Beginners Guide to Cycle Commuting

Former_MSE_Andrea · 2 September 2014 at 11:02AM

As Thursday (4 Sept) is #cycletoworkday this is definitely worth another shameless bump

Richard53 · 6 August 2015 at 11:44PM

nigglenoo wrote: »

you are probably stuck with high maintenance quick wear derailleur gears.

I have just performed the first bit of maintenance ever on my MTB's derailleur - dismantle, clean, grease, re-assemble. Some wear evident, but not enough to cause concern.

I've had the bike for 23 years and have ridden it round a lot of Wales, Brittany and the Dordogne, and the gears have never even needed adjusting. I call that low-maintenance and durable. Shimano kit, even from the bottom of their range, is very, very good.

Richard53 · 7 August 2015 at 11:03PM

7x3 Shimano 100GS with Biopace chainset. I don't count miles on that bike, but over the 23 years it will be substantial. It's been dropped, crashed, ridden by people with no idea how to use a derailleur, left outside (not often) and generally neglected. I'm sure your hub gear is superior in some respects, and I think it's horses for courses. I just wanted to counter your remark about derailleurs being quick wear and high maintenance. A top-flight racing groupset, perhaps, but the bread and butter stuff is remarkably durable and reliable.

I'm not disagreeing that your hub gear is a fine bit of kit, and perfect for your use (I was considering a Rohloff 14-speed as an upgrade for the MTB until I saw the price), but I think you have to admit that, with the mileages you are quoting, your usage is far in excess of probably 99% of cyclists today and therefore not typical.

Johnmcl7 · 8 August 2015 at 4:57PM

The bike you recommended has a cheap Shimano Nexus 7 hub - they have a poor reputation for reliability and durability particularly use in poor weather conditions. A decent Alfine hub is a lot more expensive and Rohloffs are pricier still although both still carry hefty weight penalties.

I have four derailleur bikes and one hub gear bike, I think they both have their advantages and disadvantages - I'd say the posts above overstate the hub advantages (particularly on the price range it was originally recommended for) and also hugely overstate the derailleur gear disadvantages. My derailleur gear bikes have a much tougher time as they're either used for big miles or hammered off road but they've never needed a huge amount of maintenance and they don't wear that fast.

John

dandelionclock30 · 10 August 2015 at 4:52PM

Have you ever fixed a puncture involving getting an alfine hub off in the middle of nowhere?

armyknife · 10 August 2015 at 5:39PM

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

Have you ever fixed a puncture involving getting an alfine hub off in the middle of nowhere?

For the price they charge, I'd expect a mechanic to arrive, day or night, in a chauffeur driven limbo to fix it.

dandelionclock30 · 10 August 2015 at 6:57PM

I cant imagine anyone wanting a bike with an alfine hub,if you got a puncture in the middle of nowhere it would be a right faff to fix.Theres reasons why derailleur gears are popular, they are easy to get on with and you can fix them easily as well as getting the wheel off without major trauma.
Alfine hubs are nowhere near as popular, plus shifts are supposed to be slower.

Johnmcl7 · 10 August 2015 at 8:14PM

nigglenoo wrote: »

They have 'got better', particularly in terms of sealing, mine is a Nexus 8 speed and I have used it for several years commuting and even off roading in the wet and mud in Cornwall, which should be an indication of durability in every day commuting use. Even an Alfine 8 hub is not really not that expensive compared to a derailleur groupset, though I would advise against the Alfine 11 until they bring out an update as that definitely does have some reported issues and does cost a fair amount.

There are two versions of the Nexus 8 hub, the standard one and the red band version - the red band version is supposedly considerably better but the standard version is the more common one sold with bikes (as in the one you linked to) and the sealing still isn't very good on them. I've commuted day to day with the standard version of the Nexus hub through winter and went through two in the first year which isn't unusual for that type of hub. I wouldn't say an Alfine 8 setup is that cheap, still over £130 for the hub alone.

Hubs certainly have their place but like all bike parts, there's advantages and disadvantages to them so I disagree with the blanket recommendation for them and overstating derailleur weaknesses.

John

Richard53 · 11 August 2015 at 9:11PM

nigglenoo wrote: »

My main point was that for use in all weathers, whatever the mileage, derailleur drive trains need more attention ànd wear more quickly than hub gears in my experience, your experience is different but seems exceptional to me compared to what both I and the majority of other cyclists report.

It was (I think) the first time I had given the drivetrain a proper clean in the whole time I have owned it - a proper dismantle and clean, rather then a quick toothbrush on the obvious bits - and I was amazed at how good it was underneath the crud. Sprockets were worn, but not terminally so, and the chain was within wear limits. The mech went back together with fresh grease and is spinning merrily. I was expecting to have to replace the lot, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Perhaps that is exceptional. However, I don't know how the 'majority of cyclists' think, as I don't know anyone who uses hub gears.

Beginners Guide to Cycle Commuting

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