Commuter – Carbon Belt / Alfine / Mudguards

I nearly bought one of these
I nearly bought one of these when I first started down the hub/disc route but can’t abide aluminium frames, they jar the fck out of my wrists/arse/lower back (I used to have an alu bike).
I was also put off the belt option mainly by the mechanics at Velorution who told me that belts are a gimmick and less efficient than chains (as are shaft drives, the other thing I researched).
I ended up buying a Charge Mixer Alfine and converting it from flat bar to drops and Versa STI shifters – you could easily do the same – you just need these –

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/8-speed-versa-vrs8-sti-levers-for-internal-gear-hubs-prod21918/

and some drop bars, they really are excellent.

p.s. service interval on the 8 speed is 1,500 miles, which is probably a bit premature, I know of one chap who passed 6,000 miles without any servicing at all before I pointed out how cheap/easy it was to do and he swears it made no difference!!

This is pretty much what I
This is pretty much what I ride, except for the belt drive. Cotic Roadrat with Alfine hub.

Really fun bike to ride, loads of fitting points for mudguards, racks, flat bars, discs…. it’s a perfect commuter. I’ve set mine up with a dynamo hub, and it’s brilliant, pretty much maintenance free.

http://cotic.co.uk/product/roadrat/#bike

Scroll down in ‘complete bike specs’ to see the alfine option.

Forgot to mention that I’ve
Forgot to mention that I’ve had a fairly good offer that I’m not really in a hurry to accept so let me know if you want to test drive. It’ll suit a rider of 5’7″ to 5’11”

I’ve been looking at finding
I’ve been looking at finding almost exactly the same spec and the closest I’ve found is the Tout Terrain X-cross. The 2015 is available with Rohloff belt drive. Also the beautiful Shand Stoater FT (but requires remortgaging). Good luck

Sorry I meant to start by
Sorry I meant to start by saying hi to the original poster edster99 but I looked in the wrong place and got the name wrong.

Sorry,

John

The set up for removing the
The set up for removing the actuation wire from the Shimano Alfine hub is well thought through, but having a bit of spoke or a 2mm allen key makes it easier. I carry a bottle of foam (Evans do one by Zefal) which gets me back on the road in 5 minutes or so. I then sort the puncture out at home or at lunchtime.

Roadside repair of flats is
Roadside repair of flats is an issue with hub gears but only really, as you say, due to the need to take a 15mm spanner of some sort. The problem is no worse with a belt or a chain other than with a chain you are bound to get your hands all oily during the process! The cable is easy to release from the hub and then once you have undone the locknuts either side it is pretty simple. I guess the method of tensioning the belt or chain could make the process slightly more complicated but thankfully (touches wood) I have always gone down the route of avoiding punctures and haven’t yet been caught out mid-ride. I think the reason why the ‘vertical’ dropouts on a sliding dropout or eccentric BB frame are actually about 80degrees is so that you can release the wheel and then re-introduce the chain/belt tension without faffing with the tensioning mechanism just because you have changed the tube/tyre.

Cannondale did a BadBoy concept bike a few years ago (they may even have made a few) where they applied their ‘lefty’ fork concept to the rear chainstay and made it one sided. This way you can change a tyre/tube without removing the wheel!

Also, English Cycles, mentioned in your original post, have done a one sided frame and fork design which looks pretty good to me. I’m not sure if any ‘run-of-the-mill’ production bikes have ever done this though!

I’ve spoken to the mechanics
I’ve spoken to the mechanics at Velorution, and a couple of commuters who I spotted riding belts, and all of them said that belts were less efficient than chains. I researched the subject extensively before first buying a Charge Mixer (the one for sale in the classifieds), and was so completely sold on versa/alfine/disc braked bikes that a year later I bought an 853 tubed Genesis Day One Alfine (the one in my profile pic) as well. The Genesis replaced the Charge and has been my commuter ever since, doing 140 miles a week.

Personally I couldn’t ride those kinds of distances on an aluminium bike, I know that progress has been made making alu frames that are more comfortable, but it is inherently stiff, and will never be as pliant as steel. My two pence worth!