|
|
|
|---|
My OnTheRoad 4.0 superbicycle 🖱️ is equipped with the Gates CDX beltdrive-system 🖱️. I assembled the OnTheRoad 4.0 myself in 2016, went to France in 2017 per car and started (fulltime) cycling YesTrip in 2018. Since june 2018 the bicycle has been outside almost 24/7 and up to date I cycled France, Spain (1), Morocco, Spain (2), Portugal and Spain (3).
Although the number of kilometers dropped significantly in the course of time. First because of the ongoing covid situation and then because I changed my travelling more into exploring. Then it is not about the miles but about the smiles and that is exactly what the Gates CDX beltdrive-system brings you a lot of. Although you might easily forget it is there ...
June 2021, so 5 years later, I uninstalled the frontsprocket, just to see if I would be able to do so anyway if needed. Then doing so takes a special (very heavy 400 grams (version 1, real steel)) tool to grab the lockring. I do have that tool available pffuuuhhhh. But (luckily) I do not have available a 12mm hextool (which is even more heavy ...) to unscrew the caps of the crancks.
While staying at a campsite with a cargarage closeby I decided to practice those jobs to see whether I and the tools and materials would succeed after such a long time. I unscrewed the hexcaps at that garage (Tip : do not re-install them afterwards) 🖱️ and unlocked the frontsprocket at the camping. That turned out to be no problem at all. If you know that the lockring has an inversed treat. I did know that but checked that up online just to be very sure.
These pictures show the 5 year old used belt and also my 5 year old sparebelt which is still waiting in my rackbag for so long. And as you can see only the color has changed ! The used one first turned purple but is now gray and the new one is still blue, thanks to the lack of sunlight. There is no sign of any wear after all that time and all those kilometers, dust and sand (and 50 kgs of luggage) 🖱️ ! Not at the belt, nor at the sprockets.
December 2025 I installed new tyres, checked the freewheel assembly (99%) and the beltsprockets. Those sprockets are still fully oké, although you can see how strong I am haha.
After 9 years , februari 2026, the belt is still running as new. The only thing that has changed is it's color(s). First the black outside turned to purple and then to gray, and the blue inside turned to black. Now outside and inside are full black again.
You find the article and several pictures about the technic of my Gates beltdrive-system here 🖱️.
Forward 📬 this Page 🖱️