Hub Gearing

Quoted message said:

After many miles on my derraileur gears I have decided they must go. I
have now started to convert my mountain bike to hub gears. Initially
I will install a Sturmey Archer AW 3 speed hub. Later, when finances
allow, I will buy one of the new 8 speed, drum brake rear hubs with a
drum brake, dynamo front hub.

I believe I will end up with a much more practical bike both for
commuting and for fun.

Has anybody else tried hub gearing on a mountain bike? Any comments?

You'll need a chain tensioner or an eccentric bottom bracket. It'll
work great.

vince said:

I believe I will end up with a much more practical bike both for commuting
and for fun.

Commuting maybe, fun no. I got a hub-geared bike this year for the first
time ever in nearly 50 years cycling, and even making allowances for its
age, it's only useful for up to an hour's riding unless it's totally flat.
Any further and I want more choice of gears. OTOH, when my lottery
ticket comes up there may be more than one Rohloff 14-speeder in the
stable.

Quoted message said:

Any comments?

Make very, very sure the gears are adjusted correctly before standing on
the pedals.

Mike

I have an 8 speed Nexus hub on my mountain bike.

I treat it quite harshly and it hasn't broken yet!

It's great having reliable indexing and the ratios are fine for what I
do with correct sprocket choice.

The extra weight in the centre of the back wheel is a disadvantage when
bunnyhopping but is down to technique really.

Cheers,

Nick

Quoted message said:

After many miles on my derraileur gears I have decided they must go. I
have now started to convert my mountain bike to hub gears. Initially
I will install a Sturmey Archer AW 3 speed hub. Later, when finances
allow, I will buy one of the new 8 speed, drum brake rear hubs with a
drum brake, dynamo front hub.

As others, I'd think 3speed is really NOT enough for MTB...
And according to my tastes the 300% ration of an Inter8 isn't really
adapted neither : think that a very classic 22-44/11-32 combination has
a ration of 580% (44/11/32*22), and that the same with a compact crank
(29-44), seen by many as too narrow, is 440%!

And I've also heard that drum brakes have strong heat dissipation
problems, but don't know about anything recent in this area.

So, it may be a good choice for riding MTB in the Netherlands? ;o)

Per [email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Has anybody else tried hub gearing on a mountain bike? Any comments?

I found the hub I put on my FS bike to be heavy, noisy, less efficient, and
ungodly expensive.

After about a year of riding it, I went out and bought another just like it for
my hardtail.

I'd never voluntarily go back to a der system on an MTB. The name of the game
for me is "any speed any time I want it"... that plus no more taco'd cogs,
broken ders, or clogging with grass/weeds.

--
PeteCresswell