Trek District review.
There are very few Districts available at this time, so not many people have actually ridden one. I know a bike shop employee that was lucky enough to take a spin on one back at Trek world, here are his impressions.
Well, here is the first bit of info you may be interested in. If you order a district right now (10/22/08) in a 56 cm you can expect it March 9, 2009. Trek likes to underpromise and overdeliver so let’s hope that is the case with the district.
I was able to ride the District as well as the Soho, both equipped with belt drives, at Trek World on the demo day at the plant in Waterloo, WI. The bike we rode was not the District you see in the photos, however it was the same frame geometry and the belt drive, so you got the idea even though you didn’t get the flashy velocity rims and the leather grips.
The first thing you notice is how quiet it is. A single speed has never been a noisy bike, so the noticeable silence of a belt drive is impressive. It is an extremely smooth riding bike and will be great city bike due to the greaseless belt drive and chain guard. Those fixed gear devotees should be able to convert their Districts. The guys at Trekworld said that the belt drive could not only handle the additional torque that a fixed gear creates, but would in fact out perform a traditional chain. The belt drive, since it has no bushings is not supposed to stretch…ever.
As far as the geometry of the District goes, it feels very similar to a crossbike. Not quite as relaxed as a mtb, but still relaxed enough to be a great commuter while remaining fast. The District is going to be an extremely fun bike to ride and pictures pretty much speak for themselves as far as aesthetics are concerned.
Tags: Belt Drive, Single Speed
This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008 at 11:20 am and is filed under Trek District. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
November 28th, 2008 at 10:23 am
I just heard about the new Trek beltdrive bikes yesterday. Harley Davidson has been using belt drives on their motorcycles for years. Self propelled grain harvesters have used belt driven transmissions for decades. I have a belt drive Lemond Revmaster spinner which I love. It is whisper quiet. It is five years and I ride it almost every morning of the year. The only maintenance is to oil the leather brake pad every couple of months. I, currently, use a Gary Fisher mt bike converted to a single speed with a Surly single speed kit for around town commuting. A belt driven bike should be durable and clean with very low maintenance. I am ready to try one.
January 19th, 2009 at 3:04 am
I just started communting to work (5km each way) no big distance but it’s all bike paths and quick riding.
I was watching the Adelaide Australia 50km race today and Lance Armstrong came on with a Trek advertisement so I thought I’d jump online and check out the new 2009 range because I’d love to get a new communting bike.
To my suprise I see the Trek District and I instantly fell in love with the vintage look and the belt drive system. All my dreams have come true.
Thanks for the dedicated site to the District, I think it’s a great idea and I love the review.
Keep up the good work.
Regards
Warren from Sydney Australia
February 15th, 2009 at 11:26 am
what if…
You’ve just locked the ‘District’ up in the street outside your mates house. Your there for the evening – in the morning you go to unlock and dang somebody has cut that belt! How easy is that to sort out? what are belts made of?
March 13th, 2009 at 9:00 am
I, too, fell for this bike when seeing pics & reading about the belt drive last Fall ‘08. Tired of trying to “cruise” around on my race bike and/or my XC mtb, i visited my local dealer and ordered one on Jan 2. Spring is almost upon us in the NE and I have just been informed that the new traget date is May?!
WTF is Trek thinking/doing? In a recession, they can not meet a demand? Poor business mgmt.
I am trying to continue to wait, but seeking alternatives.
April 17th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Is there more or less energy loss with the belt drive compared to chain drive?
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:25 pm
I dunno Chris..you might want to live in a different neighborhood. What if someone takes a blow torch to your current chain drive ride when you come outside or what if someone carves up your Brooks saddle with with Bowie knife?
January 24th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
You can only hope that this gets resolved soon and without too much dirt being made public
January 24th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
You can see Greg’s point. Plus the fact that he hasn’t lost a courtcase yet and Trek should be getting worried