Gates belt replacement

[John Fuller]

The belt on my 2022 Homage E14 was jammed by a stick this week and it broke. I’m now faced with the following dilemma. There isn’t an R&M dealer within 500 miles of where I live. I have a spare belt, but wanted to change the front and rear sprockets, too, as the drive train has 16,000 miles on it. I’ve ordered the sprockets from ModerrnBike.com, my go to source. The more ticklish situation is that I cant find ANY source for either a video or set of instructions on how to change things out.

I bought the bike from PropelBikes in Brooklyn, NY and it was shipped to my home in Tennessee. Propel has been pretty good about providing assistance in the past, but I haven’t heard anything from them about the belt / sprocket changes. I talked with my local bike shop today to see if they could help me out, as they have worked on both my SuperDelite and Homage in the past. They’ve now decided they can only support the brands they sell. I haven’t found another LBS in the Nashville area that has the wherewithal to maintain a Riese & Muller. It appears removal of the front and rear sprockets is relatively easy, but I struggle to get the bike on my maintenance stand due to my age (80). It also seems apparent that the frame has to be split near the reader dropout to install the new belt. So…

Does anyone have access to or can lead me to either a video or written instructions on this procedure? I have my SuperDelite that’s still in good shape, so I won’t be without a ride. But that bike / belt has done 20,000 miles, so I’m a little skittish about riding it a lot until I can change the belt/sprockets on that bike, too. I have all the parts and required tools, just lack instructions or a good video before I try to tackle it.

Thanks for any help anyone can provide

 

[Aushiker]

There are videos on changing Gates belts, just not specific to R&M. Maybe look at those and see if you can go from there?

 

[gromike]

A belt change shouldn't be all that difficult. Though adjusting the tension by smartphone was new to me.

 

[Base]

If I am correct, it's this bike isn't it?

than the chain-tension (belt tension) is basicly solved with the chaintensioner near the front sprocket. So you can take out the rearwheel, get the DS cranck of the drive unit, and the spider. And than both sprockets can be replacet, de belt goes throught the DS seat/chain stays and than around the sprocket just before installing the rear wheel again, when its on both sprocket the lower belt part can be put on the chaintensioner and you are good to go

 

[John Fuller]

View attachment 213671

If I am correct, it's this bike isn't it?

than the chain-tension (belt tension) is basicly solved with the chaintensioner near the front sprocket. So you can take out the rearwheel, get the DS cranck of the drive unit, and the spider. And than both sprockets can be replacet, de belt goes throught the DS seat/chain stays and than around the sprocket just before installing the rear wheel again, when its on both sprocket the lower belt part can be put on the chaintensioner and you are good to go

The sprocket changes and new belt were done by my local bike shop, and appear to be correctly done. I’m still plagued by the pesky soft clicking sound when I roll the bike backwards which rotates the rear wheel clockwise and engages the pedals / motor. The soft clicking only occurs under these circumstances, NOT when pedaling the bike. The sound occurs six times in a full rotation of the front sprocket. It reminds me of the sound you would get on a chain drive bike if you had a stif link. On a chain drive you’d experience a slight sensory action as the stif link freed itself. I can’t see anything happening with the belt when the noise occurs. Rotating the pedals backward does not reproduce the soft clicking sound. It only occurs when the Rohloff hub and the Bosch motor are engaged as the rear wheel is rotated by hand in a clockwise direction. This makes me wonder if the noise is coming from the motor or the Rohloff. I have not tried changing the gear to see if the sound goes away or increases. No maintenance has been performed on the Rohloff hub or the motor.