Hub gears? Your opinions and experiences please...

[yo-eddy]

Thanks for the feedback so far. I'm still undecided whether to bite the bullet and try hub gears, so keep it coming.

any chance of a Christmas bonus this year....

I'm self employed so no chance of a Christmas bonus unfortunately.

£840 approx for Rohloff as opposed to about £180 for Alfine is a big deciding factor. Even if I could afford to experiment with the Rohloff set-up I'm still not keen on the gripshift style element it requires.

I'm reckoning on a more modestly priced build to use as a Winter hack bike more than anything.
Which is why I'm considering trying Alfine.

I don't mind a bit of regular servicing if that is required to keep a hub gear running smoothly. (Thanks for the link o71)
What I'm trying to avoid is the need to keep replacing all the parts of the drivetrain so frequently.
I'm figuring that the cost of a single chainring, chain and sprocket, will work out cheaper in the long run than everything required to replace a 24 or 27 speed set-up.
I ride through Winter in the Peak District which means regularly immersing my bike in wet abrasive grit. To illustrates the conditions my bikes are subjected to, I used to wear through at least two rear rims each Winter, before the advent of disc brakes.
I'd like a bike that I don't have to worry about destroying when the trails are filthy.

Hope the Alfine will work for you, but to be honoust I've serious doubts. The price difference is not only because of a brand name. All the parts in the Rohloff hub are of superior quality (and durability), the seals are better, the bearings are better, but above all the cogs inside are machined out of high quality industrial steel opposed to Shimano's wich are pressed metal barrels molded into a cog. I can imagine you prefer an Alfine looking at the price difference alone, and if only a bit more service is the counterpart the Alfine would be a great low budget alternative BUT the Alfine was never intended for offroad MTB use and will most likely fail within a year (if you're lucky ). I don't say the Rohloff hasn't any setbacks, it's a hub you will have to get used to, but it's extremely well made, robust and it will last long, very long.
cheers Roy

 

[drystonepaul]

I've no doubt that the Rohloff system is of superior quality. The fact that it's been used on a couple of recent record breaking round the world bike rides and has consistently been proven to perform almost flawlessly is testament to its quality.
If I had the money then I'd go for it without question, and I'd even learn to put up with the twist-shifter.
I am also aware that Alfine has it's flaws and wasn't designed for off-road use.

I guess my original question was to help me decide whether the cheaper Shimano alternative would make sense on a winter bike in terms of reducing maintenance and more specifically the need to replace drive train parts.

I suppose that for the £180 cost of the Alfine set up, I could get several chains, and a couple of cassettes, chainrings and jockey wheels for when everything wears out. I'm just not that keen on wearing stuff out only to throw it away, when there could be a more environmentally and cost effective alternative.

As I said, I'd rather spent a couple of hours stripping and servicing an Alfine hub 3 or 4 times in a winter than have to chuck a handful of expensive transmission part away.

Apart from longevity, has anyone anyone any experiences or comments on how well an internal geared hub actually performs when coated in mud when compared to a rear mech and cassette?

 

[Scrat]

Rolhoff = German, Shimano = Japanese,

Its a bit like comparing an A4 with a Corolla innit?
one cost 3x as much(over here anyway), will probabally be twice as nice? if looked after may last a bit longer...

I have heard good and bad things about both,

You have to wonder though, why hasn't Shimano invested in a XT level version or higher, is it just marketing, or do they know its really not up to serious ab/use?

 

[barry2017]

Really, I'm not sure I'd ever want a Rolhoff. They make a stupid clockwork toy noise, and they're so expensive I would be frightened of owning one. I have heard about people who've done offroading where the hubs have been submerged and had Rolhoff refuse to accept warranty claims on the basis they aren't designed for that level of offroading.

 

[MikeD]

I'd say for your needs an Alfine will be just the ticket. You get something resembling a proper shifter (even if it does work back to front), it's cheap and although the gear range is limited it's enough for most purposes. The gears are quite a long way apart, so it'll feel odd compared to a derailleur setup and you won't shift as often - you end up riding it a bit like a singlespeed but with a choice of gears, if you see what I mean.

 

[kaiser]

There was a good thread on singletrack world. Again very polar opinions but worth a read. On another note I've just saw the hammerscmidt(sp?) on ebay for £300.

 

[ekiborter]

the hammerscmidt (sp?) is cool, but you need a specific mount built into your frame to run one iirc.

;]

 

[barry2017]

Interesting device, that. More expensive than the excellent Schlumpf though.

http://www.schlumpf.ch/md_engl.htm

 

[letmetalktomark]

I too am contemplating a alfine build.

When I was at the cycleshow I saw a couple of bikes fitted with them and asked a couple of questions...

No I know no manufacturer using them is going to say they are sh*t but....most were quite frank. If you don't pressure wash them or leave them submerged in water for prolonged periods of time they shpuld give you many years of problem free riding.

Right, okay so just like any bike part

Seriously though the chap I spoke with at the Genesis stand said that they had only had one problem and that was pressure washer related.

I think I may give it a bash....

 

[Ziggy]

You could do worse than a Sturmey AW with a long axle and spacers to go into a 130mm dropout. Proves the theory, and you can get them secondhand for less than the price of a pint.

Anyone on here actually tried this???

I quite fancy giving one of my single-speed bikes a bit more flexibility for steep hills - 3 gears would be plenty...

& any thoughts on a coaster-brake rear / disc-brake front combination?!