A bicycle firm aims to unchain the future

Trek calls its new belt-driven models an easier way to bike

Bicycle shop manager David Oakley shows a Trek bike's carbon fiber belt drive at his Richmond shop. He said the system may not be for everyone but ''from a maintenance standpoint, it's huge.'' (Photos by Steve Helber/Associated Press)

RICHMOND - Pedalers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains.

Trek Bicycle Corp. is part of a movement to bury the finger-pinching, pants-munching, rust-prone sprocket and chain and usher in an era of belt-driven bicycles that might have the inventors of the self-propelled transportation Schwinning in their graves.

Wisconsin-based Trek is introducing two chainless models, using technology found in things like motorcycles and snowmobiles. Some smaller makers of custom bikes have used the technology before, but Trek is the first to use it for mass-produced bicycles.

Trek, the largest domestic bike manufacturer, is hoping to capitalize on a new group of urban pedal-pushers who are trading cars for a more low-tech way to get around because of gas prices as well as health and environmental concerns.

The US 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 funded by the National Sporting Goods Association. More than 43 million Americans age 7 and older rode a bike six times or more in 2005, the group estimated.

"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 and help them live that lifestyle is probably better for both the consumers and us."

Bjorling said the new belts are a low-maintenance replacement for chains, which have 3,000 parts, including all links and connectors.

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 make getting your pants stuck an unlikely scenario, Bjorling said.

One version of the chainless bike, called the District ($930), is a single-speed, complete with a silver body, orange accents, and brown leather seat and handles. The Soho ($990), an eight-speed bike, uses an internal hub to adjust the speed, rather than gears.

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," said Orin Starn, a Duke University professor who teaches the anthropology of sports.

Bjorling acknowledges chain-driven bikes are efficient, but said an urban rider won't have to worry about greasing or cleaning the chain with the new bikes. The belt can be cleaned with a normal cleaning agent and rag, and the bike sprocket is designed to push through snow, dirt, and grime. A belt will typically last three years.

"Bike purists are going to take a look at it and say, 'Oh, you know, it's another option to a chain,' " Bjorling said. "Are we going to see a ton of people switching? . . . I think in some urban environments yes, but it's definitely not the coffin that's going to bury the chain."