Bike Friday has come out with a belt drive foldable bike perfect for world travelers or office commuters. The Tikit comes in two versions: an Alfine 11-speed or 8-speed. With no chain to lube, and due to the fact you can fold it up and stow it away, this is the perfect bike for carrying up apartment stairs or stashing in the corner of your office. Bike Friday says it is taking orders for the Carbon Drive Tikit immediately. Read about it on EcoVelo.info 

Carlos before the race with his Raleigh Hodala

All good things must come to an end, and for Carlos Casali of Team Gates Carbon Drive the last singlespeed cyclocross race of the Colorado Cup season ended with, what else? Another victory. The win added to the team’s margin of victory in both the team and individual Colorado Cup singlespeed categories. In addition to Casali, another Gates rider had a superlative season: Derek Strong finished in third-place in the Colorado Cup singlespeed CX category.

Casali's Raleigh Hodala, "an awesome bike."

The race at Boulder Reservoir on Saturday began with cold and windy conditions, and a slightly smaller field than normal, likely due to the fact it had been a month since the last race and many competitors have broken out their skis for the Rocky Mountain winter. Due to the strong headwind and course layout, this race favored bike handling skill over speed. Casali took the lead on the first lap and held on–despite a painful fall while running up a set of wooden stairs. “I hit my knee hard, and for about a lap I struggled as other riders gained on me, but I got my act together and toughed it out.”

I want one of each! Team Gates raced on Spot Mods and Raleigh Hodalas

Casali, who was racing his belt-drive Raleigh Hodala, praised the Hodala’s performance on the sandy racecourse. “The Hodala is an amazing bike,” he said after the race. “I can’t wait to race it again next season.”

Season over, it's time to put the bikes away and head home

Carlos gives his drivetrain a rest

Having won the Colorado Cup Team and Individual standings, Team Gates Carbon Drive wraps up its inaugural season with a final race in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday, Jan. 22. The five-person squad attracted lots of attention from spectators and racers alike this season. Rider Carlos Casali, a big strong Brazilian native, won the Colorado Cup individual standings. Mitch Westall took third-place at Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championships in Seattle.

Mitch hammering

Entering this weekend, the team has 12 individual race wins, 11 second-place finishes and nine third-place finishes for a total of 32 podium spots. “I had never raced on a belt drive bike before joining the team,” says Casali. “Now I’m totally hooked. I’m a big guy, and the belt drive performed flawlessly even in the muddiest conditions. After races when other guys were cleaning their chains, we could relax and celebrate.”

Carbon Drive gives you wings. Garrett airs it out at SSCXWC

Gates created the team to grow the popularity of singlespeed cyclocross racing. For 2011, the company plans to expand Team Gates Carbon Drive due to a flood of requests. Details of the team expansion will be announced in the coming months on this blog. Until then, anyone interested in belt drives can head to Boulder Reservoir this Saturday. Casali’s race starts at 3:45 p.m.

Mitch gets a Pabst shower at Singlespeed CX Worlds

Perfect for winter riding

The Tout Terrain Metropolitan is a European transportation bike with killer style. It comes stock with a belt drive and everything a commuter needs–rack, fenders, lights, the works. Momentum Magazine featured a review of the Metropolitan in its January/February issue out now. Reviewer Gwendal Castellan says it’s “the kind of ride that might tempt you to bike right past your office and out of town. The bike is equipped well enough to take you across the continent.” Peter White Cycles is the North American distributor for Tout Terrain.

The Culebra's Carbon Drive, as shown in VeloNews Buyer's Guide

VeloNews also featured a belt-drive bike in its 2011 Buyer’s Guide. The Black Sheep Culebra is owned by Jake Kirkpatrick, who has raced the 18-pound titanium singlespeed with Carbon Drive in endurance races around the country and world. Last year he won the Dakota 5-0 on it and had a strong finish in the Breck Epic. VN called the bike “a masterpiece.” We agree.

Hoping to grow consumer interest in belt drive bicycles, two Boulder cyclists have launched www.beltbik.es. Kyle Krall and Tait Stangl both own bikes with Gates Carbon Drive. Talking with friends about their bikes, the two realized that lots of cyclists want to ride belt drive bikes but knowing where to go locally to buy or test one was confusing. So they included a shop locator function on their site that in the coming months will help consumers locate bikes with Carbon Drive at local shops. The site features a growing selection of more than 70 bikes with Carbon Drive. The goal of the site is to become a leading source for consumer information about belt drive bikes. Gates Carbon Drive Systems is a big fan of the site and plans to work with www.beltbik.es to help cyclists experience the clean, quiet, light and strong advantages of Gates Carbon Drive as featured in the New York Times and Popular Mechanics.