Arg, why did I have to read that email?

[Andrew_Culture]

I just got the latest blast from Pro Bike Kit and it contained a link to this piece of sex! I've never considered a cyclocross bike as a commuter before being in love with my crap heap singlespeed as I am... but hub gears could be a lot kinder to my ageing knees than singlespeed!

I'm hilariously poor and there's no way I can afford a £1700 price tag, and I'd buy a carbon road bike for the weekends if I had that kind of money. But look at it! *rubs thighs*

http://www.probikekit.com/uk/genesis-day-one-alfine-11-2013-cyclocross-bike.html

 

[Beebo]

I'm a convert to disk brakes, my commuter already has them, but I'm still not sure about hub gears, maybe my next bike will have them?
Anyway there's a second hand one for sale here - £600.
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/on-one-pompetamine-versa-8-speed-alfine.118263/

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I'm a convert to disk brakes, my commuter already has them, but I'm still not sure about hub gears, maybe my next bike will have them?
Anyway there's a second hand one for sale here - £600.
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/on-one-pompetamine-versa-8-speed-alfine.118263/

I'm really impressed with this bike. Sadly that second hand one is much too small for me, and I'm poor! Good to know they go for reasonable money though.

The hub gears and easy cleaning would make this a dream commuter.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

This 'might' be an insane question, but why are these bikes so expensive?

 

[Beebo]

This 'might' be an insane question, but why are these bikes so expensive?

They are nieche machines, not many sold so prices are higher.
But this is a very good quality bike.
The alfine hub gears cost £400, if it was a rohloff hub it would be £1,000!
The frame is Reynolds 853, so wont be cheap
the brakes are BB7, so high spec mechanical disks
the wheelset has to be hub compatible which limits options and increases price.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

They are nieche machines, not many sold so prices are higher.
But this is a very good quality bike.
The alfine hub gears cost £400, if it was a rohloff hub it would be £1,000!
The frame is Reynolds 853, so wont be cheap
the brakes are BB7, so high spec mechanical disks
the wheelset has to be hub compatible which limits options and increases price.

Gotcha

 

[HLaB]

White would be no good for commuting anyway

 

[Andrew_Culture]

White would be no good for commuting anyway

Solved the lust!

 

[Hip Priest]

I hate looking at bikes I can't afford. Which is most bikes!

 

[Crankarm]

Seems way over priced to me. The rear brake caliper is in the wrong position, it should be inside rear triangle for the bike to be of any use as a load carrying bike. Like it is, it's difficult to fit a rack without the rear brake caliper getting in the way. A rather fundamental flaw imho. Also the frame should have a break/join in the drive side rear triangle to enable a belt drive to be fitted if so desired. If it were eqipped with a Rohloff hub then it woukd be a lot better value.

 

[Shaun]

Having never used hub gears, what sort of range do you get - are we talking four or five gear choices or are there more, depending on the hub?

The chain ring on the model above only looks slightly larger than the hub ring at the back.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Having never used hub gears, what sort of range do you get - are we talking four or five gear choices or are there more, depending on the hub?

The chain ring on the model above only looks slightly larger than the hub ring at the back.

I think there are nine gears, I'm not sure what the equvilent gear ratios would be.

I'm quite struck with the idea of hub gears.

 

[jonny jeez]

Never liked the aesthetic of cross bikes, the whole "fat wheel thing" just seems wrong to me.

(ducks)

 

[Mike!]

I tried a Merida Speeder i8 hubgear flat bar with a view to having it as a commuter but i much preferred the ride of a Sirrus so brought one of those instead, great idea but I like to be able to fix my own things and no chance of me fixing hub gears!

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Hub gears rock! I have two on my Brompton, one front 2 speed and one rear 3 speed. This bike has done 1000 miles since I got it in December and all I've had to do maintenance wise is oil the chain.