Which Belt Drive Bikes are Quicker?

If you are looking for a belt drive bicycle, you need to check out of variety of bikes that you can find at Downtube. The following article will discuss which types of drive systems are quicker.

Toothed belt drive systems are popular with commuters because of them having a quiet operation. They also have an almost maintenance free design, are light in weight and are very smooth because there is no lubricant required.

Is a belt drive bicycle more efficient than a conventional chain drive? A conventional chain drive consumes 2.92 watts on average, while the belt eats up 3.93 watts. Although the difference is just 1 watt, it is not enough for most people to care about but the fact of the matter is it is a substantial 34.6% difference. The efficiency differences of installed systems are obviously good to know for track racers and any rider who wonders about the efficiency of a Belt drive bicycle compared to a chain drive bicycle. As long as installed per the manufacturer's instructions, the belt drive is going to be less efficient than the traditional single speed chain drive bicycle. Chain drive bicycles are going to give you almost no friction when there is no preload applied, while a drive belt bicycle is going to still eat up 1.73 watts. 

The slope of the two lines is not equal with respect to increasing applied load. Even more so, this means that the chain drive is going to generate more friction than the belt with increasing applied load. The crossover point is going to fall at about 208 watts in terms of constant pedaling output and the belt drive's advantages are going increase even more from there.

Most of your recreational bicyclists (and even some of your bike enthusiasts) are not going to notice much of a difference between a drive belt bicycle and a chain belt bicycle. On the other hand, top level bikers are going to be interested in reducing frictional losses, especially given their much higher power outputs and the fact that races can be won or lost by just hundredths of a second. Systems with a shallower slope on the applied load is going to be simply too much to overcome. If you do go with a lower roller in order to prevent skipping on the cog, it is then going to be possible that bike racers could benefit from a toothed belt drive system. The unexpected portion of the results is going to become apparent when the efficiency of the belt itself is analyzed in an apples-to-apples tension comparison to the chain, without any preload. These results are going to show you how the belt is going to become more efficient above 208 watts.

The findings between the two drive systems can help to open up the door to new drive train concepts, which can help to take advantage of the belt's inherent high efficiency for power transfer but without any of the efficiency-robbing preload requirements.

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