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Interbike 2012: Gates Belt Drive Shows on Bikes from Budnitz, Felt, Metrofiets, Specialized & More!

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2013 Gates Belt Drive cog tool like a chain whip

Gates Carbon Belt Drive is popping up on more and more bikes across more and more categories. In their own booth, they had a wide representation of some impressive samples, everything from bakfiets cargo bikes to race-ready cyclocross rigs. For us, the sweet spot is still in the commuter segment, though, and there were plenty of those on hand, too.

Check out all the bikes below the break. That thing up top? That’s their new “chain whip” tool for removing the cog on your freewheel. And it’s available in colors, too!

Specialized introduced the Globe Roll 8 Rare this summer, look for a full post on this and their other new models, soon.

Ritte Racing’s single speed cyclocross bike puts the frame break halfway down the seatstay.

Loved this one! A Metrofiets cargo bike with internally geared up should make those big trips a bit easier.

Felt Bicycles is also on board with one of their city bikes. Full fenders and rear rack, too!

Even stationary exercise bikes are starting to adopt the tech.

Paul Budnitz’s frames have caught our attention lately for his beautiful US-made steel and titanium bikes. He also has a great little blog post about the growth in cycling here in the US and how retro-grouches just need to get over it.

Over at NuVinci’s booth was the new REI Novara Gotham, a bike they really wanted us to check out, but this stock photo’s far better than what we captured. It’s decked out with their N360 internal gear hub, disc brakes, hub-powered lights and full size rear rack and fenders. Yes, it’s a house brand for REI, but it’s also just $1,299 for all that and a double butted chromoly frame.

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WV Cycling
WV Cycling
11 years ago

The REI/NuVinci bike looks like something grant peterson would like to develop.

Steve M
Steve M
11 years ago

That first photo looks like a great oil filter wrench.

yesplease
yesplease
11 years ago

“That’s they’re new “chain whip” tool for removing the cog on your freewheel.”

There, Their or They’re?

FAIL

greg
greg
11 years ago

it would be cool if that strap wrench used a piece of Gates belt.

Mario
Mario
11 years ago

hmm, as nice as those Budnitz frames are, just so you know that those Budnitz frames aren’t handmade in the USA. Paul source them from the far east as far as I know.

Ajax
Ajax
11 years ago

When will belt drive really start making a dent in The traditional derailleur / chain market?

Typee
Typee
11 years ago

@ Greg That would have been cool. I thought that too at first but then I figured the notches would have made the clamping mechanism slightly more complicated (not that it’s at all complicated right now, but It may have required a moving part) and probably just isn’t necessary to perform the job.

@Steve M Yup, sure does. For those with a blingy home garage, or those high end auto shops! Also leads me to believe that it’s also possible to use a cheap oil filter wrench for the gates cogs.

Conclusion… They probably should have used a GAtes belt like strap, regardless of how much more complicated it would have been since i’m sure that these are not THAT cheap and it would have also prevented shop mechanics from just keeping a oil filter wrench on hand… at least until someone figured it out for themselves.

Jason
11 years ago

For the full post on the Globe 8 Rare can you make sure to cover the custom TRP brakes? They look sorta like the T925’s, I am wondering what is custom about them.

mudrock
mudrock
11 years ago

Explain something to me: how do you change gear ratios? Do owners have to keep belts of different lengths on hand?

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