Very good to see you back to creating a video that deals with alternative choices among bikes. This was a well done explanation of a Carbon Belt Drive. Thuong did a very good job assisting you and her English gets better each time. 😊
Enjoyed learning about the belt drive and “stationary shifting.” Marin County is a pretty cool place and yes the Presidio too. Love the Bay Area theme the company has got going. Lots of choices for anyone shopping for hybrid bikes. Obviously there are folks in the cycling industry that take the building of bikes very seriously. Have been around for some years and have witnessed so many amazing innovations. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
Thuong looks very pretty in this video and her English has come a long way You’re talking fast and she understood everything correctly. That’s awesome! The belt drive bike looks interesting. It’s too bad you can’t do a test ride before buying one. Thanks for the review!
That is definitely a great bike at a really good price ! I have just bought a wonderful new bike with carbon belt drive and it is such a pleasure not to have to deal with any mucky grease when you wipe it down. The bike remains so much cleaner overall, all bikes should be fitted with it !
Thanks for the quick review. I ride a single speed Wabi Classic as my "daily driver." Been curious about belt drive, internally geared bikes for a while. Now I'm even more intrigued.
There is a Gates belt drive app that "hears" the belt when you pluck it. The frequency will indicate whether it's too tight to loose or just right. I took my very rare Raleigh Misceo Trail with street tires and an 11 speed Shimano Alfine with a Gates belt drive for a ride, knowing it might rain. It's such a relief not to have to worry about the chain rusting or dry lube or wet lube . I just get on it and go! Even though you're supposed to shift while not peddling, it's more forgiving than I thought. I also have an Fx 3. I find it is quite a bit faster! On dry days, that's my go-to bike! It's as close to a do it all bike as you can get!
That app has been proven just plain wrong. Alee Denham riding a KOGA Rohloff14 goes around all the remote deserts in the world with a saggy belt. That bike went 20,000 miles. Also there's a tall guy with Pinion gears. He trashed his rear hub with the belt as tight as ELI has. And the clumsy mechanic wrecked his belt while fixing it. Never pry a belt. Ryan van Duzer did this goof also. Anyway, I made CF chain cases that work great. Belt goes 4x farther at 4x the cost.
Noticed new u tub today will be watching tonight.look forward to all upcoming u tubs the reviews are very helpful ,please note change in e e dia chi paul
Can u please tell Eli to get back on the bike on a Sunday Morning live stream. Watched him heaps and asked him heaps of questions. Been to Da Nang twice because of him. Hope he is ok. Love from Rooster in NSW.
I have the 2021 version. It’s great. I’ve even used it for touring (1000km). Although the gearing is not really low enough for climbing with weight. The 11 speed alpine would be sweet.
Got a cheap belt drive bike from Brilliant Bike (Priority) for 3 years now. Even at low end CDN belt and 3-speed Nexus, I haven't had to make a single adjustment.
For some reason one of your older videos came up on my UA-cam page. In it you explained how you met, dated, fell in love and married Thuong. It was wonderful to hear your explanation again and to just how right you both were. Best wishes to both of you and good luck with your move to the US. I will continue to follow.😊
I know Gates started doing some less expensive belts in addition to the top of the line CDX version a couple of years ago, so I’m guessing this is one of those. It’s hard to tell the difference though. I think the main one is that CDX has a tooth in the middle of the sprocket and chainring and a gap where it slots into on the belt. But yeah, it’s basically perfect for an average commute. For the price it’s an absolute no-brainer as well. Edit: actually I was wrong. It’s only the cheapest of the four types that doesn’t have centre track. I think the main difference between the other three is whether they’re for performance riding, mid-drive e-bikes that produce high torque, and hub-drive e-bikes with low torque.
There is a split belt drive, made by Veer Cycles...that doesn't require a special split seat stay frame. I'm planning on converting one of my IGH equipped bikes into belt drive.
Nice video, but I did not hear you mention the rear hub brand (Alfine, Nexus... etc) during the review. For the glimpse during the camera movew, I could not tell.
I love how quiet the belt drive is! You mentioned that you can’t shift while pedaling. Do you mean you have to stop pedaling to shift as you are riding? Otherwise, looks like a very nice multi-purpose aluminum bike! On the downside, it probably wouldn’t work on a stationary trainer. Although, it’s not the type of bike for that purpose.
You can still shift while pedaling, but from what I've heard it is not good for the system. So it's better to shift while not pedaling. It should work with a dumb trainer or rollers.
@@TwoWheelCruise A much belated but desired response. I stand corrected. You can certainly use it on a dumb trainer or rollers. You should be able to use them with wheel-on smart trainers too. I’d go as far as to say that it could be better than conventional chain bicycles as it would make for a very quiet configuration. Throw some slicks on there and it would be no louder than the trainer itself!
Just ease off power on the pedal when you shift. Stop pedaling - shift - resume pedaling. Less than half a second to do so. One advantage is you can shift as many gears as you want
They are completely different kinds of bikes. Mamachari is good for short trips and pretty bombproof, but this is better for longer rides and way faster / lighter
There is a NYC company that produces and sells only Gates belt drive bikes. Priority Bicycles. I don’t think they could ship their bikes to Vietnam, but it might interest you to check out their website and seek out UA-cam videos covering these bicycles. They have a wide range of bikes from budget friendly commuters to high tech gravel bikes. I own three of their bikes. I love the low maintenance belt drive, and the various drive train alternatives to a traditional cassette and derailleur.
LOL. Do you test tri bikes with a sack of potatoes??? Actually, it has a not bad low around 33 GIs that is far better than on 1970s 10 speeds. You have to choose between lower and higher gears on ANY bike.
According to Gates the belt is supposed to be pretty tight, but I understand some folks run them looser. I use the Gates smartphone app for tension, and I think it works well enough and better than nothing. The target range is pretty wide and I take quite a few measurements and get the gist of if I'm roughly in the range or not. I have about 19,000 miles on a couple of belt drive bikes, a Shimano Nexus 3 speed and now an Alfine 8 speed. I do agree my bikes feel slow and I suspect this is partly the drivetrain (and mostly me), but I haven't ridden a derailleur bike in so long I don't have a good comparison. Really appreciate the review and especially this bike as it looks right up my alley! Also happy to hear Eli is still around! His videos (and yours) are great!
If there's any pling of the belt, it's too tight. Are you lubing the hubs and setting with a hair of play? My Nexus 7i came too tight for sure and also with boat anchor roller brakes. It barely free spins 30 secs, even after I loosened the cone. When the center track belt came out, that made the tension no longer necessary I believe. Never owned one myself tho. I also have a SA 3 and 5w with XL drum brakes. I've always set them with wiggle. My Rohloff14 puts any defaileur to shame on a tour bike.
Hey Cruz - I live in the SF Bay Area, just across the bay from Marin County (home of this bike brand). FYI, the name is pronounced muh-'rin, _not_ muh-'reen.
Yah, but he doesn't really know beans about any bikes. Does nothing but plod along his plump a$$ 10 miles at 11 mph. LOL. I'm 70 and still ride my 3 IGH bikes up to 120 miles and the SA XL-RD5w has done 46 mph. Last week for a first highway ride of the year, I rode my 73 lb Rohloff14 tour bike 64 miles and did 41 mph down that hill.
ELI is still alive and hiding? LOL For sure tell him the belt is way too tight. There's a world traveler who has it actually sagging loose. The piano plucker app is just plain wrong. Disc brakes are a million times better than boat anchor roller brakes. It's good it doesn't have dumb thru axle on the front and the frame isn't goofy sloped. Real nice color too. Bell should be inward some, IMO. Yah those bars are a better width. When I bought a new hybrid in 2002, I had the shop chop them 15 mm before I went home.
Happy to hear Eli is still alive 😅
Very good to see you back to creating a video that deals with alternative choices among bikes. This was a well done explanation of a Carbon Belt Drive.
Thuong did a very good job assisting you and her English gets better each time. 😊
Thank you!
belt does seem too tight........happy to hear eli is still around......please ask him to post something on his channel!
love when a bike is from a friend or self bought because it means there are no biases, great review
Enjoyed learning about the belt drive and “stationary shifting.” Marin County is a pretty cool place and yes the Presidio too. Love the Bay Area theme the company has got going. Lots of choices for anyone shopping for hybrid bikes. Obviously there are folks in the cycling industry that take the building of bikes very seriously. Have been around for some years and have witnessed so many amazing innovations. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
Looking forward to hearing more about your bike too (the trek FX2).
I love these reviews
More to come!
Thuong looks very pretty in this video and her English has come a long way You’re talking fast and she understood everything correctly. That’s awesome! The belt drive bike looks interesting. It’s too bad you can’t do a test ride before buying one. Thanks for the review!
Thank you! 😃
Really good video, Cruise! We should take the bikes up to Cat Ba island! 🏝👯♀
Man you love that island 😂
So cool, i used to watch this guy like 9 years ago, so cool coming back and hes still uploading
Been uploading for 7 years now 😁
@@TwoWheelCruise i thoguht it was in 2015 when you uploaded together with gimmeabreakman
That is definitely a great bike at a really good price !
I have just bought a wonderful new bike with carbon belt drive and it is such a pleasure not to have to deal with any mucky grease when you wipe it down. The bike remains so much cleaner overall, all bikes should be fitted with it !
Agreed!
Hey! I just picked up a Marin Pine Mountain 27.5 from a local pawn shop. It’s gonna be my commuter ❤
Nice! Enjoy
Thank you for this review. I have been looking at this bike for a while as an alternative to the Priority 600.
Glad I could help!
Thanks for the quick review. I ride a single speed Wabi Classic as my "daily driver." Been curious about belt drive, internally geared bikes for a while. Now I'm even more intrigued.
I’ve been interested in learning more about them too 😃
Looks like Truchong is having a super fun time with that new bike!! Gooooooooooooo!! 🦾🦾🦾
There is a Gates belt drive app that "hears" the belt when you pluck it. The frequency will indicate whether it's too tight to loose or just right. I took my very rare Raleigh Misceo Trail with street tires and an 11 speed Shimano Alfine with a Gates belt drive for a ride, knowing it might rain. It's such a relief not to have to worry about the chain rusting or dry lube or wet lube . I just get on it and go! Even though you're supposed to shift while not peddling, it's more forgiving than I thought. I also have an Fx 3. I find it is quite a bit faster! On dry days, that's my go-to bike! It's as close to a do it all bike as you can get!
Thanks for the tip! That’s good to know
That app has been proven just plain wrong. Alee Denham riding a KOGA Rohloff14 goes around all the remote deserts in the world with a saggy belt. That bike went 20,000 miles.
Also there's a tall guy with Pinion gears. He trashed his rear hub with the belt as tight as ELI has. And the clumsy mechanic wrecked his belt while fixing it. Never pry a belt. Ryan van Duzer did this goof also.
Anyway, I made CF chain cases that work great. Belt goes 4x farther at 4x the cost.
Thuong's English has improved immensely.
Noticed new u tub today will be watching tonight.look forward to all upcoming u tubs the reviews are very helpful ,please note change in e e dia chi paul
Can u please tell Eli to get back on the bike on a Sunday Morning live stream.
Watched him heaps and asked him heaps of questions. Been to Da Nang twice because of him. Hope he is ok.
Love from Rooster in NSW.
He's doing good. Maybe this new bike will inspire him to get out again
I have the 2021 version. It’s great. I’ve even used it for touring (1000km). Although the gearing is not really low enough for climbing with weight. The 11 speed alpine would be sweet.
I like it , i'm living in Vietnam too !
I considered a Marin bike and ended up with one from Priority. I love how quiet these bikes are! Kind of wish I had those flat bars though.
I've been curious about Priority bikes as well, but they are hard to get over here
Got a cheap belt drive bike from Brilliant Bike (Priority) for 3 years now.
Even at low end CDN belt and 3-speed Nexus, I haven't had to make a single adjustment.
For some reason one of your older videos came up on my UA-cam page. In it you explained how you met, dated, fell in love and married Thuong. It was wonderful to hear your explanation again and to just how right you both were. Best wishes to both of you and good luck with your move to the US. I will continue to follow.😊
Thank you!
I know Gates started doing some less expensive belts in addition to the top of the line CDX version a couple of years ago, so I’m guessing this is one of those. It’s hard to tell the difference though. I think the main one is that CDX has a tooth in the middle of the sprocket and chainring and a gap where it slots into on the belt. But yeah, it’s basically perfect for an average commute. For the price it’s an absolute no-brainer as well.
Edit: actually I was wrong. It’s only the cheapest of the four types that doesn’t have centre track. I think the main difference between the other three is whether they’re for performance riding, mid-drive e-bikes that produce high torque, and hub-drive e-bikes with low torque.
It's nice to see the cheaper versions help lower the entry price to belt drive bikes
There is a split belt drive, made by Veer Cycles...that doesn't require a special split seat stay frame. I'm planning on converting one of my IGH equipped bikes into belt drive.
Interesting, I didn't know that
Nice video, but I did not hear you mention the rear hub brand (Alfine, Nexus... etc) during the review. For the glimpse during the camera movew, I could not tell.
It's the cheaper Nexus 8. The shifter is fully shown by Cruise.
Sorry for not showing the hub, it's Shimano Nexus 8D 8-Speed
Good video.
I love how quiet the belt drive is! You mentioned that you can’t shift while pedaling. Do you mean you have to stop pedaling to shift as you are riding? Otherwise, looks like a very nice multi-purpose aluminum bike! On the downside, it probably wouldn’t work on a stationary trainer. Although, it’s not the type of bike for that purpose.
You can still shift while pedaling, but from what I've heard it is not good for the system. So it's better to shift while not pedaling.
It should work with a dumb trainer or rollers.
@@TwoWheelCruise A much belated but desired response. I stand corrected. You can certainly use it on a dumb trainer or rollers. You should be able to use them with wheel-on smart trainers too. I’d go as far as to say that it could be better than conventional chain bicycles as it would make for a very quiet configuration. Throw some slicks on there and it would be no louder than the trainer itself!
Just ease off power on the pedal when you shift.
Stop pedaling - shift - resume pedaling. Less than half a second to do so.
One advantage is you can shift as many gears as you want
Thuong should compare this with mama cherry eh? But I like the size of the hub. Not that big extruding out like in a chain type.. ( my thoughts )
They are completely different kinds of bikes. Mamachari is good for short trips and pretty bombproof, but this is better for longer rides and way faster / lighter
Hey, do you know any shop that sells biking jersey, maybe ones with some Viet theme? I'm here in Danang, tried Google with no success
I've never seen them sold in any shops here. The one's people wear are most likely custom order for events/teams or online shops.
@@TwoWheelCruise Ahh thanks Cruise!
How would it be for fitness?
LOL.... ANY bike is good for fitness. My 3 IGH bikes are 50 and 73 lbs. I ride them 90 to 120 miles a dozen times a summer.
@@GordoGambler I meant can you push it like a chain drive cause in the video it looks like there is a lot of play in the petaling
You can still get a good workout. The limiting factor is the gears, this comes with an 8 gear hub but there are options with more gears.
How tall are you? You mentioned it being a little small for you. How tall is the bikes owner?
There is a NYC company that produces and sells only Gates belt drive bikes. Priority Bicycles. I don’t think they could ship their bikes to Vietnam, but it might interest you to check out their website and seek out UA-cam videos covering these bicycles. They have a wide range of bikes from budget friendly commuters to high tech gravel bikes. I own three of their bikes. I love the low maintenance belt drive, and the various drive train alternatives to a traditional cassette and derailleur.
I've heard good things about this brand. Hopefully we get a chance to check some of their bikes out once we are in the US
Did you test it on steeper climbs ?
LOL. Do you test tri bikes with a sack of potatoes???
Actually, it has a not bad low around 33 GIs that is far better than on 1970s 10 speeds.
You have to choose between lower and higher gears on ANY bike.
No, we didn't do any climbing tests. It should be fine though as long as the gears are big enough
According to Gates the belt is supposed to be pretty tight, but I understand some folks run them looser. I use the Gates smartphone app for tension, and I think it works well enough and better than nothing. The target range is pretty wide and I take quite a few measurements and get the gist of if I'm roughly in the range or not. I have about 19,000 miles on a couple of belt drive bikes, a Shimano Nexus 3 speed and now an Alfine 8 speed. I do agree my bikes feel slow and I suspect this is partly the drivetrain (and mostly me), but I haven't ridden a derailleur bike in so long I don't have a good comparison. Really appreciate the review and especially this bike as it looks right up my alley! Also happy to hear Eli is still around! His videos (and yours) are great!
If there's any pling of the belt, it's too tight. Are you lubing the hubs and setting with a hair of play? My Nexus 7i came too tight for sure and also with boat anchor roller brakes. It barely free spins 30 secs, even after I loosened the cone. When the center track belt came out, that made the tension no longer necessary I believe. Never owned one myself tho.
I also have a SA 3 and 5w with XL drum brakes. I've always set them with wiggle.
My Rohloff14 puts any defaileur to shame on a tour bike.
Thank you!
Super low maintenance with the belt, internal hub and Shimano hydraulics. Amazing for that price!
Agreed
Strange name for a bike. In modern Spanish 'presidio' means 'jail'. I didn't even know it has/had a 'garrisoned place' meaning.
Hey Cruz - I live in the SF Bay Area, just across the bay from Marin County (home of this bike brand). FYI, the name is pronounced muh-'rin, _not_ muh-'reen.
Thanks! I was worried I might be pronouncing it wrong 😂
@@TwoWheelCruise haha, no problem. You _accidentally_ said it correctly once, near the end. 😏🙃
Tell this 'Eli the bike guy' to strap on a camera to that thing and review it himself...along with a rant or two.
Yah, but he doesn't really know beans about any bikes. Does nothing but plod along his plump a$$ 10 miles at 11 mph. LOL.
I'm 70 and still ride my 3 IGH bikes up to 120 miles and the SA XL-RD5w has done 46 mph. Last week for a first highway ride of the year, I rode my 73 lb Rohloff14 tour bike 64 miles and did 41 mph down that hill.
😂
No uphill test.
ELI is still alive and hiding? LOL
For sure tell him the belt is way too tight. There's a world traveler who has it actually sagging loose. The piano plucker app is just plain wrong.
Disc brakes are a million times better than boat anchor roller brakes.
It's good it doesn't have dumb thru axle on the front and the frame isn't goofy sloped. Real nice color too. Bell should be inward some, IMO.
Yah those bars are a better width. When I bought a new hybrid in 2002, I had the shop chop them 15 mm before I went home.
Good to know, thanks!
You describe it as being "all-weather" and yet it comes without mudguards.
Not everyone wants those and they are easy to add
🚴🇻🇳💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨
While it does not happen often, belt can break if not tensioned correctly.
ua-cam.com/video/JO8466-4NSs/v-deo.htmlsi=0KO6he0AHdU98QMv
Thanks!