Belt drive bikes fascinate me. The technology has been around long enough to have proven itself, I guess it was only a matter of time before it was adapted to bicycles. The only real hurdle seems to be feeding an unbreakable loop through a frame. The system requires an S&S coupler in the drive-side triangle to non-destructively separate it. Baron Bikes in Seattle has managed to solve the conundrum, and in doing so, produced a virtually perfect traveling bike.
Gone are the days of mucky, greasy drive trains. Instead, there’s a tidy Gates carbon drive train, a leader in this burgeoning field. Integrating a Rohloff rear hub, the fear of a derailleur disappearing into the rear spokes is eliminated. Chain tension is corrected by an eccentric bottom bracket, negating the need for readjustment when the wheel is removed. Baron Bikes can tailor their frames and components to your needs, and while this particular assembly was built according to a customer’s specifications with additional frame-based S&S couplers, I’m inclined to think this could be the bike I could travel the world with. By itself, the bike weighs in at 25.5lbs with fenders. Packed in an S&S case, the whole bike comes in at under 45lbs, which is in the green for most airlines weight restrictions.
All I have to do now is order a Baron in British Racing Green to complement my waxed cotton Billy Kirk bike case and Brooks Devon panniers.
You can view the Rohloff-equipped Baron in more detail on their website, as well as their cyclocross and audax models. Mucho gracias to Kevin P. Casey for the photography.
