Success in bike market paves way for Carbon Drive expansion into electric mobility space
DENVER, Aug. 14, 2019 – Twelve years after launching Gates Carbon Drive™ for the bicycle market, Gates (NYSE: GTES) is building upon its success unchaining bikes to bring advanced drivetrain solutions to electric motorcycles, eScooters and the wider marketplace of light electric vehicles.
Electric micromobility will be a prime focus of the Gates presence at Eurobike 2019, which will have an entire hall devoted to light electric mobility devices beyond bicycles. Gates will exhibit a diverse array of electric bikes and, for the first time at Eurobike, a high-torque Zero SR/F electric motorcycle. The Zero motorcycle, which in July raced in the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb, shows the strength of the Gates Carbon Drive technology.
“Bicycles and electric bikes have proven the durability and strength of our clean and low-maintenance belt drive system,” says Joe Menzel, General Manager of Gates Carbon Drive and Global Mobility. “Now we are using that expertise to develop advanced drivetrain solutions for the rapidly evolving micromobility marketplace.”
New Products for Mid-Motor eBikes
Gates will show its largest-ever portfolio of products at Eurobike including new belts, sprockets, cranksets and spider assemblies. New products include more than 60 unique spider assembly options for Bosch 2020 Performance Line Speed, Performance Line CX, Cargo Line and Cargo Line Speed systems. In addition, Gates is offering more than 35 unique spider assemblies for Shimano STEPS mid-motors.
Gates is also introducing a new rear sprocket line called CDC that provides designers of lower-torque mid-motor eBikes with a value alternative to the premium CDX line. Manufactured of hardened chromoly steel, the CDC rear sprockets feature the Gates proprietary CenterTrack design and are engineered to meet the demands of urban eBikes of 50Nm or less. Other new products include:
- Two new premium CDX belt lengths
- An expanded range of rear sprockets for Shimano Di2 and Nexus Inter-5E hubs
- Two additional CDX front sprocket sizes
To show the diversity of belt drive bikes and eBikes available to consumers around the globe, the Gates booth (A2-201) will showcase a wide range of models across all styles—from full-suspension eMTBs and speed pedelecs to urban commuters, cargo, BMX, touring and mountain bikes from a dozen premium brands. The bikes will include the leading mid-motor systems from Bosch, Brose, Shimano and Yamaha, and internally geared hub and gearbox technology including Shimano Alfine and Nexus, Enviolo, Rohloff and Pinion.
“Our engineering team works extremely hard to ensure that Gates Carbon Drive is compatible with every top-tier internal shifting system and all of the top mid-motor electric drive systems,” Menzel says. “Our goal is to provide the products that allow designers to make any style of bike belt-driven.”
Eurobike and European bike consumers have been instrumental in the growth and success of Gates Carbon Drive, and the 2019 show marks a turning point for Gates as it pushes into the rapidly evolving electric mobility sphere. “Europe and Eurobike remain our most important marketplace because they are global trendsetters,” Menzel says. “Gates is thankful to the European consumers and bike brands that have joined our mission to make bicycling simpler, more practical and inclusive.”
