The Pinion shifting takes some getting used to, but I wouldnt call it a dealbreaker by any means. We love it. Currently in stock for immediate shipping (noted Jan 22). >>> Why are there no bikes in stock? Its far easier to just refine whats already selling well. The Tour of France didnt see derailleur systems in the race until almost 1940, and mountain bikes didnt have indexed shifting until 1989. Thanks from Trivelo. It comes complete with hydraulic disc brakes and 700x35c tires for a safe ride through winter. >>> Advantages & Disadvantages of Belt Drive Bikes. Marin have long since included a belt drive bike in their range in recognition of the suitability of the tech to commuter bikes. On my last ride with the Taniwha, after Id written the intro to this review, another rider passed my friend and I as we were stopped for a break, and screeched to a stop and inquired. We are continually working with our network of bike manufacturers and distributors to update this list and provide the best places to buy belt drive bikes. Bravo Priority Bikes. Canyon make a range of belt drive bikes in urban and commuter styles but the pick of the bunch is the award winning Commuter 8.0. But, cassettes wear out after a few years or faster, depending on the rider. Selling the virtues of a belt drive bicycle with the classic line never stain your pants, we love it. very cool about a bike being made out of wood! Buy it now Buy the Tern Verge S8i Folding Belt Drive Bike for 2100 from Wiggle. As a 140mm trail bike, the Katipo matches the head angle of the older Taniwha, and the STA is 1.5 steeper at 76. Spend more time riding. Cube Hyde Pro 2022 1186 from Wiggle (Limited sizes available for immediate shipping Noted May 2022). Launched in 2021 and still one of the most in-demand belt drive bikes. One of a number of epic Priority belt drive bikes in our list of the 15 Best Carbon belt drive bikes. The Priority Apollo Gravel features drop handlebars that you would expect from a gravel bike but also delivers a good range of gearing with an internal 11 speed Alfine sytem. Mostly though, my experience with the Taniwha was refreshing. It has been 9 months of continuous riding. The Boardman URB 8.9 weighs only 10.7kg so 1kg less than the 8.8 model. We are yet to get our hands on this latest urban hybrid bike but working to get one of their bikes with our test panel. >>> Top 10 Single Speed and Fixed Gear Bikes Under 1000. One bike to rule them all! Except for the buzzy rear hub, the Taniwha is very quiet, and its quickly noticeable how much noise is coming from chains and derailleurs compared to other bikes. The Gates belt drive system is coupled with an 8 speed Shimano Alfine internal gear hub. It is a much closer fit to a mountain bike and as such the closest thing in our line up to the Best Belt Drive Mountain Bike you can get. Some interesting bikes in here. They are working to keep thing simple with high quality parts, simple marketing and a direct to consumer model. It features on 7 of the 15 Best Belt Drive bikes in our listing. (Currently they have stock for all sizes Noted May 22). Mountain Bike Deals, Copyright 2022 Blue Spruce Ventures LLC | Great article post.Really thank you! Van Nicholas have launched in 2022 this monster of a bike with an equally impressive price tag. The shifting mechanism uses pawls, which expand to engage the gear pairs. You wont be dominating the segment tables on Strava but smoothly getting through the daily city commute without disruption. If batman rode a bicycle this is what he would have in the batcave. With a low maintenance perfect commuter solution for cyclists belt drive is a great fit assuming you can afford it. If you are interested in carbon belt drives, you should also read the information aboutcarbon gravel wheels. Only available online so be careful with sizing when considering ordering. Do you know if they have been affected by the current COVID crisis and still able to honour distribution? There are three sizes on the Taniwha. The 9-speed has everything you need, but I was shifting back and forth a lot, trying to find the right gear, and often felt I was either too high or too low. The frame is a completely new design with a Look bikes inspired integrated stem. One other negative I noticed about the gearbox, is that it has a freewheel of its own. If you are not a brand snob then buy with confidence to get a very well specced hybrid belt drive bike. Even being much longer than what I normall ride the bike felt pretty good around tight corners. When Gerow spoke with some gearbox brands for his article, they mentioned that a lever shifter will come soon to gearboxes, but so far were only seeing it on bikes with Effigear transmissions. I ended up with a size large, or size 475 (reach) when I usually ride a medium, but the saddle still bumped me on steeps and jumps due to a longer seat tube, even when it was down. Buy it now Boardman URB 8.8 Urban Hybrid Bike 2021 850 from Halfords. Like!! Its actually been out for about four years. Case hardened chromoly and nickel-plated for exceptional abrasion resistance. That we also think is a very well finished bike. Plus they are super rare and you can tick the socially responsible buyer box with their company policy and funding something to be admired. I also use the word dumb ironically as I can hardly design a respectable wooden shelf, much less a piece of mechanical complexity that has made mountain biking better throughout the years. We will keep this post updated with any progress on this. The end of our equity crowdfunding raise is quickl We're stoked to announce that Veer has been accepted into the San Diego Sport Innovators Accelerator program! So, the practicality between the two comes down to initial cost and durability versus the long-term cost and potential for mitigating maintenance and damage. If buyers dont want a 12-speed, they can take $100 off for the 9-speed version. not that belts, gearboxes and gear hubs are immune to failure, and in case it happens back-country you are in trouble for real. The seat tube being too tall was really my only issue with the geo. Tooling and production is expensive, but it sounds like the brand is willing to work with riders to make other sizes possible. Hi Gary. A very handy piece of kit but for the cheeky chap about town, you could do a lot worse. I think if I were to buy a gearbox for myself, Id opt for the 12-speed. Zerode also makes the Katipo 29er that comes with either 160mm or 140mm of rear travel. Using disc brakes although the firm claim to be able to accommodate full customisation to suit any customers choice. Theres no grease, no rust, and no worries. By contrast on all our TT bikes we make do with a chain that has pins and a series of interlocking metal rollers. Finding one continues to be a challenge. As one can imagine with any 160mm bike that weighs 33lbs, the Taniwha comes to life in certain scenarios. What do you think of the new Rose CPTL Street? x. Our Choice Priority Apollo Gravel from Priority Bikes for $1999, >>> 19 of the Best Road Bikes for Under 1000. This is no ugly duckling. Urban and hybrid bikes that are tackling a limited range of surfaces work extremely well with belt drive. Carbon Belt drives last substantially longer due to not stretching in the same way as a chain. We love the Shimano 8 speed system fitted with the Gates Carbon Drive Belt drive. Most exciting of these is the Path i8 as a great looking alternative for commuter cycling. The Shimano XTRs and SRAM X01s feel better than ever and they are more durable than ever, but the same potential danger that has always existed can still stop a $250 derailleur dead in its tracks, or at the least, leave you stranded in the backcountry because of a broken $20 derailleur hanger. This is no budget option though and a true thoroughbred. Enjoy this epic article on 5 Essential Foods Every Mountain Biker Should be Eating. Cube describe the Hyde Pro hybrid as a true urban lifestyle bike. With a aluminium frame and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes you have a robust set of components that delivers a smooth ride and is lightweight. It has no moving components like a chain but uses a single loop of carbon inside a nylon cover. Sorry to hear you have had some issues on the CDN rear pulley (more than once by the sounds of things). This is likely to take some getting used to for those of us accustomed to aluminium or carbon frames. The benefit is still the elimination of the vulnerable rear derailleur, and reduced maintenance. "This innovation of a split belt, which is also suitable for retrofitting, represents true progress if the operating principle proves to be successful. Buy it now Scorcher (price available on application but need to factor in shipping from the U.S). Frame is an aluminium lightweight hybrid style with aluminium forks. I loaned the bike to a friend for a ride, and by the end of an 9-mile loop, he seemed to have a pretty good grasp. This wasnt intended to be a full review on the Taniwha, as the bike has been out for a while and there are reviews aplenty. Quite informative. Pricey but we do love this bike. My everyday MTB (a 16 Canfield N9 HT) ways just under this lol! Our equity crowdfunding raise has been nothing short of a productive, and motivating journey. The system has 16 different belt lengths, 7 front sprockets/cranksets and 8 rear cog sizes to give you the most drive ratio options. Buy it now Buy the Cannondale Bad Boy for 1899 from Rutland Cycles. Zerode notes their sizes by reach as we feel this is the most important factor when deciding on your perfect bike.. Anyways, on to more about the Zerode Taniwha. Shimano should have had an XT level gearbox 20 years ago. The latest Rose belt drive bike is something we are looking at right now and looking to update the list shortly with the bike as a very exciting new entrant into the belt drive bikes world. As the name hints Connor Cycles make their bikes from wood, based out of Denver Colorado. Gates CDN: Urban ModelThe budget and most common Gates carbon belt drive model in our listisCDN Urban. The Connor Scorcher bicycle is beautiful! Dont recommend this bike! It also comes with a lightweight frame that contributes to an overall weight of only 11.7kg. Whether you commute on your bike or go on expeditions, we've got you covered. The belt keeps the bike even quieter and reduces maintenance, and the lack of clanging is one of the Taniwhas standout features. It doesnt feature and suspension forks but in an age of people using Gravel bikes up trails the interpretation of what is an MTB we view as softening. Weighing 15.5kg it is a heavy city bike but is built for being loaded up with panniers and racking points. Im not totally won over by gearbox bikes yet, but theyve got a pull on me. I believe that thumb shifters are also available. Earlier this year, I got a stick in my SRAM GX 12 Speed derailleur and destroyed it so I do understand going with an internal geared bike. Im fully into my bikes and n+1 principals so this has just given me a fresh excuse for my next addition to the garage! A classic bike perfect for commuting. The Cannondale Bad Boy 1 is labelled by Cannondale as an Urban Bike. Its nice to know that there are brands and people out there who are pushing for something different than the norm and that the result is anything but a gimmick. It wouldve been heavy but who cares, just so long it works there would be demand for it alongside its standard chain system. Gear ratios are provided using the Shimano Alfine 11 speed integral hub that you would expect for this price. The geo chart on the Zerode website suggests the medium (445) for your height. As you would hope. It has the look and feel of more of a mountain bike with an 8 speed hub gear with belt drive using Shimano disc brakes. While the Taniwha I rode weighed about 34 pounds with pedals not absolutely terrible for an enduro bike, but definitely not light its a reasonable climber. If you want to add more to your bragging list with your friends on cycling tech Tern have resurrected the Dynamo for this bike using the Joule 3 to power a Valo 2 front and rear light. Does the sizing run on the small side or just personal preference? The grip shifter just isnt as intuitive as a lever shifter for me, but part of that is probably due to many years of lever shifting ingrained into my hands. We will give our views on it shortly but thanks again for leaving your views. The Polygon Path i8 would stand out in the company bike racks against a flood of conventional mountain bikes. The program offers guiding principl We are stoked to announce another OEM partnership with a major ebike company, Multicycle! Canyon have certain sizes in stock but have stock issues (noted June 2022). The 12-speed weighs 150g more than the 2200g 9-speed gearbox. Aside from that, I didnt have any problems with the gearbox, the belt drive, or any of the drivetrain mechanisms. so even if prone to a variety of problems a derailleur system is a better guarantee to make it limping home again. The belt drive seems to do exactly what it intends to. Thanks for taking time to comment and we are following up with Cube on this and would like to get a long term review on this to stress test it further over a 100 day review. The Taniwha is a heavy bike, and not one Id think of first for all-day backcountry rides. Buy the Boardman URB 8.9 from Halfords for 875. Could a belt drive bike be the future of all bikes? When belt drive bikes first emerged on the scene 5 years ago they tended to follow a common format. Somebody clearly decided that belt drive bikes were not quite niche enough and decided folding belt drive bikes were the way forwards. Buy Van Nicholas Zion Rohloff for EUR 4999 direct from Van Nicholashttps://www.vannicholas.com/mountain-bikes/zion-rohloff-29er. What the hell, Waltly will build a custom Ti frame with Pinion mount for less than a production SpecialEd or Trek plastibike frame. Ive been running the Rohloff for about 6 years now, and started off with the twist shift. Proprietary sprocket flanges provide perfect belt guidance and slotted teeth shed mud and debris readily. Enter your email for the top stories in mountain biking, plus product picks and deals delivered to your inbox each week. The 8.9 also comes with slightly more flexible 8 gears system compared to 7 gears on the 8.8. These bicycles are kinda pricey, but I guess they are a good investment for their durability. With a gearbox bike like the Zerode, it becomes almost seamless to dump your gears in a second and find the right one. It does mean after sales service is bullet proof should you experience any issues. Buy it now Buy the Trek District 4 Equipped for 1500 from Trek. Gearboxes also carry a more significant price tag than external drivetrains, which can now be had for a fraction of a gearboxs cost. They dont expect Zerode to update the geometry anytime soon. @matt Miller Youre 58 and you went with the large (475)? Pinion and Rohloff are using chain/belt since it is cheap and well established, not to mention, light weight to offset weight of the gearboxes. It results in a pretty reasonable total weight of under 14 kg on a bike that could be readily taken off-road. Nice. The Priority Ace secures the position as the cheapest belt drive bike you can buy. I anticipated my shifts ahead of changing terrain more quickly, and got stuck less. Thank you for posting this. With belt drive offering reliable and simple to maintain bikes it is the perfect choice for them. Team VEER is attending Eurobike!! We love the write up for the bike on their website. Frame is extremely innovative and a welcome update to their previous model. The frame uses lightweight aluminium with full carbon forks helping keep weight down. Plus CDN belt lasts about 3000km, which is not longer than a chain. Get your hands on one now! Boardman bikes are well built and extremely reliable so no reservation in recommending this as a possible urban belt drive bike. A tag we dont really agree to fully with as it puts it in a league of One. Shaft drive and two wheel drive has been done. My timing got better, too. With the 40mm tyres made possible with good fork clearance you can ride with confidence. Buy the Brilliant L Train belt drive bike from Priority bikes. It is a classic tourer style belt driven bicycle connecting you with the essence of pure cycling pleasure. Thanks for the well written article. We have previously favoured the hardcore Activa Pro which was a heavyweight tourer and their fully loaded option. Based in the U.S. in New York they distribute globally with an online only distribution ethos. The belts come with a 2-year warranty. Lube becomes a thing of the past and arriving at your destination with oil soaked hands. Thank you! But, in a lot of ways, derailleurs are still the best way to outfit a mountain bike with a multi-geared drivetrain and keep their weight and price down. But it still has a trick up its sleeve as it can switch between fixed or freewheel riding. With a wooden frame capable of absorbing vibration you can expect a supremely comfortable ride. This insight follows our article on the 10 of the best carbon belt drive bikes you can buy where most of the bikes used this [], [] 15 of The Best Carbon Belt Drive Bikes: 2022 Ultimate Guide []. The concept of a belt drive bike is so cool! For a bike design thats four years old, this thing hasnt aged terribly, although it has grayed a bit. Who wouldve thought that Tesla would be the highest valued car manufacturer in the world??? The belts are also designed to easily shed mud and debris. Tenways CGO600 eBike Review - Is this the perfect city bike? like the Connor Wood Bicycles the most. Now Priority bikes have nailed this latest demand for gravel bikes with the ease of maintenance and power transfer of a carbon belt drive. Two out of three of these aspirations are far more challenging for gearbox bikes to attain. Love the aero cockpit of the frame and innovation from Rose. Coming in at 2100 it is not the cheapest belt drive bike nor folding bike. That assumes you can bring yourself to leave it locked up anywhere. Frame is manufactured from American hardwood reinforced with kevlar. The Gates Carbon Drive system uses a carbon belt, which Gates says doesnt stretch over time and has twice the life of a chain. The Path i8 features a tough and light aluminium frame. spares for your gear box anyone.? I have not owned a belt drive bike before and it sure looks like a nice one to have. The Taniwha isnt a new bike. Derailleurs are just dumb! he said. Buy it now Buy the Lekker Amsterdam 8 Speed for $1598 (Editor note June 2022 currently discounted with $200 off), >>> Best Belt Drive eBikes for 2021. The CPTL Street is an urban belt drive bike and added to our line up with the innovation this brings to our list. I would love to get into bicycle riding before. And chains need constant attention, cleaning, and lubrication. I havent been on a bike much since I was a kid, but I would certainly love to try one of these out. Splice allows the belt to be joined through rear frame triangles. At nearly 2000 this is a premium product but Cannondale have paired it with the best from Gates using the CDX system and the Alfine Shimano internal 8 speed gearing. Gravel bikes being the latest wave of utility bikes replacing peoples road and mountain bikes across the globe. The trail we were on was tight and rocky and ripe with derailleur-eating features. Like the look of the Lekker and a great price. Love the car (Tesla) analogy as that really defines how modern day market leaders tend to stifle true innovation focusing instead on maximizing current day profits for (minor) incremental improvements. Greg had a first ride on the enduro bike back in 2017, but there have been recent changes to how Zerode has implemented the Pinion gearbox. This is an added knowledge. I would certainly try a 140mm Katipo Trail for those types of rides if they had smaller sizes. But this isnt rocket science its already done on motorcycles so this has to be possible. Firstly this bike wins the showbiz name award for the best name in our round up of carbon belt drive bikes. It makes them good for high mileages with the minimum of maintenance. Before and during Gregs test, the Taniwha used a chain and a single cog. Really Cool. Rose offer a number of belt drive bikes and fully embracing the Gates system across a range of high end bikes. I reached out to Cycle Monkey for a few details on how they sell the Taniwha. They describe it as a happy city cyclist cruising the streets on their Commuter 8.0. The Rose CPTL Street has dropped a lot of weight compared to the Activa and Luna models. Both of the mentioned internal gear systems are works of engineering art. The 74.5 STA and a 65 HTA are probably a degree-and-a-half off any new 160mm enduro bikes out these days. These are stressed by the sprockets and teeth. Our expert panel of cycling associates have compiled this selection of 15 of the best carbon belt drive bikes available updated for 2022 with all the best bikes and best deals (Editor note originally published 2021.