La cinghia al posto della catena

La stagione di coppa del mondo di DH 2025 non porterà solo grandi cambiamenti di regolamento, ma a quanto pare anche qualche rivoluzione tecnologica. Quattro squadre – tra cui alcune molto famose – sembrano voler dire addio ai deragliatori e alla catena.

Atherton Racing in futuro utilizzerà una bicicletta con gearbox. Pochi giorni fa, tuttavia, sul canale Instagram del produttore è stata pubblicata una foto di una bicicletta con cambio Atherton e una cinghia al posto della catena. Secondo il cofondatore Dan Brown, lo sviluppo della bicicletta è stato completato molto rapidamente, non solo grazie all’assistenza attiva dello specialista delle sospensioni Dave Weagle, ma anche grazie allo speciale metodo di produzione utilizzato dall’azienda britannica.

Il produttore della cinghia, Gates, aveva già promesso un premio di 100.000$ a chi avrebbe vinto una gara di coppa del mondo di DH nel 2024. Visto che nessnuno è riuscito nell’intento, sembra che quest’anno ci siano delle probabilità più alte che Gates stacchi l’assegno.

Questo il comunicato ufficiale:

Gates (NYSE: GTES), a global leader in belt drive technologies, has announced official partnerships with four elite race teams — Aon on Gamux frames, Atherton
Racing, MS-Racing, and Intense Factory Racing for the 2025 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Downhill Mountain Bike season. These partnerships mark a pivotal moment in the sport, showcasing the game-changing advantages of the Gates Belt Drive systems in high-performance racing.

„Being part of bringing belt drives into professional downhill racing has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Working with Gates has been fantastic — together, we’ve learned so much throughout the 2023 and 2024 race seasons, and we’re thrilled to continue this partnership into 2025. Everyone on the team has poured so much effort into this over the past few years, and it’s exciting to see how belt drive system technology and downhill racing continue to grow.“ said Dominic Tinner, co-founder of Gamux.

The partnerships will push the limits of research and development, with these top teams rigorously testing Gates Belt Drive systems in some of the world’s toughest downhill racing conditions.

„We at Atherton Bicycles are thrilled to announce that we’ll be racing the 2025 UCI season powered by Gates Belts,” said Dan Brown, founder and owner of Atherton Bicycles. “Our manufacturing methods allow us to prototype and reiterate designs very quickly, ensuring we take learnings from the test track straight to the product. This technology has allowed us to develop a first prototype in just two months. Huge thanks to the design team, including Dave Weagle, for pulling this one together so quick! Gates has a long-standing reputation for innovation and excellence in product development, giving us the confidence to make this pivotal switch. We’re eagerly looking forward to an exciting race season with Gates as our trusted partner.“

The Gates Belted Purse Prize Continues for 2025

Gates is also continuing its trailblazing €100,000 Belted Purse contest for the 2025 race season. This incentive rewards the first elite racer, male or female, to win a UCI Mountain Bike Downhill event on a Gates belt-driven bike. Designed to spotlight the unique performance advantages of a belted downhill bike, the challenge aims to inspire teams and athletes to embrace this revolutionary technology.

„We look forward to seeing how belt drive mountain bikes compete in the UCI series this season,“ said Chris Sugai, General Manager of Mobility at Gates Corporation. „With the changes in the competition structure, the playing field is smaller, and the competition is tougher. Working with these great race teams will help us improve our belt drive systems.“

Cosa ne dite, la cinghia ha un futuro nel mondo fuoristrada? Forse sulle ebike?