Off The Beaten Path – Gates at Eurobike 2021
A round-up of the belted off-roading bikes on display at Eurobike 2021
Eurobike 2021 was held in Friedrichschafen, Germany from September 1st to 4th, 2021. Gates Carbon Drive had several bikes on display, which showed off the versatility of Gates belt drive for bikes. There were several mountain bikes on display, which also shows the advantages of a belt drive over a chain in this application. Belts last longer, do not rust, and are easier to clean and require less maintenance, making them perfect for a day on the trail. Without further ado, here are some of the off-road highlights from the show.
TRAIL MASTER
Of course, we start with a Nicolai. Nicolai hails from Germany and is known for their cutting edge technology, wacky designs, and attention to detail. This EBoxx Ultra was clearly built to conquer the toughest of trails but as Nicolai is keen to point out, the EBoxx Ultra is so powerful in its unrestricted form that it is classified as a motor vehicle.
PUDDLE OF MUD
Another Nicolai – this time, it’s the Saturn 14 GPI Pinion. It has a Gates belt and a Pinion gearbox, along with GEOLUTION geometry for unrivaled thrills. This bike is covered in mud, but it’s still operable. With a Gates belt, riders don’t need to worry about mud clogging up their drivetrain – the Gates belt still runs.
GRAVEL CRUSHER
The Nicolai Argon GX Pinion is a gravel bike which features wide tires, with a frame designed to be as torsionally stiff as possible. This makes the bike durable, efficient, and comfortable.
INNER DRIVE
In 2014, Polish mountain biking medalist Gregory Zeielinski designed the Nuseti, a mountain bike with an Inner Drive System. The IDS consists of a 16-speed planetary gearbox incorporated into the bottom bracket, and a Gates belt drive completely enclosed within the frame. This keeps the drivetrain safe from things you commonly find on mountains, like snow, mud, and pesky little stones. The bike won an award from Eurobike in the bicycles category.
And that’s a round-up of the belted off-roading bikes on display at Eurobike 2021. Remember that many of these bikes have electrical assistance, and the laws governing these electric bikes are different in different places. Always check all local laws before riding your bike.
Click here for part 1 of this series, and here for part 2, which covered the ebikes on display at Eurobike 2021.
