Should My First E-Bike Be Belt Drive Rather Than Chain Drive?

[Jim1348]

My youngest son and I took a test ride on an e-bike Saturday.

Until then, I had no idea that belt drives had arrived in the bicycle community.

Anyway, is a belt drive e-bike a better choice than one with a traditional chain drive?

 

[fooferdoggie]

far less maintenance for sure. but harder to change the tire and you have to get a decent internal hub depending on your riding can add a lot more money.

 

[PedalUma]

I opt for an extra-wide chain to an IGH. These super strong chains are about $20. Replacement cogs are hard steel and cost $5. The extra-wide chains last about as long as a belt. With ceramic nano boron lube they do not pick up much dirt and it is easy enough to rinse them with a low pressure yard sprayer. Most belts require a belt specific frame adding even more to the cost. Chain driven bikes do not and there are many to choose from. Belt sprockets are aluminum and ware down, the fingers snap off and they are expensive to maintain. Here is a chain electric bike to an internal hub of gears. See how beefy a chain can be? Chains do not need to be unattractive.

 

[TrevorB]

Some of European brands like Gazelle and Cube have bikes with enclosed chain guards. Chains only need lubing every few months. These bikes tend to lot cheaper than beltdrive bikes.

 

[PedalUma]

It is hard to install the motor with most enclosed chainguard systems. The closest I have come is just an open chainguard. I have found that with the enclosed ones people tend to forget about it, neglecting the chain. And the enclosed ones are a pain to open for maintenance. I am wild for the Dutch bikes. And, yes, they traditionally have enclosed chainguards. Here is an electric bike with a chainguard and and electric Dutch bike.

 

[PatriciaK]

I don't think one is necessarily "better" than the other. Depends on the amount and type of riding you do, and how willing you are to do normal chain maintenance.

 

[DiggyGun]

We too, have one of each.

Advantages with belt drive:
- cleaner
- virtually no maintenance
- works best with an IGH
Disadvantages with belt drive:
- can make changing the rear difficult

Advantages with chain drive:
- virtually anyone can work on a chain drive
- easy to buy replacements
- can work with most gearing systems
Disadvantages with a chain drive:
- oily and needs regularly cleaning
- can come off sprocket quite easily
- can stretch and need adjusting

Personally, I prefer the belt drive

 

[indianajo]

Disadvantages with a chain drive:
- oily and needs regularly cleaning

- can stretch and need adjusting

I don't ever clean my chain, and I get ~8000 miles out of one. I do oil it every two weeks, to prevent rust since I leave the bike out in the rain a lot. Belts are for high mileage high speed commuters that can wear out 2 or 3 chains a year. High torque from the motor for long distances wears bicycle sized chain, especially the thinner 9,10,11,12 speed extra thin ones. Mine is 3/32" thickness 8 speed chain, ordinary KMC.
You'll have get a pricey IGH to get speed range of 1:1 to 4.5:1 out of a belt. I climb 15% hills sometimes unpowered, and can help the motor at 25 mph in top range. Triple front crank, 8 speed rear does the job on a $1500 bike unpowered. Power was $840 more with 17.5 AH battery & 1300 W geared hub motor.

 

[PatriciaK]

I don't think one is necessarily "better" than the other. Depends on the amount and type of riding you do, and how willing you are to do normal chain maintenance.

Edited post - I do NOT have a belt drive and a chain drive...I have a mid-drive and a hub drive. Both have chains. Both are great! Sorry... Senior moment !

 

[AHicks]

My thought is you are REALLY cutting down the number of choices available. I suppose I might be interested if I could find one that could check all of my boxes - including reasonable price.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

- can come off sprocket quite easily

Never happens to a properly installed and maintained chain system.

 

[Jim1348]

I stopped by a store near me last weekend. They had some Harley-Davidson e-bikes with belt drives. How do the Harley-Davidson belt drive e-bikes compare to other, similar belt driven e-bikes?

Also, I will be watching for Black Friday 2021 deals on e bikes, but maybe it will only be accessories that are discounted this year.

St. Louis Park

Powerbikes.com serves as Electric Bike Experts to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul as well as the entire USA! Stop in to our stores or shop online!

www.powerbikes.com

 

[harryS]

Well, if you're looking at a Harley ebike, and not fazed by the price tag, I think you'll be happy. I'm sure they did their homework for their customer base. I'm not in that group, so I don't see the allure of the name.

 

[Jim1348]

Well, if you're looking at a Harley ebike, and not fazed by the price tag, I think you'll be happy. I'm sure they did their homework for their customer base. I'm not in that group, so I don't see the allure of the name.

Well, it isn't so much that I am looking for that as it is I am looking for a belt drive e-bike. They just happened to be the ones that Powerbikes.com carries.

I am still sort of up in the air about whether belt-drive for e-bikes is sort of a fad or is it here to stay.

With some things, say 3- D televisions, I pretty much called it right away as a fad.

With belt drive on e-bikes, maybe it will be around for awhile. Our ATVs are belt-drive. Many motorcycles are belt-drive, but then they aren't e-bikes!

Perhaps we will see more belt-drive e-bikes for sale, locally, and perhaps not. Only time will tell.