Bicycles, Unchained and Grease-Free
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/business/24novel.html?_r=2&src=busln
Interesting, certainly. “Everything old is new again.”
But a little unfair to the Strida and also the Japanese (Bridgestone, Miyata, National etc.) who pioneered belt drive 25 years ago for Asian commuters.
None of the Gates new models have any special provision for managing belt tension, critical for the much-hyped ‘long life’. it’s not an engine camshaft drive, and it won’t last 50,000 km in the bike application of low rotational speed and high uneven torque.
It will be interesting to see how they fare on the streets.