---
title: "Changing a tire on a bike with a Gates carbon belt drive"
language: en
topics: ["Amsterdam", "Durable", "Freedom", "bike", "design", "minimal", "mobility", "sport"]
full_article_url: https://willem.com/en/2020-04-30_minimalistic-road-bike-with-gates-carbon-drive/
---
# Changing a tire on a bike with a Gates carbon belt drive

*Loosen the rear axle first and never flex the belt.*

> Changing a rear tire on a belt drive bike is tricky because the carbon belt must never be flexed in any direction. Loosen the rear axle to create just enough clearance, then carefully lift the belt off the sprocket.

A Gates carbon belt must not be flexed the way you would bend or derail a chain, so you cannot simply pry it off the sprocket.
On my Schindelhauer Siegfried Road I loosen the rear axle first. That creates just enough clearance to carefully take the belt off the sprocket without stressing it. With the belt off, the rear wheel comes out like on any other bike and you change the tire or inner tube as normal. Reassembly is the same steps in reverse: seat the belt on the sprocket, then tighten the rear axle again.
I used this procedure to fit dependable, durable Schwalbe Durano Plus tires. The care pays off: the belt drive runs in absolute silence and after a dirty ride you rinse it clean with a little water.