If you have ever been riding down the street and had your pants cuff ripped asunder, a revolution may be at hand to free riders from the torment of chains.
Trek Bicycle is part of a movement to bury the finger-pinching, pants-munching, rust-prone sprocket and chain, and usher in a new era of belt-driven bikes.
Trek is introducing two models this holiday season that are chainless, using technology most often found in such things as motorcycles and snowmobiles. Although some smaller, custom-bike makers have used them before, Trek is the first to use the technology for mass-produced bicycles.
The nation's largest domestic bike manufacturer, Trek is hoping to capitalize on a new group of urban pedal-pushers who are trading their cars for a more low-tech way to get around because of gas prices as well as health and environmental concerns.
The U.S. bicycle industry was a $5.4 billion industry in 2007, including the retail value of bicycles, related parts and accessories through all channels of distribution, according to research financed by the National Sporting Goods Association. More than 43 million Americans age 7 and older were estimated to have ridden a bike six times or more in 2005, the industry group said.
"People are really finding bicycles to be a very simple solution to some very complex problems that they face every day," said Eric Bjorling, Trek's lifestyle-brand manager. "Anything we can do in our design to really help them live that lifestyle is probably better for both the consumers and us."
Bjorling said that the new belts are a low-maintenance solution to a chain, which has about 3,000 parts including all the links and connectors.
Aside from providing a whisper-quiet ride, the lighter and longer-lasting carbon-fiber composite belts won't rust, can't be cut, won't stretch or slip and won't leave grease marks around your ankles.
A guard over the belt-drive and the construction of the system makes getting your pants stuck an unlikely scenario, Bjorling said.
One version of the chainless bike, called the District, is a single-speed, complete with a silver body, orange accents and brown leather seat and handles. The other, called the Soho, is an eight-speed bike that uses an internal hub to adjust the speed rather than gears.
In Winston-Salem, Ken's Bike Shop at Reynolda Village is listed as the only dealer in the city for Trek bikes. Owner Ken Putnam said that few customers are aware of the new bikes. He has seen a prototype, but he said that the bikes won't be available locally until next year.
The District will cost $930 and the Soho $990, according to Trek's Web site.
Those prices aren't out of line when the price for a good bike averages from $600 to $1,000, Putnam said.
Bicycles have come a long way from the "boneshakers back in the 19th century," said Orin Starn, a professor at Duke University who teaches a course on the anthropology of sports. Some companies have used direct-drive or drive-shaft bikes that provide some of the same benefits as Trek's chainless bikes, but those models have yet to replace the age-old chain.
"Certainly for the last 40 or 50 years, we have this iconic image of the traditional bicycle that includes the chain," Starn said.
Bjorling admits that chain-driven bikes are still efficient, but he said that an urban rider won't have to worry about greasing or cleaning the chain. The belt can be cleaned with a normal cleaning agent and rag, and the bike sprocket is designed to push through any snow, dirt or grime. And one belt will typically last three years -- the life span of three chains.
Trek's District model will go on sale in December, followed the next month by the Soho.
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