Hi Patricia.....have been following your posts. I see the draw to the belt drive, but is a GREAT price for the +2. Getting accessories is so fun and personalizes your bike. I almost got the +1 but couldn’t get a discount. When I test rode both at the LBS, I spoke with their mechanic and he was very realistic and fair with comparisons of both. While he liked the concept of the belt, he said the only drawbacks were if it gets very dirty or muddy, it can cause issues and are expensive to replace.
Great question... I'd go with standard cassette and derailleur. It's tight and fast, I know how to ride and shift appropriately (especially with Bosch motor) so I won't mess it up. The electronically shifted Rholoff is neat, but heavy and expensive, it also doesn't feel like I'm "painting" with my body while shifting, more like shifting into a clunking gear on a car... I like the feathery feel of trigger shifters, where I can apply just a bit of pressure and feel my way into the next gear. I find the grip shifters to be difficult to twist sometimes, especially on the NuVinci / Enviolo continuously variable transmission... which is also heavy and expensive. If price was no object, I'd still get sprockets and derailleur unless I was in a really rugged environment and wanted to remove some of the vulnerability of a derailleur hanging down. I also feel like these CVT units and belt drives add drag and remove efficiency. They add some durability and reduce noise and mess, but for me, I keep my bikes clean and like a race feel, like the bike is an extension of my body more than a vehicle
AND, I have to decide before end of day tomorrow, when the special deal expires! It's a black Friday - cyber Monday dilemma...
I'll call the shop tomorrow to talk it over.
It doesn't do anything more - it just has the belt drive, which is supposed to be quieter (though I was not bothered by any noise when I rode the +2), last longer than chain and be maintenance-free, and integrated lights (which I'm thinking will be another drain in the battery). People who love belt drives have me a bit spooked about chain maintenance and replacement
. That said, I'm probably going to go for the deal - I loved the bike when I rode it. The dealer even sent it over to the hilly town I live in for an extended test ride in the local area a few months ago... I'm figuring it's time to stop overthinking and start riding!
It doesn't do anything more - it just has the belt drive, which is supposed to be quieter (though I was not bothered by any noise when I rode the +2), last longer than chain and be maintenance-free, and integrated lights (which I'm thinking will be another drain in the battery). People who love belt drives have me a bit spooked about chain maintenance and replacement
That Harley belt looks exactly like the Gates belts we installed on conveyors in the factory. If the pitch and width are not custom, you should be able to buy one from a Gates dealer for decades. The bike belt is tiny, factories do not use those. Bike belts are a low volume product that hasn't massively caught on. The ones at modernbike.com cost on average ~$80.
Of Course ! Not !
Also not available in the US.
