It has 120 teeth and is super-strong, yet flexible. On the inside it’s reinforced by carbon fibers though it mostly behaves silent and inconspicuous: A drive belt that replaces the chain to transfer pedalling force to the rear wheel.

The belt drive becomes an increasingly popular alternative to chains especially in bikes with gear hubs. Its advantages – it’s clean because it requires no lubrication, silent-running, low-wear and almost maintenance-free – have been thoroughly proven day in, day out in the last couple of years.

For model year 2018 the STEVENS Super Flight will be equipped with the Gates belt drive to make it even a little bit more comfortable for fast-paced city cruising and extended outings to the country side. This type of drive train seamlessly integrates into the all-in-one, trouble-free package of this sporty all-day use and touring bike, which recently has been awarded the ”allride” label of approval by VSF, Germany’s leading association of independent bicycle dealers.

The Gates CDX Center Track Carbon Drive Belt transfers pedalling force from the Oxygen Scorpo crank with 50-teeth chainring to the CDX Center Track 24-teeth sprocket of the Alfine 11-speed gear hub from Shimano.

The shifting unit itself offers cyclists everything they need for city cruising or touring even in hilly terrain: A suitable range of evenly small incremented gears. The meticulously crafted frame with K1 Superlite rigid fork is completed with further specs dedicated to comfort and fun: powerful hydraulic disc brakes with perfect modulation from Shimano (180/160mm disc diameter front/rear), Busch+Müller IQ-XS T Senso LED headlights with 70 Lux and lightweight Schwalbe Marathon Racer tires with optimized flat-protection.

New is the frame lock on the right chain stay: This opening is necessary to attach or remove the impartible drive belt. This effort is worth it because cruising the city or country side in 2018 will be even more comfortable.

Silent, Long-Lasting And Clean
One advantage of the belt drive becomes obvious immediately – and will again once in a while after many, many kilometres: It operates very silently. This is because it is made in one piece and not from many individual links that rub against each other.

Strands of carbon fiber run inside the belt. Carbon fibers can bear high tensile loads longitudinally and – with the belt, this second quality is also an advantage – very flexible laterally. These carbon fiber strands are so strong that the belt won’t lengthen with time which in addition to the fact that it cannot rust enhances longevity. When you feel a little squishiness when applying force to the pedal, this is due to the fact that the belt presses its teeth into the gaps of the chainring and cog respectively.

Where there is no friction, there’s no need for lubrication: This part of maintenance is now obsolete just as the danger of getting your clothes dirty from chain lube. Even a smartphone app is available on gatescarbondrive.com that uses the microphone to determine the belt’s tension by the sounds it makes when you strum it like a guitar string. Further questions and answers can be found on Gate’s website under ”resources”.