Belt-driven bicycles are growing in popularity due to their many advantages. Their growth in adoption is transferring from traditional bikes to eBikes. If you’re considering an eBike purchase, after reading this guide and seeing the benefits, you might factor a belt drive into your list of required features.
My daily driver is the Urtopia Carbon 1, which is a belt-driven e-bike. Ever since I tried this belt-drive bike, I am so impressed with it that I am not going back to chain drives. While I acknowledge the loss of gears, it doesn’t make a significant difference to me on an e-bike.
Read my in-depth review of Carbon 1 here
Why Choose a Belt Drive Bike?
A belt-driven bike transmits power from the pedals to the wheel using a toothed belt instead of a chain. The application of these belts is growing due to:
- The belts do not rust.
- No lubrication is required, resulting in cleanliness and low maintenance.
- Smoother operation.
- Quieter than chain operation.
- Longer life than metal chains.
- Traditionally lighter than conventional chain systems.
- Because derailers cannot be used with a belt, elegant hub gear systems replace derailers.
Now that you know the benefits of the belt, let’s get to our top belt-driven eBike picks.
1. Urtopia Carbon 1: Belt-Drive Ultralight eBike
When it comes to form and function, the Urtopia Carbon 1 makes eBike lovers drool. It’s gorgeous and weighs only 33 lbs due to carbon fiber construction, which is a huge benefit for those that don’t care for lifting an 80 lb eBike. With a 250W brushless hub motor, you can go up to 20 mph using four levels of pedal assist. Being a commuter bike, you won’t take your suspensionless Carbon 1 onto any trails.
The Carbon 1 has some cool advanced features that make your rides all the more pleasurable and make it very deserving of being our best belt drive bike. A Bluetooth speaker means music throughout your ride, sleek turn-by-turn navigation ensures you’re never lost, and your riding stats are recorded to the app on your phone. Even better, gamepad-style controls and voice recognition make controlling these features easy.
The stunning Carbon 1 is rated to last an astounding 19,000 miles.
Features
- Stunning look with an all-carbon frame, fork, handlebar, and seatpost
- A very light 33 lbs
- Hydraulic brakes
- Integrated lights
- Smartbar with voice control, fingerprint unlock, and LED display
- Bluetooth speaker
- IOS & Android app
- Built-in navigation
- 250W motor
- Up to 20 mph and 60 miles of range
If Carbon 1 seems too expensive to you, consider its affordable alternative Chord
2. Magicycle Belt Driven Commuter Bike
If you’re looking for a tremendous belt-driven commuter bike at a fantastic price, the Magicycle Commuter offers excellent functionality at an affordable price (well under $1000 at the time of publishing this post). The Magicycle offers sleek step-over (in yellow or black) and step-thu (in light blue) options to accommodate riders of different sizes.
Features
- Great color options and an elegant look
- 43 lbs
- Mechanical disc brakes
- Integrated lights
- 52V lithium battery
- Backlit display with USB power port
- 350W motor
- Up to 20 mph and 30-40 miles of range
3. Ride1Up Roadster V2
The Ride1Up Roadster V2 is a cool, elegant eBike at a great price. The gravel gray color looks outstanding, but you may also choose from matte burgundy, matte black, or matte silver and cut $150 off the already low $1245 price. Like the Urtopia Carbon 1, the Roadster weighs an outstanding 33 lbs due to its aluminum alloy frame. The 350W motor and single-speed belt drive will carry you 20-30 miles at speeds up to 24 mph.
An integrated battery contributes to the bike’s great looks. The Gravel edition has Tektro 160mm disc brakes and a compact LCD display.
Features
- Elegant look
- Outstanding low weight of 33 lbs
- 350W hub motor
- 160mm disc brakes
- Up to 24 mph with 20-30 mile range
- Integrated battery
- Integrated lights
Ride1Up is a reputable brand with a handful of other bike variants
4. Tenways CGO600 Belt Electric Bike
Want a cool eBike with belt drive belt commuter with some outstanding features at a great price? The Tenways CGO600 could be your perfect ride. This lightweight 33 lb ride looks and rides outstanding for up to 40 miles. Hydraulic disc brakes equal great stopping power after the 250W rear hub motor with a single-speed drive train gets you up to 20 mph.
The color choices look great whether you choose lime green (super cool), sky blue, midnight black, or arctic blue.
- Super cool colors
- Super low weight of 33 lbs
- 250W rear hub motor
- Single-speed drive
- Pairs with its smartphone app to track your rides
- Hydraulic brakes
- 20 mph top speed with a range of 40 miles
5. Vvolt Alpha
Simple and awesome are two words that describe the Vvolt Alpha belt drive electric bike. It looks great in either the step-over or step-through variant, with a removable battery that integrates well into the frame.
White looks really good, but the slate color looks great. Ride in style for 20 – 40 miles with the 350W Xplova rear hub motor, and don’t worry about shifting as you reach 20 mph with the single-gear belt drive. Five levels of speed assistance and a walk mode make riding and moving a breeze.
This eBike is a tad heavier at 44-46 lbs depending on the size chosen, but hydraulic brakes slow it down quickly. It, too, has a phone app and USB charging on the bike, and one drawback is the need to recharge the lights.
Looks like the people at Vvolt love belt drives. All of their electric bikes are belt-driven
Features
- Excellent, clean look
- 350W rear hub motor
- 44-46 lbs
- Five levels of speed assistance
- Single-speed drive train
- 160 mm hydraulic brakes
- Smartphone app
- 20 mph with 20 – 40 miles of range
- Step through variant
6. Priority Current Belt-Drive eBicycle
Priority has been a belt drive innovator for quite some time, introducing their bikes over a decade ago. They tend to be spendy but produce very high-quality belt driven eBikes. The Priority Current is no exception. With a great 500W mid-drive motor, expect to travel 20-50 miles at up to 20 mph. Unique to the Current is the ability to change the setting from a class 1 eBike to a class 3 that goes up to 28 mph. Peddle assist comes with five different modes.
The Shimano (or Enviolo Heavy Duty) rear hub has five levels of shifting, and the beefy 180 mm hydraulic brakes bring excellent stopping power. Charge your USB products and run your automatic lights from a removable battery.
Features
- Three mid-step sizes available
- Removable 48v battery
- 5 peddle assist levels
- Mid-mount shifting hub
- Integrated lights
- USB charge port
- Dual piston 180 mm hydraulic disc brakes
- Up to 20 mph and a range of 20-50 miles
7. Asomtom Belt Drive Urban Hybrid Bike RV2
The Asomtom RV2 is best described as the most affordable belt drive ebike. A 350W motor and carbon fiber frame for under $1000? Sign us up. This belt-driven eBike will carry you up to 30 miles at 20 mph on a 3-hour charge. This excellent value includes mechanical brakes, a leather saddle, and seven speeds.
Asomtom offers the older version, the RV1, for an even cheaper price, and comes with the same features.
Features
- Carbon fiber frame
- 36v battery
- 350W rear hub motor
- Mechanical disc brakes
- Up to 20 mph and a range of 30 miles
No matter which belt drive eBike you choose, expect to have a blast with the smooth, quiet, and low maintenance of a belt drive. As I mentioned in the beginning, Urtopia Carbon 1 is my daily driver and I absolutely love it. If you are flexible on the budget, I highly recommend Carbon 1. On the other hand, if your budget is tight, Roadster V2 is a good option.
