Derailleur Freeze

On Wed, 27 Feb 2008 22:56:07 -0600, "ZBicyclist"
wrote:

Internal geared hubs can offer just about the same amount of range as
a derailer system. Obviously, the jumps are bigger, but there are
also no redundant gears.

Opinions on the Icebike list vary about the usefulness of internal hubs in
the winter. There are a number of dissatisfied users.

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.

On Feb 29, 2:43 pm, Andrew Price 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?

Or a generator-driven heating element? ;-)

- Frank Krygowski

"Andrew Price" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 27 Feb 2008 22:56:07 -0600, "ZBicyclist"
wrote:

Internal geared hubs can offer just about the same amount of range as
a derailer system. Obviously, the jumps are bigger, but there are
also no redundant gears.

Opinions on the Icebike list vary about the usefulness of internal hubs in
the winter. There are a number of dissatisfied users.

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

J.

Harry Brogan wrote:
On Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:08:34 -0600, John Thompson
wrote:

On 2008-02-27, Ron Hardin wrote:

It's snowing, there's water on the road, and the
handy thermometer on the handlebars shows 25
degrees. What does this mean?

It means that water that splashes up freezes your
derailleur.

Sure enough, in a mile, I'm stuck in the lowest
gear after a hill.

You'd think the design would have been fixed by
this time.
Two fixes:

1) Fixed gear or single speed freewheel.
2) Internal hub gear, e.g. Sturmey-Archer, Torpedo, etc.

Both have been around since forever and are perennially popular with
off-season riders.

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

I know of at least two tadpoles that have a Schlumpf 2-speed bottom
bracket combined with a Rohloff rear hub. No derailers to freeze and
greater range than a derailer system. However, that combination would
likely double the cost of the Harry's trike.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

ZBicyclist aka Mike Kruger wrote:
[...]
Opinions on the Icebike list vary about the usefulness of internal hubs in
the winter. There are a number of dissatisfied users.

Most likely cable problems or too viscous of a lubricant.

When I get around to it, I'm going to convert to a single speed on the
winter bike. It's flat in Chicago, so the lack of gearing won't be a big
problem.[...]

No rides in the Barrington Hills area, then?

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

Jay Bollyn, Chicagoland Ice-biker, wrote:
"Ron Hardin" wrote in message
...
It's snowing, there's water on the road, and the
handy thermometer on the handlebars shows 25
degrees. What does this mean?

It means that water that splashes up freezes your
derailleur.

Sure enough, in a mile, I'm stuck in the lowest
gear after a hill.

You'd think the design would have been fixed by
this time.
--


Attribution hierarchy corrected below.

The design has indeed been fixed. Internally geared hub, as in the
Electra Amsterdam Royal 8, which I plan to buy this week.

External derailleur systems are not suitable for winter riding. Unless you
just love to fuss over your bike, on a daily basis.

I supposed with sheet metal working and welding skills, one could make a
HUGE chain case to cover a whole dérailleur system. It would be heavy,
ugly and make drive-train access for maintenance and repair more difficult.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

John Kane wrote:
Ron Hardin wrote:
It's snowing, there's water on the road, and the handy thermometer on
the handlebars shows 25 degrees. What does this mean?

It means that water that splashes up freezes your derailleur.

Sure enough, in a mile, I'm stuck in the lowest gear after a hill.

You'd think the design would have been fixed by this time.
I think this is why someone invented hub gears.

What is the appropriate hub for a Huffy?

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

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

"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.

J.

Jay wrote:
"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.

A cheap bike, like a Huffy, isn't a bad choice for a winter bike if you live
in the salt belt.

During the made-in-the-US days, you could get replacement parts from Huffy
cheap. I don't know if that's still true. There was less regret when they
rusted.

Steel rims are stupidly unsafe in wet weather -- that's the main thing to
avoid in a cheap winter beater.


Mike Kruger
Say not always what you know, but always know what you say.
Claudius; 10 BC-AD 54, Roman Emperor