Comments on: Open Forum: Internally Geared Hubs

By: WalterMcDalter

WalterMcDalter — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 01:24:09 +0000

Anyone out there who lives in San Francisco and can objectively comment on the practicality of an 8-speed hub for city riding? I’m pretty much a newbie rider (just about a year) and just lost my first bike, a Novara Corsa, in a bike crash. For my new bike I’m debating between a Jamis Coda Comp and Charge Tap or other internal hub bike. Thinking of steel frame.

Thanks.

By: Alistair

Alistair — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:27:38 +0000

Could’t resist commenting. I have converted to IHG. I am a 200 km a week commuter through London. I get my hub serviced twice a year (before and after the winter). Its done about 20,000 km. hug gears and puntcture resistant tyres have made my journey so much reliable, even in an urban environment.

Downside, is the weight issue but I may not be the fastest but Im there or there about.

ps Its a shimano 8 speed.

By: raininja

raininja — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 01:14:18 +0000

there are no known cases of Rohloff failure.

By: Tiano

Tiano — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 06:02:16 +0000

Ok. So I’m sold on the idea of an IGH for my city bike/commuter. And I’m sold on the price/reliability of the Sturmy Archers.

However, I’m wondering how much use a 3 speed really could be. I don’t want to go fast, but I do want to get up hills. I have also heard that the 5 speeds can be, well, temperamental?

Anyone with suggestions as to what I should go with?

If it helps, I live in inner Melbourne, Australia. There are some hills, but the French alps this aint.

Cheers.

By: DDK

DDK — Thu, 06 May 2010 12:44:11 +0000

N.I.K. — when you go into business building a winter-proof 3-speed coaster commuter with a full chain case in an oil bath, I will be first in line to make you rich.

By: N.I.K.

N.I.K. — Wed, 05 May 2010 22:52:42 +0000

I feel like there are no real advocates for the IGHs here, most of the people wandering these bike blogs are huge bicycle nuts: spandex, $2000 bike, washed after every use” IGHs are perfect for the commoners.

And that’s based on what, exactly? No $2000 bike here. Steel beater for the commute with old Shimano 600 stuff on it. Way to make assumptions and embrace stereotypes. More and more I’m convinced that the knee-jerk anti-roadie disease is based more on the want *for* separatism/division than it is reality at large. “Oooh, I’m *utilitarian*. I’m not like *THEM*.” Give me a friggin’ break.

I think DDK got it right: 3-speed IGHs are insanely practical. Anything more complex in an IGH is a long-term can of worms I welcome you to replace in 5-7 years time if you don’t mind spending the money. I myself would be sold if only there were a more affordable/more serviceable option. So far, haven’t seen it. Would love to see it, though – would make for a great winter rig.

By: The Cycler

The Cycler — Wed, 05 May 2010 22:04:09 +0000

I have some experience with the Nexus 8 and must say all my future bikes are going to have IGHs.

I’m a casual rider and sometimes do long distances for the hell of it, but efficiency is certainly not my goal, I want to enjoy my journey as much as possible and IGHs make it so much more enjoyable.

I ride an old 10 speed right now and use about 4 of 5 of them. I never understood the whole 24 gear craziness, why so many and some ratios are so close they’re basically the same gear.

I feel like there are no real advocates for the IGHs here, most of the people wandering these bike blogs are huge bicycle nuts: spandex, $2000 bike, washed after every use… IGHs are perfect for the commoners.

By: Keith J.

Keith J. — Sun, 02 May 2010 23:11:36 +0000

I am just shy of 55 years old. I just completed a Metric Century for the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure on my regular commuting bike, a 1999 Peugeot Cote D’Azur Comfort bike with a Shimano Nexus 7-speed IGH. With fully loaded panniers the bike probably weighed in at 40-plus pounds, and the route was very much uphill and down (including one 14% grade near the end that I thought was going to be the death of me). Just wanted to put in my 2 cents’ worth – I wasn’t the fastest of teh 350-or-so riders that day, but I completed the entire 100 km in just under 6 hours (with rest stops), and experienced absolutely no mechanical problems – level-terrain cruising speed about 18 mph. I just wanted to give a “thumbs-up” in general regarding the IGH, at least the one I ride with…

By: N.I.K.

N.I.K. — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 02:27:18 +0000

Out-of-the-blue aside: anyone have much experience with SRAM’s IGHs? They’re not really there in the North American market, but I’d be curious to know what they’re like. SRAM’s shifters for deraileur applications have a lot less parts than the competition and are actually rebuildable in a practical way. I’m just wondering if their IGHs are similarly well-designed.

By: N.I.K.

N.I.K. — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 02:20:24 +0000

Well Trevor, I work as a mechanic, so of course I’m concerned with serviceability. Sometimes a lack of serviceability is a non-issue – cartridge bottom brackets are a good example of this, because a decent one only runs $30-$40 and they’re readily available. Most people don’t balk at that and the associated labor charges. But $200 is a pretty substantial chunk of change, and that’s just for the hub – the customer’s still going to need a wheel built up around it (and possibly have a new cable installed). I’ve seen it from both ends: “That’s a lot of money but I love my IGH so I’ll bite the bullet” and “What? That’s nearly a third of what I paid for the whole bike! I got this so I wouldn’t have these problems!” Sure, it’s still way cheaper than a car, but proportionately, it’s actually quite pricey.

I’ll concede that it usually takes a while for an IGH to go south, but then I’ve also seen a lot of extremes. The problem with people -especially sales people selling bikes on commission- talking about how hassle-free IGHs (or anything else!) are is that it convinces some folks that there’s really no fuss at all. You might not work on your bikes yourself but taking your bike to the shop for maintenance counts as maintenance. I’ll wager that you also don’t leave your bikes locked up outside through four months of snow and that “this feels funny” is your reason to hit the shop, rather than “this doesn’t work at all”.