A belt drive on a single-speed mountain bike sounds awesome, but what are they actually like? And are they worth the added cost?
I’ve been riding single speeds for over 10 years, and in that time had the pleasure of riding both a chain and belt. I’ve gotten a good handle on both drive trains and would love to share my experiences with you in this video. We will cover the questions above as well as a few others to help you determine if a belt drive is right for you.
The bike I used for this comparison is a Carver 420, which is a titanium hardtail with 120mm of travel up front. The belt drive was a Gates Carbon Drive with a 46 tooth up front and 26 in the back. Recently I switch back to a chain drive, and currently have it setup as a 32×19.
Questions
1) Can any bike be adapted to fit a belt drive?
2) What are the advantages of a belt drive?
3) What are the disadvantages of a belt drive?
4) Who are belt drives ideal for?
Additional Info:
If you are considering a belt drive I highly recommend Gates. You can learn more about them here: https://www.gatescarbondrive.com/
If you like what you see, or have some feedback/questions feel free to contact me. If you enjoyed the content and you want to see more check out my other pages on Trail Sage.
Help support the channel at:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/trailsage
Footage notes: Most shots were taken at Mt Penn in Reading PA, Brandywine Creek State Park in Wilmington DE, and Walking Purchase Park (Sals) in Allentown PA
Featured Bike: Carver 420
https://carverbikes.com/
#GatesCarbonDrive #MTB #singlespeed #SinglespeedMTB #MountainBiking
Trail Sage 