Shimano Alfine Internal Gear Hub

[Chilly]

So I'm going to try one of these out, probably Wednesday, down in Chiswick. My plan is to buy it if I can get up the nearby hill on it as easily (or nearly) as I can with my standard 24 speed.

Evans Cycles | Charge Mixer 2010 Hybrid Bike | Online Bike Shop

I've just spent two hours reading a fucking monster thread about the pros and cons of such internal geared hubs.

The Alfino is an 8speed and has a pretty decent range. Has anyone got one, or got any strong opinions on it?

 

[TdC]

only thing I know is that it will add mass to the rear wheel and take about 1000 miles to bed in properly. other than that, I look forward to your review

 

[Chilly]

mass isnt really an issue, its not a long ride (to work) and im a big fucker anyway.

 

[TdC]

thing is, with all the gubbins being internal, I somewhat expect it to be low maint, or at least bike-shop maint for you, meaning less tools and diy shizzle needed.

they should be near ideal for the average UK commute tbh.

 

[Tom]

Stick to a rear mech tbh. Simpler, easier to maintain, cheaper, weighs less. You can change wheels easily as well.

 

[Jiggs]

Unless there are gradients to be negotiated singlespeed is normally the best option for commuting.

I did look into getting a hub geared bike a coupld of years back. It always seems to come out as the most expensive option though.

 

[Chilly]

Unless there are gradients to be negotiated singlespeed is normally the best option for commuting.

I did look into getting a hub geared bike a coupld of years back. It always seems to come out as the most expensive option though.

3 hills on my commute The one im going for is a compromise between getting an ultra-reliable single speed and a fiddly fucking full on 24 speed like my current sirrus.

frankly, I dont care about the money, im getting it at no VAT out of my gross salary so Im getting a vast discount as it is.

 

[Chilly]

Oh and I hear that it's probably good form to replace all the grease once it's worn in a bit, remove all the iron filings that build up after it's been run in. Not sure if I'm hardcore enough to do that myself, but I'll probably give it a go, plenty of guides around.