Internal gears

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) 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?).

Nexus needs to be dismanteld for regreasing

It's far more

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

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).

Nexus hubs are 36H only, many distributors can supply them built into
wheels. Apart from the hub you need a shifter, hubnuts, cog and assorted
bits, and the correct (for your particular dropouts) No-turn washers

SRAM hubs are pretty reliable too

--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl

In response to:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

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)

Quoth Pete Briggs:

Quoted message said:

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

They are. See http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/internal.html for an
on-line calculator

Quoted message said:

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

I've never heard of that model before, but a quick Googling reveals
that it is an aluminium frame. The Websites I found say it has a
"coaster" hub, which I would normally interpret as a coaster
(backpedaling) brake, but the photos show two hand brakes, so this may
be a bit of non-standard terminology, and the bike may have a
freewheeling rear hub.

If it is a coaster brake, the spacing is most likely 120 mm or less, so
it's not going to be suitable for either the Nexus 7 or 8-speed.

Then again, many singlespeed freewheel bikes use 135 spacing. That
works fine with Nexi, just add 5 mm of spacer washers.

Quoted message said:

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.

It is.

Quoted message said:

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

The sprocket comes with the hub. The cable comes with the shifter.

See: http://harriscyclery.com/shimano-nexus

Quoted message said:

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).

A clamp-on bracket comes with the brake, but I advise against the
Roller Brake. It's heavy, not a very good brake, and makes puncture
repair even more difficult.

Quoted message said:

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.

I doubt that you would find any shop willing to build a new wheel with
a used rim.

Quoted message said:

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.

36 is it.

Quoted message said:

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 :-)

At your service! I've got a Nexus 7-speed and two Nexus 8-speeds in my
stable. I'm a BIG fan of the 8-speed. It is the best-shifting bicyle
gear system I've ever used, and has a very nice range of gears.

See: http://sheldonbrown.com/raleigh-international

and: http://sheldonbrown.com/iro

and: http://sheldonbrown.com/raleigh-competition

Sheldon "Epicyclic" Brown
+------------------------------------+
| Like Celtic-flavoured folk/rock? |
| Check out my favorite podcast: |
| http://celticmusicnews.com |
+------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

in message <[email hidden]>,

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) 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.

It almost certainly is possible. Apart from the Nexus epicyclic hubs from
Shimano (about £100 for 8 speed) you might also consider SRAM (about £90
for 5 speed, about £150 for 7), and (if you're very rich) Rohloff (about
£620 for 14 speed). Whichever you choose you will need to have a new
back wheel built which will cost about £50. Considering your Trek wasn't
very expensive in the first place it might make more sense to sell it
and buy a new bike designed for a hub gear.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

...but have you *seen* the size of the world wide spider?

in message <[email hidden]>,

(') said:

At your service! I've got a Nexus 7-speed and two Nexus 8-speeds in my
stable. I'm a BIG fan of the 8-speed. It is the best-shifting bicyle
gear system I've ever used, and has a very nice range of gears.

See: http://sheldonbrown.com/raleigh-international

and: http://sheldonbrown.com/iro

I love 'you only need one' on the chainstay of the 8 speed iro!

I used to have '2 horsepower - who needs more?' on the doors of my 2CV6,
with similar disingenuity.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Women are from Venus. Men are from Mars. Lusers are from Uranus.

Pete and others who very kindly and promptly responded. Mnay thanks for
the valuable advice. Although it certainly seems possible I sort of
feel that it might be easier to sell my single speed Trek (however
pristine condition it may be in) and see if I can find a bike built
with a nexus. that, however more costly it may be, seems far easier and
hasslefree.

All the best!
Cenk

Pete Biggs said:

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

Quoted message said:

A clamp-on bracket comes with the brake, but I advise against the
Roller Brake. It's heavy, not a very good brake, and makes puncture
repair even more difficult.

Not a powerful brake, but it seems great to me when it comes to reducing
maintenance, cleaning and rim wear.

~PB

Zog The Undeniable 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.
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.

I only got charged £60 by my LBS. Which was nice, especially given that I
ballsed (the cups and cones, not the gears) it up.

Mine's served me very well.
--
Ambrose

i said earlier I would rather buy a new bike than go into hassle of
finding a bike shop that would fit a nexus 8 to my trek s200, single
speed machine. I lied!!!! I went to Velorution following a
recommendation here and they guys did wonders! Andrea the mechanic and
the other Andrea running the shop are very friendly and helpful. Highly
recommended if you are intending to switch to a nexus 8 which is a
breeze to cycle and very easy gear shifts. it's been only 2 days but
loving it (so far!). Cost me 145 pounds including fitting. Bear in mind
that I already had v brakes.
Thanks
Mistral1111

in message <[email hidden]>,

mistral1111 (') said:

i said earlier I would rather buy a new bike than go into hassle of
finding a bike shop that would fit a nexus 8 to my trek s200, single
speed machine. I lied!!!! I went to Velorution following a
recommendation here and they guys did wonders! Andrea the mechanic and
the other Andrea running the shop are very friendly and helpful. Highly
recommended if you are intending to switch to a nexus 8 which is a
breeze to cycle and very easy gear shifts. it's been only 2 days but
loving it (so far!). Cost me 145 pounds including fitting. Bear in mind
that I already had v brakes.

Congratulations and enjoy.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
.::;===r==\
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