Squeaky Belt - how common?

[sammcneill]

Hi guys

I have a SC2 with belt drive & Enviolo.

I have done a few longer rides over our summer (quite hot, relatively dry) and notice that the belt starts to squeak and become irksome.

I read somewhere that belt drives are prone to this and a splash of water resolves it .... sure enough, it does!

However, just wondering how common this actually is? I’m doing 300-400km a month and finding I need to give it a wetting down to avoid squeaking 1-2x a month. Not the end of the world; but on one nice country ride the squeak started and was sufficiently annoying that with 30km from home I stopped at a gas station and bought a bottle of water to wash down the belt (instant fix).

Do others find this?

cheers

Sam

 

[Deleted member 18083]

2019 Homage Rohloff
Never a squeak. The original belt lasted 15,000km; second belt is now at 11,500km.

 

[sammcneill]

2019 Homage Rohloff
Never a squeak. The original belt lasted 15,000km; second belt is now at 11,500km.

Interesting - thanks .... did it get wet regularly ? Wondering if that’s the difference here ....

 

[JVBulman]

This is a pretty common issue if you ride in a predominantly dry/dusty climate. There's a wonderful article about treating it here.

 

[sammcneill]

This is a pretty common issue if you ride in a predominantly dry/dusty climate. There's a wonderful article about treating it here.

Thanks @JVBulman - really helpful!

 

[PedalUma]

Thanks @JVBulman - really helpful!

Artificial Dirt?
Did you know that DOT 5 is pure silicone? It is rubber oil. I use it all the time. A bottle is $10 in an auto parts store and is enough to last for years. It can be made into a purple emulsion with dish soap and water that restores rubber when shaken and sprayed from a dollar store spray bottle. When it is wiped and dry, dust the belt with baby powder. Baby powder is a great dry lube. I often use it inside tires to better fit tubes. New belts and tubes often come with a talc dusting to prevent the silicone oil mold release from sticking.
Your homemade Artificial Dirt can be rinsed off at anytime because of the hydrophilic soap component.

 

[Jay Kay]

It’s the dry dusty conditions Sam. I use silicon spray (CRC), and had to do it only once in the 12 months I had my Delite, riding a similar amount to you. make sure you don’t get spray onto your disc breaks!

 

[peterh_nz]

Hello

The belt on my 2020 bike squeaked occasionally during some of the rides over summer. Originally I thought it was loose cranks.

Once I discovered the culprit, as you have found, a mist of water solved it. Hasn't happened during autumn rides.

I wonder if the squeak was the result of a combination of new belt, belt tension and dust.

Cheers

Peter

 

[mudcamper]

This is a pretty common issue if you ride in a predominantly dry/dusty climate. There's a wonderful article about treating it here.

Thanks for sharing this. I live in Northern California where we get no rain for 8 months of the year, and my Gates belt drive squeaks like crazy.

 

[AvalancheRun]

Could the sound be described as squishing?

Edit 1: yes -- this is the same issue, brought on by dusty conditions. Water fixed it.

Edit 2: water only provided temporary relief. Had to order Rohloff Special Chain Lubricant-4200-278563 for a lasting fix. These belts are definitely not maintenance-free.
Also, the belt system on our bikes performs best when the belts are not super tight. Looser like a single speed bike chain led to noticeably easier shifting without any side effects.

 

[DiggyGun]

My belt on my Nevo3 GT Vario GX wasn’t squeaking as such, but making a rubbing noise with some vibration.

The LBS turned the belt round, cleaned it and sprayed it with some silicone. They also slightly re-positioned the snubber wheel.

All was OK for a while, but the issue did come back.

Upon checking, I did note that the rear sprocket was covered in a fine dust. I cleaned it with some water during the ride and it stopped it.

Now, I regularly check the belt and rear sprocket and clean with water when necessary. When dry, I then spray it with some dry silicone spray as recommended by Gates and that seems to keep it quiet.

DG…

 

[PedalUma]

can someone help me diagnose a belt squeaking problem? during the first 10-15 minutes of driving, i hear a very bad belt squeak from right around the alternator area... before i dig deeper, can someone tell me more information about typical problems from belts/alternator or associated belt squeaks? thanks!

@DiggyGun just mentioned the answer. He knows what he is talking about. Belts are not maintenance free. A little Dawn water can be worked through followed with a low pressure water rinse. I like to then lube with DOT 5 over silicone spray but it is essentially the same stuff and the spray is easier to apply using the fine red extension tube. Just stay away from braking surfaces when spraying. Belts also require periodic tightening. There are gauges for this or just use your finger then tap and listen. Good enough is good enough. What is this about 'driving' and 'alternators'? That sounds like more of a car thing than a bike thing. Auto parts stores sell belt dressing for alternators' serpentine belts or power steering. Something like a broom stick can act as a lever to tighten an alternator adjustment in a car.