Get Started with Gates Belt Drive Systems: What You Need to Know

[@rickdonovan1088]

The fact that there is an app to check the belt tension just blows my mind! Thank you for all of the valuable information🙏

[@johnfretz1938]

I looooove Gates belt drives. Quiet, stout, clean, long lasting, easy to maintain. Once I had one bike with it, I was sold. Now it's almost a requirement that any bike I look at has at the very least, the option to install it. If you're the type of person who never checks the oil on your car, who hates, hates, hates, getting greasy and dirty, and just wants something that just works, and "generally" just isn't any trouble...try a belt drive bike.

[@HuntersCyclingAdventures]

Belt drives are the future I love my priority 600x

[@Hungrycyclist81]

My belt stays at around 26-28 Hertz. It’s been like that forever. According to gates this may cause the belt to jump teeth or the components to wear quicker. However, I’m going on 26.000 Km so far with a full bikepacking setup and I have yet to see the issues that gates claim may be possible. It is in fact more tension that wears the components quicker as the rubbing of the belt creates more friction under more tension. Alee Denham from cycling about did an entire test on this.

[@wildcathillsnaturalist9228]

Any idea where we can find Denham's test? I'm not doubting this, I'd just like to check it out. I searched his website but maybe I missed it. Thanks!

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! Perfect timing… will be testing on both the GSD and Priority 600 this weekend. Cheers! 😊

[@BikeShopGirl]

Awesome! The priority is on my list

[@peterbedford2610]

If Gates could make a belt with some kind of removable link, to get around the frame issue, they would really change the market for drive trains.

[@hemaccabe4292]

I would love to have the system, one of my main headaches is derailleur problems. At the same time, the price is daunting. Also, I am very aware that in the next couple of years, more E-bike centered options are likely to become available.

[@elikintisch1046]

Super useful! Thanks so much for this

[@Aku-mia]

Thanks for the helpful vid. I have some questions that I can't seem to find any helpful answers to on the web or local bike shops. Any insight much appreciated. I went for a belt drive and enviolo hub on my riese and muller multicharger in the hopes of having almost no maintenance. I've now learned, it seems belts do require more maintenance than I thought. What I can't find an answer to is how to know how often to clean my belt, so that it can last hopefully at least 5000km (not sure how fast heavy ebikes wear out drivetrains compared to standar cycles). My analogue workhorse commuter all round bicycle with xt/ultegra level components would see chains/drivetrain components lasting 5-10,000km just with some greasing and wiping every few hundred miles. California weather. This multicharger is my first ebike and first belt and I have 4000km on it. Generally riding rain or shine here in germany on pavement and forest roads. Usually using no motor, eco and tour modes. Averaging about 100W human power output. I have washed it, but usally only when it's dirty with mud. Maybe 3 or 4 times now. It seems to perform fine so far, but a shop tech said it might be toward the end of its life. Is that normal for this situation usually? Only 4000km. I will start cleaning it more, and checking tension now. Do you have any real world numbers of how many miles/km people tend to get from their ebike belt drivetrains in different conditions and different levels of care? Many thanks and smooth riding to you

[@paulamolick4882]

Great tips! Love my gates belt, so does my mechanic son! No issues ever so far but will definitely check the tension.

[@BikeShopGirl]

So good to hear from you, Paula!

[@JasonOLeary1985]

Thanks for the tension app information. 👍🏼

[@hemaccabe4292]

Also, I would point out a simple solution with an e-bike that has a lot of assist levels, mine has 10, would be to yank out the gear system and go to a single chain which I understand is much more robust than a gear chain, so more e-bike friendly. Simpler, cheaper, lighter. Then use the assist levels like gears. The downside to this option is that if you lose battery power, you may be stuck with a far more difficult pedaling experience which is what many of us are trying to avoid, and some like me NEED to avoid.

[@BikeShopGirl]

Mid-drive motor systems rely on your cadence to perform well. Higher cadence the better. There are some hub based single speed e-bikes I’ve seen out but they also have throttles which would overcome any slow cadence problems :)

[@hemaccabe4292]

@@BikeShopGirl Good point. Mine has a throttle. Also, maintaining cadence becomes easier with higher assist level.

[@MrHuddy]

Great video, Arleigh! Top tips!

[@BikeShopGirl]

Thanks, Huddo!!

[@kvblum2007]

The only choice available if I decide to convert my ebike rear hub motor to belt drive is the “22T thread on/fixie” cog. QUESTION: Does the rear cog need to be a “freewheel” cog?

[@hemaccabe4292]

Great video. Really interesting.

[@BikeShopGirl]

Thanks for watching 🙌🙌

[@GodfreyGuitar]

Thanks so much for this helpful video! My belt was getting REALLY chirpy. Spraying it with water and cleaning the belt with a brush helped a little bit. The noise would go away for a little while, but within a day or two, it would come right back, especially pedaling up hills or any other situation where I was stomping hard on the pedals. I used the silicone spray you suggested, and this seems to be the solution I was looking for. Quick question about the spray. I have some WD-40 on hand. When I've used up the can of CRC spray, would WD-40 work? If not, I'll happily keep using the CRC spray.

[@BikeShopGirl]

I would continue to use it. If only for warranty purposes :)

[@wildcathillsnaturalist9228]

@@BikeShopGirl So is there any special technique/best practices for using CRC on these belts? Just lightly spray the toothed side as you're spinning the crank a bit to move the belt?

[@HilariousChuck]

Thank you

[@Khris618]

I was wondering if it's possible/practical to retrofit a bike with a chain drive/internal hub with a belt drive

[@BikeShopGirl]

You need to have a speciality frame that has a split in it since the belt is one piece.

[@peterbedford2610]

This is the Achilles heel of the technology... A very non standard frame is needed.

[@jonfarmer7914]

Thanks for the helpful video. I changed my rear tyre and I'm now getting a whirring sound that I speculate may be the individual lugs on the belt rubbing on something. I'll check the tension as you suggest but would be grateful for any other tips.

[@BikeShopGirl]

Does the whirling only happen when you pedal? If so I would check the belt isn’t rubbing the chainguard and where the cable attaches for the gears. If it happens only when the wheel spins, check the tire isn’t rubbing something.

[@jonfarmer7914]

@@BikeShopGirl Hi, thanks! It was the gear cable rubbing on the drive ring teeth. It had come out of it's clip near the bottom bracket and moved outboard without me noticing. No apparent damage, thankfully. Now (hopefully) securely back in it's clip. Advice bang on point and very much appreciated.

[@christiankurpielwakamiya4333]

Great video! Thank you!

[@SellingNewYorkCiti]

Love seeing a girl out there doing the good work! I have an ebike and would like to lower the resistance when pedal assist is off. Do you know if increasing the front sprocket would do so. I know it would also require a larger belt. I’m currently at 20t/ 64t. On the ride 1up v2 road bike edition.

[@BikeShopGirl]

so you want it to be easier? You'll need a smaller front or larger rear. It does mess with your gear ratio so you may need your e-bike retuned for that. What type of ebike?

[@daza8787]

I have a Tern GSD S00 and like your suggestion of getting a spare belt. Unfortunately I can’t see any markings on the belt to reveal what size to buy like I did in my previous belt driven bike. Do you happen to know what size is used on the S00?

[@BikeShopGirl]

Shoot me an email and I can get the info for you tomorrow! [e-mail]

[@julianf2468]

Hey! I have one of these, and when I was leaning my bike up against a rack today the belt got pulled and twisted away from my frame. Probably a good 45 degree rotation and an inch or so out of alignment. Will this cause my belt to fail prematurely? If so, how prematurely?

[@BikeShopGirl]

eek, that is a crazy story. What did it get caught on and did you pull super hard? I would really inspect the belt because they aren't designed to be twisted like that.

[@johncoffman2703]

Great info

[@BikeShopGirl]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kjm-ch7jc]

Belt tension puts extra strain on bearings also I see problems if you had a side of the road puncture repair.

[@BikeShopGirl]

Changing a flat is pretty easy, the wheel just drops down and you remove the belt like you would a chain on a single speed. You shouldn’t see premature bearing wear unless the belt is too tight.

[@kristaschepis2658]

Which Gates belt is on the Tern HSD S8i Gen 1? Or, how can we find out which one it is? Thanks!

[@BikeShopGirl]

I don’t know off hand. There should be writing on the outside of the belt to quickly tell you

[@sinsofourfathers]

Do you only check the tension on the upper half of the belt (so after chainring) or do both 'sides' need to have the same tension? Given that the tensioner is usually at the bottom (mine is at least), the tension there is quite a bit higher than the top half.

[@BikeShopGirl]

Is your tensioner spring loaded? I check in one place for consistency.

[@sinsofourfathers]

@@BikeShopGirl No, which is - according to the local bike shop, it's a canyon - part of the issue :-) It's going back, the difference between different positions of the cranks is too high to be solved.

[@solarheat9016]

I can get a good 6/7/8 speed chain for a Nexus/Alfine for $9 and a Gates belt costs $110, so yes: SLIGHTLY more expensive. Also, the chrome plated, hardened steel Nexus cog is about $12 with shipping, a Gates cog is at least $80 or $100. Jenson USA has stainless steel chainrings starting at $38 and an aluminum Gates front sprocket is about $100. Given that I can buy 12 chains for the price of one belt, I don't think belt drive is for me.

[@hemaccabe4292]

I would think the belt and Enviolo would add $1-2K in price?

[@living4adrenaline]

Belts can actually last exponentially longer than chains, like 20,000 miles or more. They also don't rust.

[@richmurphy1787]

I have a question. I noticed on videos that I’m watching one person would test the belt from the top and another person would test the belt from the bottom. Does it matter where you test the belt for sound frequency?

[@BikeShopGirl]

Anywhere 🙌

[@REVNUMANEWBERN]

What if you want to do such a conversion BUT it's on a NON bike conversion where the center distance from each pulley distance is much shorter?? Is there a calculator to enter the sprocket sizes & center distance and get the pulley / belt conversion??

[@BikeShopGirl]

I would contact Gates as I've only seen that calculator on a bike builder login.

[@arnaudf5644]

Hello, which tension advice you for a GSD S00 (with enviolo system) ? Thanks!

[@BikeShopGirl]

Verify on your app but it should be between 35-50.

[@letsgoOs1002]

Where do I get a spare belt for the gsd?

[@BikeShopGirl]

Your local shop would be the easiest :)

[@psychoshepherd]

What lube do you use on the bushings of the tensioner? (GSD)

[@BikeShopGirl]

I use standard t-9 chain lube

[@RynaxAlien]

Is it possible to use belts on non belt compatible frame?

[@BikeShopGirl]

nope

[@heijoleisten137]

good girl !!!!

[@hemaccabe4292]

I don't have a belt. I do have a friend who does. He does a lot of bike trekking. His belt failed on a trip once and kinda messed up his trip. I gave him this advice, don't start carrying a spare, yes, they don't weigh a lot but they do weigh something and they take up space. Have a friend, like me, who has another belt in an overnight shipping box ready to go. Call the friend, have them dropship. Secondly, I recommended he swap out the belt every year. Then keep the old belt as a spare. So if something did go wrong, he could use the old belt as a spare at least until a new belt could be acquired. He ignored me and now carries a spare. Sigh.

[@BikeShopGirl]

I carry a belt on tour :) much faster to just have it on the side of the road, like a tube!

[@hemaccabe4292]

@@BikeShopGirl True, but the frequency of need is low. So you're paying in weight and volume for a lot of miles for that convenience.

[@ianhillman6535]

Can your average bike shop in a major city service a bike with a gates belt or does it require finding specialty shop for service?

[@BikeShopGirl]

Technically they should be able to but I would pick a knowledgeable speciality shop first if possible. Which city?

[@ianhillman6535]

@@BikeShopGirl Philadelphia - thanks for the quick response!

[@BikeShopGirl]

I would go to firth & Wilson 🙌

[@cipriansimion1388]

Another trick to get rid of the belt squeek is to rub it with a piece of dry solid soap 😉

[@cosminmierlea8144]

i have a Mercedes E Bike, with Gates carbon belt…the belt is shockingly noisy. i’ve spoke with the manufacturer and they send me dry lube…but now i see that you don’t recommend it….

[@BikeShopGirl]

How’s the tension? Is there a tensioner that needs lubed?

[@OmniTierra]

The squeaky/ noisy belt can come from dusty/ dry conditions. I am currently on a World Tour with my dog Mira. I mention this to let you know that we experience all kinds of conditions with Gates belts. I recommend a simple bar of soap. I rub some on the lobe side of the belt where it would contact the rings. This will quiet the belt and can be effective for several days. Best of luck

[@BobRenda-x8o]

But, but…if we take Bill Gate’s belt how will his pants stay up?

[@tdgdbs1]

Belts do not like sand; my last trip through Baja destroyed 2 belts.

[@Khris618]

No drive train likes sand.

[@BikeShopGirl]

@@Khris618 Very true

[@BikeShopGirl]

1. That trip sounds amazing. 2. I would be carrying 2-3 belts on that adventure!

[@peterbedford2610]

See Ryan Van duzer regarding belt drives and Baja.

[@TroyHiscock]

Yes..but all the belt bikes are garbage...cheap