Internal gears

"DJ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi
Does anyone have any experience of the Shimano Nexus internal gears?
They would seem to suit my city commuting cycling but I know nothing about
them. My main fear would be fixing them if they went wrong.
Also the internal brakes.
Any opinions welcome.

I have a Rohloff on my city bike and it is an excellent choice. The biggest
advantage is being able to change gear easily while stationary, eg at lights
etc. Also, it is very low maintenance - generally the internal index cable
wears out every 10,000kms, but that is the only maintenance I have had to do
on my Rohloff hub in 30,000kms.

I bought a Ridgeback fitted with a Nexus 8 just before Xmas. Haven't used
an awful lot yet but I've been impressed. Gear range is wide enough for
day to day use around a Somerset village, change is very easy and can be
accomplished whether stopped, freewheeling or under power,

No experience of the brakes, I'm afraid.

"Ric" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"DJ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi
Does anyone have any experience of the Shimano Nexus internal gears?
They would seem to suit my city commuting cycling but I know nothing
about them. My main fear would be fixing them if they went wrong.
Also the internal brakes.
Any opinions welcome.

I have a Rohloff on my city bike and it is an excellent choice. The
biggest advantage is being able to change gear easily while stationary, eg
at lights etc. Also, it is very low maintenance - generally the internal
index cable wears out every 10,000kms, but that is the only maintenance I
have had to do on my Rohloff hub in 30,000kms.

DJ said:

Hi
Does anyone have any experience of the Shimano Nexus internal gears?
They would seem to suit my city commuting cycling but I know nothing about
them. My main fear would be fixing them if they went wrong.
Also the internal brakes.
Any opinions welcome.

All works well - the brakes are soft in feel but actually very powerful.
If the rear hub goes wrong no-one will know how to fix it so you'll
have to splash £90 for a new one.

DJ said:

Hi
Does anyone have any experience of the Shimano Nexus internal gears?
They would seem to suit my city commuting cycling but I know nothing
about them. My main fear would be fixing them if they went wrong.

They're unlikely to ever go seriously wrong if you're not extremely hard
on them. I know someone who's been using Nexus 7 on an almost daily basis
for a few years. Only problems have been a locknut/cone coming loose once
(adjusted in the normal way) and some general increase in internal
friction (possibly sorted by oiling via oil port?). It's far more
reliable, and changes gear better, than old Sturmey Archer hubs, if your
fears are based on those. And Nexus 8 apparently is better than 7 in
various ways.

Advantages compared to derailleurs include reduced maintenance & cleaning,
increased chain life.

Disadvantages include: more difficult tyre/tube change, less choice of
gearing, weight.

Quoted message said:

Also the internal brakes.

The roller brake makes a good rear brake: very reliable though not very
powerful, works in the rain, no mess or messing around with a rim brake.
There is also a coaster brake option (back-pedal).

~PB

Pete Biggs said:

DJ said:

Hi
Does anyone have any experience of the Shimano Nexus internal gears?

Quoted message said:

some general increase in internal
friction (possibly sorted by oiling via oil port?). It's far more
reliable, and changes gear better, than old Sturmey Archer hubs, if your
fears are based on those. And Nexus 8 apparently is better than 7 in
various ways.

you have to remove the innards to replace the grease, which is more work
than reoiling an SA or Rohloff. Shimano recommends to do this yearly,
mort people just run em into the ground and let the bikeshop sort it.

There are two versions of the nexus8: the Premium (redline) has more
needle bearings
--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl

On Sun, 22 Jan 2006 19:05:41 -0000, "Pete Biggs"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[---]

Quoted message said:

Advantages compared to derailleurs include reduced maintenance & cleaning,
increased chain life.

I have a Nexus 7, and can definitely confirm that.

Quoted message said:

Disadvantages include: more difficult tyre/tube change,

Only the first time you have to remove the wheel; once you get the
"knack" of disconnecting the shift cable from the hub, it's not a
problem at all.

Quoted message said:

less choice of gearing, weight.

True. Compared to dérailleur gears, the overall range is more
limited, although the Nexus 8 is supposed to be better than the 7 in
this respect (higher top gear), and in any event, breakneck speed is
probably not a priority for the OP, who is looking at commuter bikes.

DJ said:

Hi
Does anyone have any experience of the Shimano Nexus internal gears?
They would seem to suit my city commuting cycling but I know nothing about
them. My main fear would be fixing them if they went wrong.

I've been using a Nexus 7 for ages. Normally they don't got wrong - as
long as you don't try and use them underwater. I ruined mine by going
through a deep flood. You don't have to get a complete new one if it
fails; you can buy a replacement set of innards. Surprisingly, this is
cheaper than a complete new hub and it also saves the cost of building a
new hub into the wheel.

In normal conditions, they are not a problem, but they really don't like
water getting in them. They will withstand rain, but don't go wading
with them. Snow can be a problem too - if it gets packed around the
wheel then water will get into the hub. For a city commute, it's
probably not going to be a problem at all, but if it does happen,
unscrew the innards from the hub and dry it all out - it will be OK.

--
Andrew

Andrew Price said:

Quoted message said:

Disadvantages include: more difficult tyre/tube change,

Only the first time you have to remove the wheel; once you get the
"knack" of disconnecting the shift cable from the hub, it's not a
problem at all.

On the Dawes with Nexus 7 I know, the gear cable can be left connected;
brake cable releases quite easily though there's still a nut & bolt
involved for the roller brake. Then there's centering the wheel while
tensioning the chain while doing the nuts up when refitting the wheel.
Altogether it's a lot more work than changing a QR 'derailleur' wheel, not
exactly a pleasant job to do at home let alone by the roadside.
Fortuantely, though, it's possible to fix most punctures without removing
the wheel or whole tyre.

~PB

M-gineering said:

you have to remove the innards to replace the grease, which is more work
than reoiling an SA or Rohloff. Shimano recommends to do this yearly,
mort people just run em into the ground and let the bikeshop sort it.

I didn't know that - I thought the Nexus 8-speed was supposed to be
maintenance free unless it went wrong.

I know the roller brakes are supposed to be flushed through with the
special grease (SJSC sell it - mortgage your granny for the postage etc)
every 2 years. I must do ours this summer.

Ric said:

"DJ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi
Does anyone have any experience of the Shimano Nexus internal gears?
They would seem to suit my city commuting cycling but I know nothing about
them. My main fear would be fixing them if they went wrong.
Also the internal brakes.
Any opinions welcome.

Quoted message said:

I have a Rohloff on my city bike and it is an excellent choice. The biggest
advantage is being able to change gear easily while stationary, eg at lights
etc. Also, it is very low maintenance - generally the internal index cable
wears out every 10,000kms, but that is the only maintenance I have had to do
on my Rohloff hub in 30,000kms.

How often do you change your chain?

--
Chris Malcolm [email hidden] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

DJ said:

Hi
Does anyone have any experience of the Shimano Nexus internal gears?
They would seem to suit my city commuting cycling but I know nothing about
them. My main fear would be fixing them if they went wrong.
Also the internal brakes.
Any opinions welcome.
Thanks
Dave

I'm using a Nexus 8 speed on a Specialized Crossroads and I find it
great for commuting; good range of gears and laughable cleaning compared
with a derailleur. After reading horror stories I practised taking the
back wheel off and putting it back on a couple of times and I don't find
it very difficult.

I wouldn't fancy taking the hub apart though - this is an adavnced
engineering job as far as I'm concerned.

Naqerj said:

DJ said:

Hi
Does anyone have any experience of the Shimano Nexus internal gears?
They would seem to suit my city commuting cycling but I know nothing about
them. My main fear would be fixing them if they went wrong.

Generally they're extremely reliable - in day-to-day use they are zero
maintenance. The only thing to watch for is to regrease and replace
your rear wheel bearings regularly - if the bearing surface on the hub
body gets pitted you have to spring for a complete new wheel. The
gears themselves go wrong once in a blue moon, if they do you get a
complete new internal fitted for a cost of about 100 quid.

Pulling the internals out isn't a tremendously complicated job as it
all comes out in one big lump, but that's about all you can do - the UK
importer doesn't do individual spares and you'd have to be a watchmaker
to try to fit them. We've had a couple in to be stripped and greased
and they're easy enough to dismantle to that extent.

Oh, and at least the Nexus 8 uses stupid nonstandard 4.5mm wheel
bearings. You'll need to order spare bearings in advance.

Pete Biggs said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Disadvantages include: more difficult tyre/tube change,

Only the first time you have to remove the wheel; once you get the
"knack" of disconnecting the shift cable from the hub, it's not a
problem at all.

On the Dawes with Nexus 7 I know, the gear cable can be left connected;

Have you actually seen this done? I'd be interest to know how the
wheel can be removed without disconnecting the shift cable.

Quoted message said:

brake cable releases quite easily though there's still a nut & bolt
involved for the roller brake. Then there's centering the wheel while
tensioning the chain while doing the nuts up when refitting the wheel.

That's one of those things which are much easier to actually do than
to describe.

Zog The Undeniable said:

Quoted message said:

you have to remove the innards to replace the grease, which is more work
than reoiling an SA or Rohloff. Shimano recommends to do this yearly,
mort people just run em into the ground and let the bikeshop sort it.

I didn't know that - I thought the Nexus 8-speed was supposed to be
maintenance free unless it went wrong.

Nothing about that in the maintenance instructions supplied with my
Nexus 7, either.

Andrew Price said:

Pete Biggs said:

Quoted message said:

>Disadvantages include: more difficult tyre/tube change,

Only the first time you have to remove the wheel; once you get the
"knack" of disconnecting the shift cable from the hub, it's not a
problem at all.

On the Dawes with Nexus 7 I know, the gear cable can be left connected;

Have you actually seen this done? I'd be interest to know how the
wheel can be removed without disconnecting the shift cable.

I have... I've done it. You have to disconnect either the brake cable
or the gear cable to change a tyre. I always disconnected the brake and
left the gear connected. On the Dawes the cable is held to the frame in
plastic clips, it can be unclipped to give you plenty of slack to get
the wheel out of the frame. Just snap it back in when you've finished.

--
Andrew

Andrew Price said:

Quoted message said:

On the Dawes with Nexus 7 I know, the gear cable can be left
connected;

Have you actually seen this done?

Yes. Spookily, the hands doing it looked just like my own :-) ...Not my
bike but I've helped by changing tubes and tyres a number of times.

Quoted message said:

I'd be interest to know how the
wheel can be removed without disconnecting the shift cable.

As answered by the other Andrew.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

brake cable releases quite easily though there's still a nut & bolt
involved for the roller brake. Then there's centering the wheel
while tensioning the chain while doing the nuts up when refitting
the wheel.

That's one of those things which are much easier to actually do than
to describe.

It's not a terrible problem (sorry if I gave that impression, anyone) but
still I never find it particularly quick, easy or pleasant to get just
right.

~PB

Hi everyone

I have a single speed Trek S200 Urban/City commuter bike. However,
after trying so hard, I lost patience on single speed and would like to
switch to a Nexus 7 or 8 (dont know the difference) that will give me
some range of gears. Would anyone be able to advise me first if this
transition would be possible on my bike (at the moment my rear hub is a
single speed coaster), secondly what other components in addition to
the hub itself I should buy? Would a bike shop install it for me? I
presume my single speed coaster will be replaced by the hub while
keeping the rims. I am fairly new to these internal gears, hence all
the (stupid) questions.

Many thanks in advance for your opinion.
Mistral1111

Pete Biggs said:

DJ said:

Hi
Does anyone have any experience of the Shimano Nexus internal gears?
They would seem to suit my city commuting cycling but I know nothing
about them. My main fear would be fixing them if they went wrong.

They're unlikely to ever go seriously wrong if you're not extremely hard
on them. I know someone who's been using Nexus 7 on an almost daily basis
for a few years. Only problems have been a locknut/cone coming loose once
(adjusted in the normal way) and some general increase in internal
friction (possibly sorted by oiling via oil port?). It's far more
reliable, and changes gear better, than old Sturmey Archer hubs, if your
fears are based on those. And Nexus 8 apparently is better than 7 in
various ways.

Advantages compared to derailleurs include reduced maintenance & cleaning,
increased chain life.

Disadvantages include: more difficult tyre/tube change, less choice of
gearing, weight.

Quoted message said:

Also the internal brakes.

The roller brake makes a good rear brake: very reliable though not very
powerful, works in the rain, no mess or messing around with a rim brake.
There is also a coaster brake option (back-pedal).

~PB

mistral1111 said:

Hi everyone

I have a single speed Trek S200 Urban/City commuter bike. However,
after trying so hard, I lost patience on single speed and would like
to switch to a Nexus 7 or 8 (dont know the difference)

Nexus 8 has more one gear (eight) and some general improvements as well.
I don't remember if the ranges are different.

Quoted message said:

that will give me
some range of gears. Would anyone be able to advise me first if this
transition would be possible on my bike (at the moment my rear hub is
a single speed coaster),

The frame will need to be 130mm wide between the dropouts, preferably
horizontal dropouts. A narrower steel frame could be bent open
wider --not as it sounds, see http://sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

Quoted message said:

secondly what other components in addition to
the hub itself I should buy?

Shifter (gear lever), needs to be a Nexus one, and make sure handlebar
diameter is compatible.

Sprocket if the hub doesn't come with one (?), and cables.

Roller brake if you like (optional). Frame will need a bracket for this,
which I guess could be made out of odd bits of hardware. (The brake
attaches to the hub but has an arm sticking out that needs holding still
to counteract forces from braking).

Quoted message said:

Would a bike shop install it for me?

A good one should.

Quoted message said:

I presume my single speed coaster will be replaced by the hub while
keeping the rims.

Yes the hub could be built on to any rim you like as long as it has the
right number of holes.... check what hub options are available. I know
there's a 36-hole one anyway. Try the Shimano websites.

Quoted message said:

I am fairly new to these internal gears, hence all
the (stupid) questions.

Not supid at all. Please note that I haven't converted a bike to Nexus
hub gears myself, I only have (some) knowledge of a bike that came with
Nexus 7 and have read a few bits & pieces on this stuff. So it'll be
worth getting some more advice from real experts on the subject....
Calling Sheldon Brown :-)

~PB

I scribbled:

Quoted message said:

A narrower steel frame could be bent open
wider --not as it sounds, see
http://sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

Not as bad as it sounds, I meant. Actually it is pretty much as it
sounds, unlike "cold setting" which is the proper posh term.

~PB