Originally Posted by jdeane4
Also, what is the general opinion of this hub? I like the fact that nothing is really exposed but how do you keep it maintained? Is the gearing ratio good for commuter riding in town and around small hills? I would like something durable, dependable, geared right, and easy to maintain. Let me know your opinions for putting this on my bike.
The mechanic should be able to confirm the fit. I've seen a variety of spacers for different drop out types, so I would expect it can be done easily.
I bought a bike with a stock Nexus8, and have been commuting on it daily since October/November. Here's my $0.02:
- Maintenance is a matter of changing the oil/fluid once a year, and infrequent adjustments to the cable. The hub has some yellow lines that must be aligned while in 4th gear for all to work well. Takes about 3 minutes with no tools. It's almost dangerous to ride it out of adjustment, as the cranks can spin free or hit a higher/lower gear randomly.
- Even when all is adjusted correctly, shifting to a lower gear is delayed when under a load and you have to let off for the hub to let go of the higher gear and down shift. You kind of get used to it. For normal, flat riding, it works really well. Climbing hills is where things act up.
- In cold weather (<20F), the shift arm on the hub sticks and won't go below about 3rd or 4th gear. The cable will slack up, but the shift arm needs a push to go lower. Since mine has a full chain guard and the arm is covered, I just hammer up the hills in 3rd, 4th, or whatever I can get.
- It is an event to take the rear wheel off. You get faster at it, but the other day I just rode my summer bike instead of putting a new tube in the rear after a valve problem. I put Mr. Tuffy tire liners under my studded tires to over-insure for winter flats, cause I'd probably die of hypothermia before I'd get it changed on the road.
- It is heavy. Not really a problem when you're riding, especially commuting with a load anyway, but when you try to hang it on the garage wall, you notice.
- There is a little drag in the hub compared to a chainwheel/cog combo. It's like a little auto transmission inside, so there are more intermediate gears and more friction. I often found 5th gear preferable to 4th because it seems to be more of a direct drive. This issue has either decreased with use, or I just got stronger and don't notice any more.
All that said, I wouldn't give it up, because it's caked with salt and I don't care. No cleaning. Just a bi-weekly removal of the chain case and lube with wet. All the perks advertised are true (shift while stopped, low maintenance, same or better gear ratios than most derailleur setups, etc.), and the premium (aka red band) Nexus8 might just fix some of my complaints. In your situation, I'd say a Nexus8 makes a lot of sense. Maybe add some flat protection to the rear, and enjoy.