtbr.com Forums[/ame]

Shoot that is nice.

Want.

Feck me.
I'm in love! Custom titanium fully rigid 29er, with belt drive. (Sorry but this is going striaght to the porn thread as well)

Bah BAh Belt Drive (sheep content) - Mtbr.com Forums

I love truss forks. I think they will be the next big thing to move from custom to mass production. Suspension for people who don't like suspension, (like me).

I love truss forks. I think they will be the next big thing to move from custom to mass production. Suspension for people who don't like suspension, (like me).

I'm with you on that one. The bit I love is the handle bars though, they look amazing, and I reckon they'd give some handy hand positions.

I'm with you on that one. The bit I love is the handle bars though, they look amazing, and I reckon they'd give some handy hand positions.

+1 Since becoming accustomed to drops a few years ago I really don't like risers for anything other than banging along really technical terrain. I'm planning on the ti tec Jones bars, obviously I'd love the proper ti titanium ones but £50 for a bar is expensive enough let alone £200 quid, which is more than I paid for my frame.

wow, that black sheep is beautiful

+1 Since becoming accustomed to drops a few years ago I really don't like risers for anything other than banging along really technical terrain. I'm planning on the ti tec Jones bars, obviously I'd love the proper ti titanium ones but £50 for a bar is expensive enough let alone £200 quid, which is more than I paid for my frame.

They look a lot like H-bars without the foward extensions to me. I like the idea of the extreme back curve at the end, to help keep your weight over the rear wheel, while climbing out-of-the-saddle, in an entirly inappropriate gear.

As a commuter/utility bike it is brilliant. The gear range, geometry, and wheel strength (assumed), make it suitable for carrying small loads or maybe a child seat. The belt drive, hub gears, and non-rim brakes, make it great for hassle free winter commuting. But the weak brakes let it down, in terms of both of these uses (IMHP).

flat bar, different tyres, bingo;

flat bar, different tyres, bingo;

Definitely!

Apart from the asthetic differences its not much of a different bike than the Trek. The better brakes inspire the confidence to use the bike to its full potiental though*.

(*just MHO, but I would'nt ride down hills with one of my kids on the back. If all I had to stop was those trek hub brakes)

(*just MHO, but I would'nt ride down hills with one of my kids on the back. If all I had to stop was those trek hub brakes)

I've never tried hub brakes but it sound like from this article the design could be improved to make the pretty good for many applications.

http://www.63xc.com/dws/hubbrake.htm

Hub brakes are more than plenty, the difference is that you can't go from 15-0mph in a very very short distance like rims/disc brakes, it's pretty hard to lock the rear wheel with that brakes alone (apart from coaster brakes).

With both brakes applied, it's more than enough to slow you down, and being internal, it won't need constant adjustment to keep it predictable, one less thing to worry about, my brake on my bike is already pretty worn by 2 months and end up needing to adjust it (and clean the rims).

On the old dutch bike that weight as much as a Nissan SUV, coaster brake and front drum brakes were enough to stop, even with the missus on the rear rack.

Having says that, it's not worth using on a bicycle for racing, that's where it won't work well.

my brake on my bike is already pretty worn by 2 months and end up needing to adjust it (and clean the rims).

This is why my next winter bike will have discs. my rims can start the day clean, get covered in sticky ice paste (salt melted snow at around -10) in the morning, then have an abrasive layer of dry salt in the evening.

Disc brakes + belt + hub gear = much less hassle.

Ideally I'd like a cycloX frame, as I'm a competitive nodder.

try using some swisstop pads. since ive been using them i have literally none of the black pad crud i got from every other pad ive used, and i havnt needed to pick bits of metal from them. they also work better than anything else ive tried in the wet.

im not convinced by hub brakes, they dont stop as well and they are heavy.i don't see maintenance as a valid argument as i really dont find it that taxing to turn a cable adjuster or centering screw. cleaning is somthing you should do occasionally anyway, i dont like people who dont look after their possessions. if your not technically proficient enough to adjust a brake or appreciate the feeling of a quality bike, then you should have to put up with inferior brakes.

i like belts because its such a smooth system to ride, it is tangible. its also lighter which is always a nice bonus.

I totally agree. I was thinking more about the build up of sticky snow. It oftens gives a second or so delay in braking effect. None too pleasent.

It's a funny one maintenance. When I've had a outside space or a garage maintenance is not a problem but living in a small flat maintenance become a lot harder. Come in from a ride and doing a wipe down makes more mess than leaving the dirt on the bike!