Nice, love the wheels.

How much quieter are these belt bikes?

Trek are advertising both bikes as singlespeeds?

As much as I dislike Trek, these are some beautiful and well-designed bikes. I guess that'll happen when a company spends millions on a new design studio. The belt drive systems are not a Trek idea, but they will certainly get the credit for mass-producing them–it's a fantastic system–really quiet and reliable.

tonyheps - the singlespeed Soho is called the Soho S, and it has a 'traditional' metal chain, not a belt.

those rims will make this bike a theif magnet!

Good point bpots. We need more good-looking bikes and less good-looking cars.

nice

I saw this bike in the window of Balfe's bike shop in East Dulwich. Im not a trek fan, however I think they have created a simple design classic with this bike. It looks even better than photographed.

"no more grimy, heavy, rusting chain to maintain. Trek claim it’s stronger and more resilient than a chain too"

Yeah, but when it snaps on a ride there's not a chance in hell your LBS will have a replacement on the shelf. Also, a conventional chain gives you the option of putting a powerlink in if it fails.

Oh, and am I the only one that thinks that the District is hideous?

Matthew

@ Majormantra

These belts are build to the same standard as car's timing belts. What I've been told is even the very strongest rider has yet to snap one in 10s of thousands of miles. It's highly unlikey you'll snap a belt, but a toe-rag with a stanley blade might!

Yeah, there's no chance in hell of ever snapping one of those belts. I read on Spot Brand's website (one of the pioneers of belt-drive technology on bicycles) that it took a ridiculous amount of torque to snap one (an amount no human will ever come close to achieving).

It's not a good design. The dropouts are split and only 2 bolts are used. A 3rd is needed to ensure that there is no rocking action under load.

There are going to be problems when big guys start cranking on these.

The belt drive is great.

The belts dont snap, its derived from industrial belt drive technology (factories, machines, heavy duty stuff man) Tough stuff. Riding a bike is not industrial... well it feels like ti sometimes but it's not apparently!

Appreciate the two bolt split drop out thing though, surely they've tested it?? Can someone pedal superhard and try and make it break please?

They look like standard Velocity rims, although I didn't know they did em' in orange...

I like the District. Not hideous, kinda nice. Now, should I get a District or a SWOBO Crosby?

cycle to work is about to open up at our place and i'm drawn to the district, although the soho would be more practical i think ill endup with the pretty bike. what a tart i am