anyone outhere got any knowledge or experience of bikes fitted with Hubbed gears like Nexus 8 speed, whats the pro's and cons, are they smoother gear changing than normal gears?, do they add extra weight?,are they expensive to fix? and is this the future for commuting bikes.
internal hubbed gears
- Thread starter noadapter
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Hub gears in general
The big pro is low maintenance as they shouldn't need much cleaning or adjusting and are less affected by dirt. You also don't have to worry about what combo of chainring and sprocket gives you the gear you want, so there's the ease of use thing.
I've seen some claims that they work out as light as derailleur systems, but I've never been convinced. Same thing for efficiency - you'll hear claims that hub gears are more or less efficient than derailleurs. From experience and averaged over all gear ranges, I'd say a hub will usually be less efficient than a clean, well-adjusted derailleur setup, but not by so much that it will bother you on a commute.
Also check out the gear range of any hub and make sure you've got a low enough bottom gear to spin yourself around your common routes. I wouldn't fancy fixing a hub gear unless you've the type of person that's got their own lathe. Most will be return to manufacturer or 'disposable'.
There's plenty of reviews around about the nexus and I've ridden a friend's a few times. His was about two years and was starting to feel a bit rough, which seems to be quite common. I've seem a few reports about reliability issues. I've not seen too much about the Alfine.
I've got two bikes with Rohloffs, which score on the maintenance, reliability and gear range but are silly money if you just want a bike to get from A to B.
The big pro is low maintenance as they shouldn't need much cleaning or adjusting and are less affected by dirt. You also don't have to worry about what combo of chainring and sprocket gives you the gear you want, so there's the ease of use thing.
I've seen some claims that they work out as light as derailleur systems, but I've never been convinced. Same thing for efficiency - you'll hear claims that hub gears are more or less efficient than derailleurs. From experience and averaged over all gear ranges, I'd say a hub will usually be less efficient than a clean, well-adjusted derailleur setup, but not by so much that it will bother you on a commute.
Also check out the gear range of any hub and make sure you've got a low enough bottom gear to spin yourself around your common routes. I wouldn't fancy fixing a hub gear unless you've the type of person that's got their own lathe. Most will be return to manufacturer or 'disposable'.
There's plenty of reviews around about the nexus and I've ridden a friend's a few times. His was about two years and was starting to feel a bit rough, which seems to be quite common. I've seem a few reports about reliability issues. I've not seen too much about the Alfine.
I've got two bikes with Rohloffs, which score on the maintenance, reliability and gear range but are silly money if you just want a bike to get from A to B.
Unimaginative
Über Member
I've had my Dahon Cadenza 8 with the Shimano Alfine internal hub for a month and a half and commuted for a few weeks on it.
It's pretty much exactly what I wanted for my commute - the ratios are pretty good, although on one or two downhill bits I wouldn't mind an extra gear to see if I could beat my current record of 27.3mph.
Cleaning it is easy as you only have one sprocket at each end, although it does seem that the bike is a little heavier at the rear compared with some other bikes that I tried.
If you can, test-ride a bike that has both variants - derailler & internal hub - available and see how you feel about the difference.
It's pretty much exactly what I wanted for my commute - the ratios are pretty good, although on one or two downhill bits I wouldn't mind an extra gear to see if I could beat my current record of 27.3mph.
Cleaning it is easy as you only have one sprocket at each end, although it does seem that the bike is a little heavier at the rear compared with some other bikes that I tried.
If you can, test-ride a bike that has both variants - derailler & internal hub - available and see how you feel about the difference.
Steve Austin
The Marmalade Kid
- Location
- Mlehworld
I use an Alfine on my MTB. Simplicity itself. It is heavier, but not really an issue if you keep your wheels on the ground, can be an issue if you are trying to get narly on your commute.
Ratios are fine, but as been said, and extra top gear would be good, as you can run out of gears. compared to 27 gears of a cassette/dérailleur system.
A very ropey picture of it here
http://gallery119787.fotopic.net/p52855956.html
If only it was that shiny when riding at night
Ratios are fine, but as been said, and extra top gear would be good, as you can run out of gears. compared to 27 gears of a cassette/dérailleur system.
A very ropey picture of it here
http://gallery119787.fotopic.net/p52855956.html
If only it was that shiny when riding at night
jonesy
Guru
I've got two Bromptons, one 3 speed the other, until recently, a 5 speed. Both using Sturmey Archer hub gears. The 3 speed was wonderfully reliable, quick to change gears and felt efficient, while the 5 speed was always a bit more noisy, felt a bit draggy, took longer to change gear and used to jump gears, no matter how carefully I adjusted it. So I've recently had its hub replaced with another 3 speed and am very pleased with the results.
I've heard that the newer SA multi gear hubs are more reliable, but it is notable that Brompton are sticking with 3 speed hubs and using their cunning 2-speed deraileur to increase the ratios.
On the other hand, my wife has had a Dawes City Vision with a Nexus 7 hub which has been trouble free for 10 years; though I've heard mixed reports of them as well.
I've heard that the newer SA multi gear hubs are more reliable, but it is notable that Brompton are sticking with 3 speed hubs and using their cunning 2-speed deraileur to increase the ratios.
On the other hand, my wife has had a Dawes City Vision with a Nexus 7 hub which has been trouble free for 10 years; though I've heard mixed reports of them as well.
Over The Hill
Guru
- Location
- Ridden off into the sunset
If they were any good would we not all have them by now?
For all its faults in changing gear, the chain is fairly efficient at getting the power from leg to wheel.
For all its faults in changing gear, the chain is fairly efficient at getting the power from leg to wheel.
biking_fox
Legendary Member
- Location
- Manchester
For those wanting and extra gear, can you not just increase your chaingring size?
On a recent 60mil ride I chatted with a guy who has the Rohloff 14sp hub gear. He 's had it for 3 years and had 0 problems. Gives about the same ration as a MTB tripple deraileur system.
The SA ones can be a bit rubbish though.
On a recent 60mil ride I chatted with a guy who has the Rohloff 14sp hub gear. He 's had it for 3 years and had 0 problems. Gives about the same ration as a MTB tripple deraileur system.
The SA ones can be a bit rubbish though.
Lazy-Commuter
New Member
- Location
- Bottom Right Corner
Could you hook up, for example, a triple chainring, a 10 speed cassette and a hub gear? Hundreds of gears .. until it imploded under its own complexity.
I think Sheldon Brown made a couple of these, but I can't trace them on the web site (I busy!!!). A Rohloff + a 6 or 7 speed cassette + a triple. I think he claimed about 600 gears!Lazy-Commuter said:Could you hook up, for example, a triple chainring, a 10 speed cassette and a hub gear? Hundreds of gears .. until it imploded under its own complexity.
phaedrus
New Member
On my commuting bike I have a Shimano Nexus 8 speed hub gear, and if you want high reliability and low maintenance it's perfect. It also has a Shimano hub dynamo and roller brakes. In more than two years of daily use in all conditions I've never had a single problem, or had to do anything other than minimal cleaning. I reckon it's a great setup for a commuter.
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
Over The Hill said:
Virtually everyone did I think, until the obsession with having as many gears as possible (many of which overlap, and many of which they'll never use) took over...
I have hub gears on my winter bike (no idea which hub, actually), and use 3 or 4 of the 7 available. I have derailleur on my summer bike, and unless I'm off somewhere hilly, I use 3 or 4 of the 21 available...
One real boon of hub gears for commuting, with it's stop/starts and traffic lights, is the ability to change when stationary. No more forgetting to change down and having to grind off in a higher gear.
MartinC
Über Member
- Location
- Cheltenham
Over The Hill said:
In some countries most of them (utility cyclists) do.
On a hub gear the chain is more efficient 'cos it's running straighter (chainline and wrap) and has no dirty jockey wheels adding friction.
