Internal gear hub type stuff advice....
Discussion
Evening all.
I'm not seen round these parts that often, if ever, so
. I need some advice.
I've commandeered one of these off my brother:
Pretty good bike. Trouble is, it's only got one gear. Brother sees this as a virtue, but I don't. He's in Singapore, so I'm changing it.
I'm thinking of getting an internal gear hub for it. Shimano do the Alfine, SRAM with the Spectro, and Sturmey Archer a similar type of thing with the XR*8 series.
Anyone have any experiences with any of these?
Most seem to come with twist shift type thingies, which I tend to dislike (and I'd have to change to flat bars from the funny shaped drop bars on there at the moment). Would some friction-only bar-end shifters work? Or is there some kind of double cable pull type system in operation?
What about some indexed brake lever shifters? How does the cable pull for these hubs compare with that of a standard system?
What about the brakes? What exactly are roller brakes? Are they any good? How do I fit the torque arm to the bike? Should there be a special fitting on the frame?
Use for the bike is going to be mainly riding for fitness, but possibility of commuting, depending on where I find a job next.
Many questions I know. I've googled as much as I can and the local bike shop has told me all they know. Now it's over to PH.
I'm not seen round these parts that often, if ever, so
. I need some advice.I've commandeered one of these off my brother:
Pretty good bike. Trouble is, it's only got one gear. Brother sees this as a virtue, but I don't. He's in Singapore, so I'm changing it.
I'm thinking of getting an internal gear hub for it. Shimano do the Alfine, SRAM with the Spectro, and Sturmey Archer a similar type of thing with the XR*8 series.
Anyone have any experiences with any of these?
Most seem to come with twist shift type thingies, which I tend to dislike (and I'd have to change to flat bars from the funny shaped drop bars on there at the moment). Would some friction-only bar-end shifters work? Or is there some kind of double cable pull type system in operation?
What about some indexed brake lever shifters? How does the cable pull for these hubs compare with that of a standard system?
What about the brakes? What exactly are roller brakes? Are they any good? How do I fit the torque arm to the bike? Should there be a special fitting on the frame?
Use for the bike is going to be mainly riding for fitness, but possibility of commuting, depending on where I find a job next.
Many questions I know. I've googled as much as I can and the local bike shop has told me all they know. Now it's over to PH.
Shimano Alfine is the best bet by far from what I've experienced.
Its available with a rapidfire trigger shifter. No need for a torque arm as you have slotted dropouts - you actually have an ideal frame for it I think.
The shifter is specific to the hub, I guess this is the case for the others too.
You could use a nexus with a similar effect for a slightly lower budget, the Alfines are not cheap.
Try go to a shop that sells the Genesis IO ID, prime example of the Alfine working perfectly.
Its available with a rapidfire trigger shifter. No need for a torque arm as you have slotted dropouts - you actually have an ideal frame for it I think.
The shifter is specific to the hub, I guess this is the case for the others too.
You could use a nexus with a similar effect for a slightly lower budget, the Alfines are not cheap.
Try go to a shop that sells the Genesis IO ID, prime example of the Alfine working perfectly.
To be blunt, what your planning on doing will cost more than a new bike.
The Shimano Alfine hub is the only thing that has a rapidfire shifter, but your looking at over £200.
The pompino is designed for singlespeed and drop bars. Changing that will alter how it rides and works.
Best off buying a new bike, something with what you want already fitted.
The Shimano Alfine hub is the only thing that has a rapidfire shifter, but your looking at over £200.
The pompino is designed for singlespeed and drop bars. Changing that will alter how it rides and works.
Best off buying a new bike, something with what you want already fitted.
I can highly recommend an Alfine hub. I've been abusing one on my MTB for 12 months now and it's not missed a beat: 24-hr "races", 2-day laden-up overnighter bothy trips, and just regular MTBing on a weekly basis right through winter. Whether you need the Alfine or whether a simple/cheaper Nexus hub is something to think about - Alfine allows a disc to be fitted if you had a mount on the frame, and is slightly better sealed. Mine's currently getting rebuilt into a 29er wheel for my new bike 
Like it so much that my wife was convinced to buy a commuting bike with an Alfine (Giant 700c-wheeled flat bar thingy with discs and an Alfine hub, zero maintenance!)
Like it so much that my wife was convinced to buy a commuting bike with an Alfine (Giant 700c-wheeled flat bar thingy with discs and an Alfine hub, zero maintenance!)
Flat bars and Alfine? No problem. This is what you want to do (taken from the On One site). http://www.on-one-shop.co.uk/?p=1297
Ta for the advice guys. Will have a look at the Nexus stuff.
Selling the bike isn't an option as
A- it's not mine
B- I quite like it (but I will like it more when it's got some more gears)
C- I can't afford a whole new bike
Reckon I'll keep the drops and fit a bar end shifter.
Anyone know anything about the drum brakes on Nexus hubs? I like the idea due to low maintenance, but I'm not sure how the torque arm fits together. Links to pics of an install??
Selling the bike isn't an option as
A- it's not mine
B- I quite like it (but I will like it more when it's got some more gears)
C- I can't afford a whole new bike
Reckon I'll keep the drops and fit a bar end shifter.
Anyone know anything about the drum brakes on Nexus hubs? I like the idea due to low maintenance, but I'm not sure how the torque arm fits together. Links to pics of an install??
I have Nexus 8 on a bakfiets. (huge dutch cargo bike). The brakes are adequate to stop me about 40st total (me, bike, fat bloke, luggage), but there is no feel whatsoever. I've also got another bakfiets with a SRAM P5 with a coaster brake and a sturmey archer front hub brake. The brake feel on that is worse, but the stopping power is greater.
Why are you wanting to fit a 'crap' drum brake? Use the one there already. If they're set up right then they are plenty for a Pompino - even fully ladened with commuting gear.
The cable pull on Nexus and Alfine hubs is not the same as with normal shifters (1.5ish to 1 as opposed to 2 to 1). There are some guys on STW who have tinkered away in their sheds and come up with adaptations to allow the use of various different shifters. Although they all seem to agree that 'Friction' is a waste of time. Not sure about the pull on the Sram or Sturney systems.
I think - although I'm not sure - that the Pompino has narrow road bike rear spacing not mtb. Therefore, an Alfine or Nexus (at 135mm wide) will be too wide for it.
Your best bet is to give Brant at On One a ring. His character aside, he does know his stuff (as he designed the bike) and you won't be the first to have wanted to do this to a Pompi. Oddly enough, he'll know about the rear spacing.
The cable pull on Nexus and Alfine hubs is not the same as with normal shifters (1.5ish to 1 as opposed to 2 to 1). There are some guys on STW who have tinkered away in their sheds and come up with adaptations to allow the use of various different shifters. Although they all seem to agree that 'Friction' is a waste of time. Not sure about the pull on the Sram or Sturney systems.
I think - although I'm not sure - that the Pompino has narrow road bike rear spacing not mtb. Therefore, an Alfine or Nexus (at 135mm wide) will be too wide for it.
Your best bet is to give Brant at On One a ring. His character aside, he does know his stuff (as he designed the bike) and you won't be the first to have wanted to do this to a Pompi. Oddly enough, he'll know about the rear spacing.
As others have said, the Pompino frame would be 120mm "track" spacing.
This means you wont be able to fit any gear system, unless there is a niche brand out there making something, but I doubt that very much.
It would have cost over £200 to get gears on the bike if it were possible. You can buy a fairly good new bike for that, good enough for commuting at least. Or you could get a good second hand bike for the same amount.
Or just stick with it as it and get used to it. Single speeds are great and you can change the gear if its a little too hard going.
Single speeds and track/messenger bikes are very trendy and cool at the moment. Everyone seems to have one or want one.
This means you wont be able to fit any gear system, unless there is a niche brand out there making something, but I doubt that very much.
It would have cost over £200 to get gears on the bike if it were possible. You can buy a fairly good new bike for that, good enough for commuting at least. Or you could get a good second hand bike for the same amount.
Or just stick with it as it and get used to it. Single speeds are great and you can change the gear if its a little too hard going.
Single speeds and track/messenger bikes are very trendy and cool at the moment. Everyone seems to have one or want one.
Interesting thing I noticed at Glentress on Sunday: the Hub In The Forest have added a LOT of Genesis bikes to their hire fleet with Alfine internal-geared hubs. I had a quick chat with one of the mechanics and he says they're working out well - less maintenance. My thoughts were that "beginners" who hire the bikes would tend to be heavy on the gear changing (you've really got to back off any pressure on the pedals when changing with the Alfine) but he says they've had zero failures
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