Shimano Nexus rear hub

I'm beginning to see these geared hubs on some of the cheaper flat bar
road bikes here and am sort of wondering whether they might be just
the thing for riding in Bangkok.

Bangkok is built on an alluvial plain and is essentially flat. The
largest "hills" I encounter riding here are the "hump back" bridges
and if a bike has three gears (assuming the right ratio) it would be
enough for the majority of my Bangkok riding.

Given the added complexities of the usual front/rear derailer system I
am wondering whether one of the various Shimano Nexus geared hubs
might not be "just the thing".

It seems to me that the chain would be similar to the old single speed
chains that lasted forever and no derailers to keep in tune and
sprockets and cogs to wear out.

I am thinking that a 5 or 7 speed hub would more then cover all city
riding assuming, of course, that the gear ratios were in the right
range. I believe that with an odd number of rear gears, probably 5 or
7, if the middle gear was, say 60 gear inches, and the ratios were in
say 10 - 15% steps that it would cover 99.9% of all the riding I do in
Bangkok.

Has anyone done this? Are rear cogs available in sufficient sizes to
be able to set up any initial gear ratio that one desires? Do the hubs
last? Any special loves/hates?

Any suggestions, advice?

--
cheers,

John B.

I have fifteen years of experience with hub drives, including two Shimano Nexus hubs. Slow Johnny is already going wrong, but since he makes a song and dance of not reading me, there's no point in helping him out.

Andre Jute
Helpful to the deserving

On 15/12/2015 12:28, John B. wrote:

Given the added complexities of the usual front/rear derailer system I
am wondering whether one of the various Shimano Nexus geared hubs
might not be "just the thing".

The 8 speeds have a decent reputation.

Has anyone done this? Are rear cogs available in sufficient sizes to
be able to set up any initial gear ratio that one desires? Do the hubs
last? Any special loves/hates?

They do work. I don't especially like them, nor do I especially hate
them. For a commute/utility/pottering bike they make a lot of sense IMO.

On 12/15/2015 6:28 AM, John B. wrote:

I'm beginning to see these geared hubs on some of the cheaper flat bar
road bikes here and am sort of wondering whether they might be just
the thing for riding in Bangkok.

Bangkok is built on an alluvial plain and is essentially flat. The
largest "hills" I encounter riding here are the "hump back" bridges
and if a bike has three gears (assuming the right ratio) it would be
enough for the majority of my Bangkok riding.

Given the added complexities of the usual front/rear derailer system I
am wondering whether one of the various Shimano Nexus geared hubs
might not be "just the thing".

It seems to me that the chain would be similar to the old single speed
chains that lasted forever and no derailers to keep in tune and
sprockets and cogs to wear out.

I am thinking that a 5 or 7 speed hub would more then cover all city
riding assuming, of course, that the gear ratios were in the right
range. I believe that with an odd number of rear gears, probably 5 or
7, if the middle gear was, say 60 gear inches, and the ratios were in
say 10 - 15% steps that it would cover 99.9% of all the riding I do in
Bangkok.

Has anyone done this? Are rear cogs available in sufficient sizes to
be able to set up any initial gear ratio that one desires? Do the hubs
last? Any special loves/hates?

Any suggestions, advice?

--
cheers,

John B.


My daughter enjoys her Raleigh in Chicago with Shimano 8
gearbox on a flat bar road bike (discontinued model Alysa 8).

For regular city use, rider needs a wrench to change the
rear when flat but the Shimano gear linkage is simple and
quick with fingers only.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

John B. wrote:


:Has anyone done this? Are rear cogs available in sufficient sizes to
:be able to set up any initial gear ratio that one desires? Do the hubs
:last? Any special loves/hates?

:Any suggestions, advice?


My commuter has an 8 speed alfine. Works fine, requires little
maintance. The 8 covers a pretty reasonable range, but the steps are
big. I replace the chain once a year, at the end of winter. You don't
ride in salted road slush, so you'd get better life. There's a good
selection of rear cogs available, and you can change the crank ring,
too. I had to change a couple times when I first set the bike up, but a
little more thought would have prevented that.

I'm in chicago, which is pretty flat. (My joke in chicago is that you
need two gears, but they're different in the morning and evening.)
plenty of people ride single and fixed gears here, and they all
complain they do't have the right gear.


--
sig 123

On 12/15/2015 7:28 AM, John B. wrote:

I'm beginning to see these geared hubs on some of the cheaper flat bar
road bikes here and am sort of wondering whether they might be just
the thing for riding in Bangkok.

Bangkok is built on an alluvial plain and is essentially flat. The
largest "hills" I encounter riding here are the "hump back" bridges
and if a bike has three gears (assuming the right ratio) it would be
enough for the majority of my Bangkok riding.

Given the added complexities of the usual front/rear derailer system I
am wondering whether one of the various Shimano Nexus geared hubs
might not be "just the thing".

It seems to me that the chain would be similar to the old single speed
chains that lasted forever and no derailers to keep in tune and
sprockets and cogs to wear out.

I am thinking that a 5 or 7 speed hub would more then cover all city
riding assuming, of course, that the gear ratios were in the right
range. I believe that with an odd number of rear gears, probably 5 or
7, if the middle gear was, say 60 gear inches, and the ratios were in
say 10 - 15% steps that it would cover 99.9% of all the riding I do in
Bangkok.

Has anyone done this? Are rear cogs available in sufficient sizes to
be able to set up any initial gear ratio that one desires? Do the hubs
last? Any special loves/hates?

Any suggestions, advice?

I have no first-hand knowledge, but I thought that Shimano's 7 speed
hubs had a less-than-stellar reputation for reliability.

You might find this discussion interesting:
http://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-me...y-8-speed.html



--
- Frank Krygowski

On 15/12/15 13:28, John B. wrote:

I'm beginning to see these geared hubs on some of the cheaper flat bar
road bikes here and am sort of wondering whether they might be just
the thing for riding in Bangkok.

Bangkok is built on an alluvial plain and is essentially flat. The
largest "hills" I encounter riding here are the "hump back" bridges
and if a bike has three gears (assuming the right ratio) it would be
enough for the majority of my Bangkok riding.

Given the added complexities of the usual front/rear derailer system I
am wondering whether one of the various Shimano Nexus geared hubs
might not be "just the thing".

It seems to me that the chain would be similar to the old single speed
chains that lasted forever and no derailers to keep in tune and
sprockets and cogs to wear out.

I am thinking that a 5 or 7 speed hub would more then cover all city
riding assuming, of course, that the gear ratios were in the right
range. I believe that with an odd number of rear gears, probably 5 or
7, if the middle gear was, say 60 gear inches, and the ratios were in
say 10 - 15% steps that it would cover 99.9% of all the riding I do in
Bangkok.

Has anyone done this? Are rear cogs available in sufficient sizes to
be able to set up any initial gear ratio that one desires? Do the hubs
last? Any special loves/hates?

Any suggestions, advice?

The Nexus 8 is excellent in terms of reliability and shifting. However,
I didn't like the gear ratios so much because they are similar to
cassettes meaning 7-8 is 5/5ths of ****all. However, I did a
spreadsheet I can dig up for my commuting, which span out at about 25
and a bit mph, 1st gear was low enough for anything I cam across.

I'm running an 11 now, which skips occasionally and doesn't shift as
well under load, so I'd put the 8 in front by a nose.

On 15/12/15 19:57, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/15/2015 7:28 AM, John B. wrote:

I'm beginning to see these geared hubs on some of the cheaper flat bar
road bikes here and am sort of wondering whether they might be just
the thing for riding in Bangkok.

Bangkok is built on an alluvial plain and is essentially flat. The
largest "hills" I encounter riding here are the "hump back" bridges
and if a bike has three gears (assuming the right ratio) it would be
enough for the majority of my Bangkok riding.

Given the added complexities of the usual front/rear derailer system I
am wondering whether one of the various Shimano Nexus geared hubs
might not be "just the thing".

It seems to me that the chain would be similar to the old single speed
chains that lasted forever and no derailers to keep in tune and
sprockets and cogs to wear out.

I am thinking that a 5 or 7 speed hub would more then cover all city
riding assuming, of course, that the gear ratios were in the right
range. I believe that with an odd number of rear gears, probably 5 or
7, if the middle gear was, say 60 gear inches, and the ratios were in
say 10 - 15% steps that it would cover 99.9% of all the riding I do in
Bangkok.

Has anyone done this? Are rear cogs available in sufficient sizes to
be able to set up any initial gear ratio that one desires? Do the hubs
last? Any special loves/hates?

Any suggestions, advice?

I have no first-hand knowledge, but I thought that Shimano's 7 speed
hubs had a less-than-stellar reputation for reliability.

You might find this discussion interesting:
http://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-me...y-8-speed.html


I have to say I'd disagree with pretty much all of that. My 8 went past
10,000 miles before being relegated to a less used bike, in temperatures
from -20[1] up to 35+. All year commuting, rain, snow, ice, in a sandy
environment plus salt and grit in the winter. They don't last forever,
and I reckon hard use 15K would be possible with no maintenance. It
isn't that hard to get the internals out, but I couldn't be bothered in
the end.

[1] I took a photograph of the fridge thermometer I took in that day,
but the picture went with the phone when it was stolen.

On Tuesday, December 15, 2015 at 7:47:58 PM UTC, Tosspot wrote:

You might find this discussion interesting:
http://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-me...y-8-speed.html


I have to say I'd disagree with pretty much all of that. My 8 went past
10,000 miles before being relegated to a less used bike, in temperatures
from -20[1] up to 35+. All year commuting, rain, snow, ice, in a sandy
environment plus salt and grit in the winter. They don't last forever,
and I reckon hard use 15K would be possible with no maintenance. It
isn't that hard to get the internals out, but I couldn't be bothered in
the end.

I wore out two Shimano 8 speed hub gearboxes under 5000 miles. By contrast, a Rohloff box was just nicely run in approaching 10,000. All the same, I liked the Shimano boxes as a cheap alternative to derailleurs. At the actual street price for a Shimano gearbox and fitting kit, you can afford to fit a new box every 5000 miles. The Rohloff is superior in use and lasts forever, but at that price you want to know you'll keep and use it for many years; it's not a trivial, trendy purchase, like a Shimano 8 speed, nor for the sort of people who change their bikes more often than their underwear.

Andre Jute
Always the vivid phrase

On 16/12/15 00:09, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/15/2015 6:28 AM, John B. wrote:

I'm beginning to see these geared hubs on some of the cheaper flat bar
road bikes here and am sort of wondering whether they might be just
the thing for riding in Bangkok.

Bangkok is built on an alluvial plain and is essentially flat. The
largest "hills" I encounter riding here are the "hump back" bridges
and if a bike has three gears (assuming the right ratio) it would be
enough for the majority of my Bangkok riding.

Given the added complexities of the usual front/rear derailer system I
am wondering whether one of the various Shimano Nexus geared hubs
might not be "just the thing".

It seems to me that the chain would be similar to the old single speed
chains that lasted forever and no derailers to keep in tune and
sprockets and cogs to wear out.

I am thinking that a 5 or 7 speed hub would more then cover all city
riding assuming, of course, that the gear ratios were in the right
range. I believe that with an odd number of rear gears, probably 5 or
7, if the middle gear was, say 60 gear inches, and the ratios were in
say 10 - 15% steps that it would cover 99.9% of all the riding I do in
Bangkok.

Has anyone done this? Are rear cogs available in sufficient sizes to
be able to set up any initial gear ratio that one desires? Do the hubs
last? Any special loves/hates?

Any suggestions, advice?

--
cheers,

John B.


My daughter enjoys her Raleigh in Chicago with Shimano 8 gearbox on a
flat bar road bike (discontinued model Alysa 8).

For regular city use, rider needs a wrench to change the rear when flat
but the Shimano gear linkage is simple and quick with fingers only.


Why not install large wingnuts on the axle ends, for wrench free wheel
removal? Worried about wheel theft?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Retro-bicycl.../dp/B008H0P5Z0

--
JS