New 'Belt' drive shown by Orange

[neil_bolton]

This sounds all very interesting - and it's carbon which should please the marketing boys

However I'm not that sure it'll take off? It would have to be used with an internal hub, and at the moment they are not all that light?

It is reckoned to be 98% as efficient as a normal chain - but feels 'stiffer' by all accounts.

http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/news/28798/Carbon-belt-dr...

Your thoughts?

Edited by neil_bolton on Thursday 6th September 14:18

[Trooper2]

The CVT is going to be heavy...

[atom111]

Awesome on two counts
1) Nice engineering
2) It's being done by a British company and it's pioneering and in 10 years time may be the norm, or as popular as a C5 but at least there trying and being innovative.

I am an Orange Nut so was obviously going to be positve.

[snotrag]

Trooper2 said:

The CVT is going to be heavy...

This will work well in conjunction with the G-boxx. I managed to blag a sneaky go on the Strange G-boxx bike a few months ago - its very good.

Trying to get a go on a GT It-1 aswell.

[neil_bolton]

atom111 said:

Awesome on two counts
1) Nice engineering
2) It's being done by a British company and it's pioneering and in 10 years time may be the norm, or as popular as a C5 but at least there trying and being innovative.

I am an Orange Nut so was obviously going to be positve.

I agree on point 1, very nice engineering.

But point 2? I doubt it - look at internal gearboxes - they've been trying it for ages, and never seemed to crack it.

The deraillier and chain system works bloody well, and I think that he'll struggle to move the design into a mass production environment - where, lets be honest, the money is!

[atom111]

Neil that's true that hub gears have been a long time coming and are still expensive but as time goes by there will be an alternative to the rear mech. Look at the system it is completley exposed to the elements, limited protection from rocks, doesn't shift in heavy mud (9 speed). So yes it may well work has done for many many years but there will no doubt be an alternative that will move to mass market, the thing is it will probably take a very long time for that alternative to appear but at least companies like Orange are rising to the challenge and innovating on alteratives as I said it will either be a CD moment or a C5 moment.

[snotrag]

The G-boxx concept is moving along well now. I think it'll stick this time. ~The diamondback bike looks great.

[neil_bolton]

atom111 said:

Neil that's true that hub gears have been a long time coming and are still expensive but as time goes by there will be an alternative to the rear mech. Look at the system it is completley exposed to the elements, limited protection from rocks, doesn't shift in heavy mud (9 speed). So yes it may well work has done for many many years but there will no doubt be an alternative that will move to mass market, the thing is it will probably take a very long time for that alternative to appear but at least companies like Orange are rising to the challenge and innovating on alteratives as I said it will either be a CD moment or a C5 moment.

I'm not disputing that at all - I think Orange has been brave to do what they have - and seems to have paid off for them.

However I don't think this is the replacement for the deraillier - I think we are going to see a gradual evolution of the deraillier system - ala the Shimano Shadow mechs that are coming in this year.

We still haven't moved away from drivehsafts in cars for over a hundred years - so I don't think bikes will suddenly evolve!

[neil_bolton]

snotrag said:

The G-boxx concept is moving along well now. I think it'll stick this time. ~The diamondback bike looks great.

Thats one that has - but its not going to go mass market I think. I would like to try one though to see what all the fuss is about.

[mk1fan]

Hub gears have been around for ages and do offer advantages over a deraileur set-up - one being no duplication of gear ratios.

That belt drive looks very interesting. There are a few technical questions I would want answered before taking the plunge but on the whole it's a positive idea. They are prevelant throughtout the motor industry so why not the cycling?

I'd have to agree with atomm111 it's a cd or c5 moment. Good on Orange and Gates for persuing the development.