Electric Bike with belt drive

What is a belt drive?

A belt drive is an alternative type of chain on a bike. Belts are made from a mixture of polyurethane and carbon fibres instead of a traditional metal chain. The best drive works in combination with hub gears. Electric bikes with a belt drive are widely considered to be particularly low maintenance, noiseless and durable.

What are the advantages of an e-bike with a belt drive?

Belt drives on an e-bike have numerous advantages:

• You can ride many more miles with a belt drive than a bicycle chain before it needs replacing
• Belt drives are extremely low maintenance
• A belt drive works entirely without oil, therefore you don’t need to worry about your trousers getting dirty while riding
• Belt drives on e-bikes are almost silent
• Maintaining a belt drive is really easy
• Pedalling efficiency is high
• A belt drive system is significantly lighter than a drive with derailleur gears

Wear and durability of a belt drive

Belt drives have significantly higher durability than their chain drive counterparts. It’s generally advised that you change a standard bicycle chain every 5,000 and 10,000 km even in good riding conditions. A Gates Carbon Drive on the other hand has an advised lifespan of 20,000 km. Of course, this will depend on a number of factors like terrain and weather conditions. However, a belt drive is far less likely to stretch like a traditional bicycle chain and will therefore not need replacing nearly as often.

Care and maintenance of a belt drive

The advantages of a belt drive are obvious: no annoying rattling, silent pedalling and above all, no oil. But does a belt drive on an e-bike still require care and maintenance? Yes! After riding in the rain and dirt, you should clean the belt drive to ensure it functions for many more miles. Allow the bike to dry and brush off the coarse dirt. Pay attention to the pulleys and pick out any small stones between the teeth with a small screwdriver or Allen key. Clean your bike as usual with clean water and suitable e-bike friendly detergent.

Belt drive noise

An e-bike with a belt drive is guaranteed to be a winner in an noise test against a conventional bike chain. Belt drives run silently, especially if they’re perfectly tuned with minimal friction. Since it’s not made of hard, rattling metal, the belt drive’s carbon and polyurethane fibres ensure smooth traction against the chainring.

Who is a belt drive e-bike suitable for?

Due to their low maintenance and efficient pedalling, e-bikes with a belt drive are perfect for everyday use including commuting to work. You can ride in confidence you won’t have any oil spills on your clothes when you arrive.

Why can hub gears only be used in combination with belt drives?

A belt drive is designed for use with pulley wheels. You can see these pulleys near the crank and rear hub. The belt itself is relatively rigid and tensioned between the front and rear pulleys. Once fitted, there is no possibility to move the belt across a sprocket because this would change the tension. The process of shifting gears must therefore take place internally within the hub of the rear wheel.

Gates Belt Drives: Leaders in belt drive technology

Having created a reputation for high quality belts in the automotive industry, the Gates Carbon Belt drive has established itself as the leading system in bicycle belt drives. The Gates Belt Drive only works with hub gears and it is not possible to use classic derailleur systems.

What sets Canyon apart is that you can buy bicycle online and it arrives at your doorstep nearly ready to ride. Our bikes come 95% pre-assembled. You can also take advantage of a 30-day return policy, along with a long-term six-year warranty.