We've been building a few interesting bikes in the mechanics workshop just underneath our office recently.
The Kona Ute and The Charge Plug Freestyler spring to mind as two that made everyone just run downstairs to stand and stare and fight over who got to test ride them. They are unique bikes, but they split opinion - particularly the Freestyler.
The Trek District takes the prize as the bike that at time of writing, everyone who's seen one, wants one.
What a terrific piece of kit. Aside from the revolutionary belt drive it's brilliantly built, light, stylish and strong. It is, for the moment officially the bike that most Tredz staff members would like as a 'staff bike'.
Whilst we're still waiting to hear back from our manager on that one (comeonnnnnnnn puhleaasse!), we're stuck to drooling over it with customers and watching with envy as someone occasionally rides one away.
The real star of the show is that belt drive. Touch it, it feels sort of stiff and springy. Pent up power and a responsive characteristic (unlike traditional bike chains) makes the drive feel great the moment you put pressure on it. Instant transmission of power means anyone who sits on it cannot help grinning.
We know this isn't a recent idea. Apart from the fact the District has been around a little while already, Orange have been toying around with belt drive protoypes for what seems like an age.
Why?
- Strength. That car you drive? It's basically got one as a timing belt and it puts up with a huge amount of pressure and torque on it over many years (usually). With our 2-horsepower output we can realistically expect the belt drive to last as long as the bike.
- Lubrication? What lubrication? Rust? What Rust? Noise? What noise? Stretch? What stretch? (Stylish reviewing style? What sylish reviewing style?).
We've got nothing but respect for Trek for designing the worlds first (mass production and popularly available) belt drive driven bike. This is revolutionary. So Trek might not have started the revolution but they're the first to jump on the mass market bandwagon with an absolute peach of a bike.
There is a downside. It's only available in store. But trust us, this is worth the journey.
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