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Gates Sees Red with Colorful New Carbon Belts, Plus All New Spot Acme Open Step-Through Commuter

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Gates belt drive red color edition (1)

Love your belt drive but find the black a bit, boring? Starting today Gates Carbon Drive Centertrack belts are finally available in another color. Initially offering just the new Carbon Drive Red, the introduction is a way to gauge interest in colorful belts.

Of course, style has as much to do with the new belts as anything else. Colorful chains have always been popular for single speeds and bikes with IGHs, but the color tends to fade over time. In addition to getting a drivetrain that is quiet and grease free, the new Carbon Drive Red belts offer a lasting pop of color for your ride.

In addition to the belts alone, Gates has partnered with a few brands to launch the new red option. That includes the all new Spot Brand ACME Open…

spot acme open step through

As the latest addition to the Spot Brand collection, the ACME Open is designed to be a high end commuter for anyone looking for the benefits of a step through frame. That’s right, unlike a lot of brands, this step through frame is designed as a unisex bike perfect for anyone that wants to ride in “a skirt, a kilt, skinny jeans or a suit.”

Equipped with the new Gates Carbon Drive Red belt and a Shimano Alfine 11 speed IGH, the bike includes hydraulic disc brakes, Ergon GA1 grips, and Alex rims with Shimano hubs.

Gates belt drive red color edition (2)

Gates belt drive red color edition (3)

CDX Red Belt Table

Also available separately, the limited edition red belts are sold in 113, 115, and 118 teeth, which you can use the Gates Drive Calculator to find the right fit for your ride.

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15866499726_7e18ea99f8_z Gates belt drive red color edition (4)

Along with Spot Brand, Gates has partnered with 3 other brands to launch the new belts. Coinciding with the release of the belts in Europe on March 1, Schindelhauer will be using the belt on their Red Race singlespeed. Individual red belts will be available for purchase in Europe starting on April 1. Other brands include Flying Machine with their custom titanium F-One, and Budnitz Bicycles with their Porsche 918 Spyder inspired Gates X No.1 City Cruiser.

gatescarbondrive.com

gatescarbondrive.com

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Gunnstein
Gunnstein
9 years ago

The flip-flop belt hub seems to be a 6-bolt disk hub with the fixed cog made to fit the disk side. Interesting option.

groghunter
groghunter
9 years ago

The problem with the step-through is that other cyclists may understand it’s not gender specific, but every other meat-head neanderthal jock will relish the opportunity to ask “YO BRO, WHY YOU RIDING A GIRLS BIKE?” & other aspersions of a homophobic nature, in order to puff up their fragile egos.

Gunnstein
Gunnstein
9 years ago

@groghunter That’s more a problem for the people who ask such questions, really. Can’t be easy to have to live with such a limited mind.

groghunter
groghunter
9 years ago

@Gunnstein While that is true, the sheer volume of times you will hear this if you ride a step-through, would make it irritating for even the most secure individual. as the old saying goes, “Even Buddha only has so much patience.”

Gunnstein
Gunnstein
9 years ago

@groghunter I believe you, though I don’t imagine it happening where I live. Except maybe among kids. Other end of the spectrum: Japan. There, if you ride a conventional “mens” frame with a top tube, everyone knows that you are a Dedicated Hard Core Cyclist. Everyone else, girls, boys, men, women, ride step through frames. (Preferably while holding an umbrella AND twiddling with their phones, and with the saddle so low that their knees are above their hips. But I digress.)

Another note: It seems most mountain bikes sold these days are effectively step-through frames. And BMX always has been. Yet people don’t say “girls bike” about them.

Gunnstein
Gunnstein
9 years ago

Back to belts: Only tried it once for 5 minutes, but it seemed very nice. Would be interested in a belt driven singlespeed or IGH 29er citybike. Like this one:
https://bikerumor.com/2014/12/04/the-commencal-uptown-maxmax-29-is-a-simple-affordable-city-bike-built-like-a-mountain-bike/
…but with belt and disks, and alu frame for preference. Such things are hard to find and bloody expensive.

gatouille
gatouille
9 years ago

Red belt ? Good thing but… there are black belt in Gates catalogue and it is impossible to buy one… Gates supply black and red belt, really ?

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