At ROMP, we are always looking to improve our products. Recently, we revamped the product that made us well known in the ESK8 community: our ROMP belts. 

While our previous version of belts outperformed many of our competitors, including the stock Boosted (Gates) belts, there were still some details to address. The "feature" that was most commented on was the amount of noise they produced once mounted on the motors. In addition, there were also a relatively small number of instances where customers would receive faulty belts. While we were able to work with the affected customers to get them rolling again, this was not ideal for anyone (thank you for being patient with us). So we sought out to fix the problems!

Having gone through and tested a number of different belts and belt manufacturers, we knew exactly how to move forward in terms of materials and build. Through much trial and error, we were able to find a new manufacturing partner who could meet our new requirements. Our belts have been improved in every facet. 

The rubber is now made using a much more soft and pliable formulation, yet maintains its resiliency. Prior to the revision, we would occasionally receive batches of belts with "over baked" neoprene rubber, leading to a more dry and brittle structure. Although many of the faulty belts were filtered out through our last QA check at packaging, there were a small subset that passed our inspection but still failed earlier than expected.

The fabric lining on the belt teeth has been beefed up to provide a more quite and smooth operation when mounted on the motor and wheel pulleys. Although previous belts had this lining, certain steps in the manufacturer process would alter the physical properties of this fabric, making it less effective. Our new belts have a new, thicker fabric lining and a process that maintains its integrity. 

Pictured above are cross sections of different belts. From Top to Bottom: Gates Brand, new ROMP, and unnamed competitor.

The inner tensile cords are now thicker and composed of a pure blend of Kevlar. Previously, the inner cords were composed of a different combination, which included Kevlar and other materials. We wanted to move to a pure blend of Kevlar and that is exactly what you see popping out the sides of our new belts now! In addition, the diameter of each tensile cord has been increased and their distribution within the belt rubber has been improved, resulting in a stronger, more reliable product. 

We hope you found this article helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us anytime at our Contact Us page. You can check out our new belts here!  

Ride safe out there!