Derailleur Freeze

On Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:10:13 -0800 (PST), wrote:

I have a Shimano Nexus hub on one of my bikes and can confirm that it
also has shifting problems with below-freezing temperatures. It's not
just a dérailleur phenomenon.

Is there a chance using a less viscous lube might help in winter?

Maybe - but it's still the original [1] lube supplied by Shimano, whom
I would have thought should know what they're on about. Although I've
seen complaints elsewhere that if anything, they are too parsimonious
with lube on other components, like pedals.

Or a generator-driven heating element? ;-)

Ah, now that's a good idea - I've been looking for an excuse to buy a
SON hub generator for quite a while now!


[1] the hub is on my "hack/station" bike, so although it gets used
quite often, it doesn't have a high mileage

On Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:58:12 -0600, "Jay" wrote:

I have a Shimano Nexus hub on one of my bikes and can confirm that it
also has shifting problems with below-freezing temperatures. It's not
just a dérailleur phenomenon.

So what exactly do you do to compensate?

Nothing, really - as I mentioned in another post, that hub is on my
"station" bike, so the annoyance hasn't been sufficient to prod me
into doing something about it.

Is shifting impossible at a certain
temp? Or just sluggish?

It's a bit of both - the lowest three gears become unusable when the
temperature drops significantly below zero. To be more specific - if
the hub is in 1st gear when setting off, it is possible to change up
through the gears, but not back down below 3rd, once the hub
temperature has dropped below freezing. Putting the bike back in the
cellar, which is always above freezing, solves the problem after an
hour or so.

It may well be a lube problem, as Frank suggests. Shimano Europe
recommended regreasing the Nexus hub every two years (which I have
never done) and I understand that Rohloff hubs, which use oil, rather
than grease, should be drained and refilled once a year.

Andrew Price wrote:
On Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:58:12 -0600, "Jay" wrote:

I have a Shimano Nexus hub on one of my bikes and can confirm that it
also has shifting problems with below-freezing temperatures. It's not
just a dérailleur phenomenon.

So what exactly do you do to compensate?

Nothing, really - as I mentioned in another post, that hub is on my
"station" bike, so the annoyance hasn't been sufficient to prod me
into doing something about it.

Is shifting impossible at a certain
temp? Or just sluggish?

It's a bit of both - the lowest three gears become unusable when the
temperature drops significantly below zero. To be more specific - if
the hub is in 1st gear when setting off, it is possible to change up
through the gears, but not back down below 3rd, once the hub
temperature has dropped below freezing. Putting the bike back in the
cellar, which is always above freezing, solves the problem after an
hour or so.

It may well be a lube problem, as Frank suggests. Shimano Europe
recommended regreasing the Nexus hub every two years (which I have
never done) and I understand that Rohloff hubs, which use oil, rather
than grease, should be drained and refilled once a year.

I have had a problem with the freewheel pawl not dropping at about -40C
and I attribute it to the lubricant since it works fine about -30C.

--
John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

In article ,
"Jay" writes:

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"Tom Sherman" wrote: What is the appropriate hub for a Huffy?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Anything that makes a Huffy heavier reduces the distance you can throw it.


Now, Leo, perhaps that was uncalled for.

While the popularity growth of the sport isn't exactly
a juggernaut, there actually have been a number of
Huffy-throwing contests.

As for the appropriate hub for a Huffy, I assume whatever
it is, is available at Lickman's.


cheers,
Tom

--
"The difference between a violin and a viola is:
a viola takes longer to burn."
-- Victor Borge

"Tom Keats" wrote: While the popularity growth of the sport isn't exactly
a juggernaut, there actually have been a number of
Huffy-throwing contests.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
My comment about how far you can throw a Huffy was not intended to disparage
the make. I was offering technical advice to those who may participate in
Huffy throwing contests. I considered building a titanium Huffy replica,
but the cost seemed to outweigh the glory ;-)

In article ,
"Leo Lichtman" writes:

"Tom Keats" wrote: While the popularity growth of the sport isn't exactly
a juggernaut, there actually have been a number of
Huffy-throwing contests.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
My comment about how far you can throw a Huffy was not intended to disparage
the make. I was offering technical advice to those who may participate in
Huffy throwing contests. I considered building a titanium Huffy replica,
but the cost seemed to outweigh the glory ;-)

Besides, that would be cheating.

There's a technique, with room for style, in
tossing a Huffy. Same as with discus throwing.
It's mostly in the wind-up.

Myron carved The Discobolos because it's too
difficult to fashion a Huffy out of marble,
let alone titanium. Carving the spokes alone
would be a nightmare. Carving a simple discus
is tantamount to cutting corners.

Maybe a papier mache Discobolos c/w a real
Huffy would make an interesting living room
conversation piece. Gianlorenzo Bernini
could've had a bit of fun with that. Capture
him just the moment before the point of release,
rather than, as Myron did, during the wind-up.

Anyways, that Discobolos guy desparately needs
a pair of jungle-camo cargo shorts and an
oversized black-&-white Jolly Roger t-shirt,
and a Chinese-dragon-emblazoned bandana hanging
off a belt loop. He has no style-sense at all.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On Feb 27, 7:10 pm, Harry Brogan
wrote:

Thanks but no thanks. I'll stick to my 24 speeds and deal with the
water and possibly freezing.

I recall once (long ago) going mountain biking in an abandoned strip
mine. At a certain point, my cassette got filled up with muddy coal
dust, to the point that the chain wouldn't engage any cog except the
one I'd been running in. I had to stop to scrape things clean.

At that point, I briefly wondered about a sort of mini-"fender" to
keep such stuff out of the cogs. But I never rode their again, so it
became moot.

However, I wonder what could be done with a chainguard that had a sort
of extension to protect the cogs, plus perhaps a flexible "raincoat"
for the derailleur parallelogram.

- Frank Krygowski

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"Tom Keats" wrote: While the popularity growth of the sport isn't
exactly
a juggernaut, there actually have been a number of
Huffy-throwing contests.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
My comment about how far you can throw a Huffy was not intended to
disparage the make. I was offering technical advice to those who may
participate in Huffy throwing contests. I considered building a titanium
Huffy replica, but the cost seemed to outweigh the glory ;-)


Well then, perhaps you were referring to http://tinyurl.com/27h9em ?

Confused, J.