Trek Solo (Hub Gears and Brakes)

[sebo]

Saw one of the new Trek Solo's today in the LBS. On the face of it, it looks like the ideal commuter tool. It's got hub gears and brakes, slick tyres, full length mudguards and protection on the frame to stop it getting dinged up against walls etc.

Does anyone have one or have much experience with hub gears and brakes on a bike? I.E. are they as low / no maintenance as the bike shop guy made out?

[Mandog]

I think hub gears would be good for commuting. But then commuting doesn't give you much maintenance anyway. The only down fall with Shimano Alfine is that it's a hastle to remove the wheel if say you get a puncture.

I've got Alfine on my MTB hack which has been reliable to date. However, I've just started getting clicking noises and the occassional (clutch type) slip of the gears. Then again I do pull along a tag along so it's quite loaded.

[sebo]

Mandog said:

I think hub gears would be good for commuting. But then commuting doesn't give you much maintenance anyway. The only down fall with Shimano Alfine is that it's a hastle to remove the wheel if say you get a puncture.

I've got Alfine on my MTB hack which has been reliable to date. However, I've just started getting clicking noises and the occassional (clutch type) slip of the gears. Then again I do pull along a tag along so it's quite loaded.

What would the steps be to get the wheel off ?

[a11y_m]

Removing the Alfine hubs isn't that hard - I've been running one on a MTB hardtail for proper MTBing for over a year now, and that's a lot of punctures and changes!

1/ unbolt rear bolts holding hub onto frame (no QR so I carry a small spanner)
2/ unclip the cable from the cable stop
3/ unhook the cable where it attaches to the hub
4/ remove wheel

Really isn't hard IMO. Worst part is unbolting the rear axle bolts because I'm used to QR's.


My wife's been running an Alfine-equipped commuter (with hydraulic discs rather than hub brakes) for over 12 months now too, totally problem-free. Both our Alfine hubs have been impecably behaved despite a lot of abuse in my case.

[a11y_m]

Should add, I've not ridden a bike with hub brakes before, but a mate commutes on a bike with them and rates them. Outright stopping power isn't fantastic, i.e. he says he can't lock up the wheel, but they always stop him in time and are maintenance free. Ideal for a commuter then.

[Mandog]

sebo said:

What would the steps be to get the wheel off ?

The hardest bit is getting the poxy cable off and back on the hub - it's a bit fiddly with cold wet fingers.

[sebo]

Mandog said:

sebo said:

What would the steps be to get the wheel off ?

The hardest bit is getting the poxy cable off and back on the hub - it's a bit fiddly with cold wet fingers.

I do like the idea of hub brakes (fed up with cleaning brake dust from everything on the bike).

Maybe some slime in the tyres would mitigate some puncture problems and then mean that punctures were few and far between - maybe I am an optimist.

[Hard-Drive]

I really like the idea of an Alfine equipped short-forked hardtail for winter riding round here...not many hills, but plenty mud, so it would make sense. I had a quick go round the carpark up at Mabie on an Alfine equipped Genesis and I thought it was good. Changing gear whilst stationary and it just pulling smoothly away was excellent. Nice project with one of On-0ne's discounted frames perhaps? Although I do love the Duster 8.

Got me thinking though, could you run an Alfine at the back, and a Hammerschmidt up front? I guess you'd end up with some utterley unusuable gears, but it would be quite cool! Even sillier with a Rohloff!

[a11y_m]

Hard-Drive said:

Got me thinking though, could you run an Alfine at the back, and a Hammerschmidt up front? I guess you'd end up with some utterley unusuable gears, but it would be quite cool! Even sillier with a Rohloff!

Yep, you could

The Alfine has a narrower range of gears than a Rolhoff, so a Hammerschmidt would be great. My hardtail has 32t ring up front and 23t cog on the Alfine (the largest sprocket permitted - torque limitations). Lowest gear is equivalent to a 22t chainring - 26t cassette gear, so not as "easy" a gear as a typical 22t-32t granny gear but still enough for most purposes. Stiffest gear is equivalent to 44t-17t so I pedal out above 18-20mph downhill. It's better than a singlespeed though but still has the zero-maintenance benefits of an Alfine over winter.

A mate of mine is building an Alfine into a 2009 SC Chameleon frame for winter - ideally you need a frame with adjustable wheelbase at the rear or else you need a chain tensioner.

[Hard-Drive]

Cool...get some pix!

Was it a wheel purchase with the hub, or a wheel build? How much is an Alfine unit or wheel?

[Mekon]

I've had a couple of bikes with nexus and hub brakes. Combine them with full mudguards and chaincase and it's a great no-maintenance commuting setup.

Re. the stopping power of the brakes, they are not at all grabby, but they're sufficient to stop me, a 100lbs cargobike and 200lbs of cargo.

[a11y_m]

Hard-Drive said:

Cool...get some pix!

Was it a wheel purchase with the hub, or a wheel build? How much is an Alfine unit or wheel?

Any excuse

I bought a hub/wheel/shifter package imported from Germany at a time when Alfine's were rare in the UK, paid just under £200 all-in for the package including the wheel already built. AFAIK they're cheaper now though. The rim subsequently turned out to be made of cheese, so I rebuilt it with something more appropriate. I've since rebuilt the wheel again, this time into a 29" wheel after I sold my 26" frame and bought a 29er bike. 29er with internal hub gear and no, I'm not trying to be as niche as possible

Original (Dialled Bikes Love/Hate):



Current (Gary Fisher Rig 29er):