Ready to ride in style? Start Here

Belt-Driven Bikes

Best Belt-Drive Bikes: Top 7 Belt Bicycles for Commuters

This post may contain affiliate links, which help to keep Discerning Cyclist rolling. Learn more.

Thinking of taking the plunge and ditching the chains for a belt-driven bike? Well, read on, because we’ve picked out seven of the best for you to pick from below.

Read More:

Made from carbon fibre, belt-drive bikes work similarly to a chain – the crank drives the belt and turns the rear wheel. The difference is that belts can’t shift between cogs like a chain – they have an internal hub gearing system instead.

Best Belt-Drive Commuter Bikes: Top 7

  1. Top Pick for Commuters

    Trek District 4 Equipped Commuter Belt Bike

    Stylish urban bicycle perfect for cycling to and from work

  2. Great value

    Priority Brilliant L Train 7-Speed

    A speedy belt-driven bikes with larger gear range.

  3. Budget pick

    Priority Classic Plus

    Best budget belt bike.

  4. Belt-Driven Hybrid Bike

    Trek District 1 Equipped Commuter Bike

    Best belt drive hybrid bike for city riding

  5. Belt-Driven Gravel Bike

    Priority Apollo Gravel Belt Bike

    Ideal belt drive bike for both beginners and experienced cyclists.

  6. Single Speed

    Priority Ace Belt Drive Single Speed

    Only single-speed belt drive featuring Gates Carbon Drive.

  7. Electric Belt-Driven Bike

    Trek Café Moto Go! Electric Belt Bike

    A one-of-a-kind e-bike.

Sound intriguing? Let’s crack on with seven of our favourites, as well as looking at their pros and cons and addressing some belt-drive bike FAQs:



Are Belt-Drive Bikes Any Good?

Of course, especially if you’re a commuter or a more leisurely cyclist, given how little hassle belt-drive bikes generally cause you.

For starters, they’re more durable, lasting up twice as long as a typical bike chain. They’re also cleaner – there’s no grease marks or rust, nor will dirt stick to it like it will to an oiled chain, which in turn means you won’t risk spilling oil or dirty water on you or the floor.

Belt drives are also lighter and quieter than a chain bicycle, and they also work with fitness and stationary bikes, too.

That said, they lack the same flexibility as chains and are more likely to cause friction, tend to cost about £200 more than a bike with chain, and can only be used with bikes with internal-gear, fixed-gear and single-speed hubs – not derailleurs.

You also can’t take it apart and re-install like you can with a chain; there is a more limited selection of belt-drive bike lengths, consequently.


Best Belt-Drive Bicycles for Commuting [GUIDE]



Why You Can Trust Us

Discerning Cyclist’s expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing cycling products so you don’t have to.

Testing stylish gear since 2012

Hundreds of hands-on product tests

Unfiltered opinions from experienced cyclists

Learn more about Discerning Cyclist here.

1. Trek District 4 Equipped Commuter Belt Bike

  • UK Flag £1,750
  • US Flag $1,750
  • EU Flag €1,999

Prices are approximate

  • 8-speed Shimano Alfine internal hub
  • Gates CDN belt drive system

Quiet and low-maintenance

Easy gear shifting

Tailor made for urban and city driving

Looking for internal gear hub bikes for sale which look as great as they feel? The District 4 Equipped could be the bike for you.

Tailor-made for trips around urban towns and cities, it boasts a quiet, low-maintenance Gates CDN belt drive system and an eight-speed Shimano Alfine internal hub for easy gear shifting.

If you’re keen, but find it’s out of your price range, check out their previous model, the District 3, which is £350 cheaper, here.

Pros

  • Great braking system
  • Low maintenance bike
  • Perfect for city driving

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Difficult to find


2. Priority Brilliant L Train 7-Speed

  • US Flag $750

Prices are approximate

  • Quality belt-driven bike, commuter or otherwise
  • 7-speed internal hub
  • Lightweight bicycle belt drive

Lightweight frame

Grease and rust-free belt drive

Ideal for fast city rides

While this is a terrific commuter bike, the Priority Brilliant L Train is equally ‘brilliant’ if you just fancy touring the city, or are strapping yourself in for a longer, more adventurous ride.

What makes this bike great? Well, its lightweight Chromoly frame is a big plus, as is its grease and rust-free Gates Carbon belt drive.

And with a seven-gear internal hub to add a speedy touch, the Brilliant L Train could hardly offer more for cyclists of any sort.

Pros

  • 7-speed internal hub
  • Weatherproof
  • Low maintenance


3. Priority Classic Plus

  • US Flag $599

Prices are approximate

  • Gates Carbon Drive Belt
  • Enhanced wheels and pedals
  • Lightweight at just 25 lbs

Easy and comfortable to ride

Requires low maintenance

Durable wheels and pedals

But if you’re working on tighter financial constraints, fear not – the Priority Classic Plus should still have all you need and more.

An incredibly light model at just 25 lbs, it’s easy to ride, with enhanced wheels and pedals for that extra bit of durability, too.

And it’s another to offer the services of the Gates Carbon Drive Belt, keeping it free of grease and rust, and providing a longer shelf life than your everyday bike chain.

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Durable
  • Affordable


4. Trek District 1 Equipped Commuter Bike

  • UK Flag £1,050

Prices are approximate

  • 7-speed internal gearing
  • Powerful brakes
  • 3.0-watt Dynamo hub

Best hybrid bike for city rides

Good for all weather conditions

Offers a smooth ride

Into hybrid bikes with internal hub gears? This is a great choice for a belt drive bike, commuter or not.

The District 1 Equipped offers low maintenance, seven-speed internal gearing, a road-smoothing suspension fork and great speed thanks to its 3.0-watt Dynamo hub.

What’s more, its Shimano roller brakes will deliver firm stopping power, no matter how treacherous the weather conditions may be during your cycle.

Pros

  • Low maintenance
  • Powerful brakes
  • Smooth to ride


5. Priority Apollo Gravel Belt Bike

  • US Flag $1,999

Prices are approximate

  • 11-speed gear range
  • 24 lbs weight
  • Has drop bar shifters

Lightest, fastest Apollo model

Reliable on all surfaces and in all conditions

All-road cycling with a belt-drive bike

If a single-figure range of gears just isn’t enough for you, you might be tempted by the Apollo Gravel instead; the first gravel grinder with an internally-geared 11-speed hub and drop bar shifters.

It’s Priority’s lightest model at 24 lbs, yet also their fastest, offering stability on looser surfaces and reliable gear shifting and braking no matter what the elements throw your way.

Of course, it’s not the cheapest of its range at $1,699, but if you want the optimum experience of all-road cycling with a belt-drive bike, the Apollo is your first port of call.

Pros

  • Light but stable on looser surfaces
  • Reliable gear shifting
  • Excellent on all weather conditions

Cons

  • Can be expensive


6. Priority Ace Belt Drive Single Speed

  • US Flag $599

Prices are approximate

  • Gates Carbon Drive
  • Single-speed belt drive
  • Flip-flor rear hub

Can be geared to your style of cycling

Alternatively, if you’re not fussy about a wide array of gears, the Ace is the only single-speed belt to boast the Gates Carbon Drive.

Its flip-flor rear hub offers great flexibility in how you: either The Ace of Clubs, for more recreational riders, or The Ace of Spades, for performance riders who want to eke every last drop out of their model.

Whichever you prefer, you’ll be safe in knowledge that the Ace can be ‘geared’ to your style of cycling, even with just the one actual gear in its arsenal.

Pros

  • Flexible
  • Durable
  • Fits every budget

Cons

  • Single gear


Best Electric Belt Bike

7. Trek Café Moto Go! Electric Belt Bike

  • UK Flag £3,800

Prices are approximate

  • Bosch Performance CX Speed motor
  • Gates belt drive
  • Enviolo rear hub

Reach top assisted speed at 25km/h

Combines a stylish and retro look

Last but not least, if you’re an electric bike fan, no problem – there’s a belt-driven bicycle for that, too.

This limited edition Café Moto Go! possesses all you could ever want from this kind of bike, including a Bosch Performance CX Speed motor, a Gates belt drive, and Enviolo rear hub – indeed, it can reach top assisted speeds as high as 25 km/h.

Or if you fancy something slightly simpler, less flashy and (slightly) cheaper, be sure to have look at Trek’s District +9 model, another high-end city e-bike, here.

Pros

  • One-of-a-kind e-bike
  • Stylish

Cons

  • Expensive


Belt Bikes – FAQs

Why are bikes belt-driven?

To provide cyclists with a low-maintenance alternative, which should last longer, weigh less, stay cleaner and make less noise than a ‘normal’ bike with a chain.

Do Trek make a belt drive bike?

Yes – Trek have a substantial range of belt-driven bikes.

The Trek District 4 Hybrid Belt Bike is one of their most popular models, while they also have electric bikes in the form of the District 9+ and the eye-catching Café Moto Go! e-bike.

Where to buy a belt-driven bike?

Belt-driven bikes are still something of a rarity. However, there are a few specialist manufacturers that make them. You can find several hub gear bikes at the likes of:



Read More:

Ride in style

Join our weeky newsletter to get early access to our latest discoveries.

Related reads