I keep seeing thread postings telling tall tales of finding the Nexus 8 Red Band for $165, but when I google I can barely find a retail listing in America let alone find it for less than $181. Anyone have any suggestions? Maybe asking my LBS would bear more fruit.

Thanks

You LBS will bear more fruit, thou some are more fruitful than others. One shop around here puts on Nexus hubs more than others though a lot of them can do it.

That's what I figgered. But, of course, I'm always on the scout for the super, duper unbeatable deal. I'm not averse to lacing my own, either, so if I can find a killer deal then I'd be all over it!

Shimano prevents most of their retailers (including A.E. Bike) from selling over the 'net. IMO the SRAM Spectro S7 is a better hub anyway.

TCS

Whoa, where'd that post go?!?!? If they won;t let AE bike sell it over the net then why is it on their website? Also, I've heard the Red Band Nexus is better, this from my hours of research while I should be working. Am I wrong?

Whoa, where'd that post go?!?!? If they won;t let AE bike sell it over the net then why is it on their website? Also, I've heard the Red Band Nexus is better, this from my hours of research while I should be working. Am I wrong?

I deleted it. Actually, you can add it to the cart and purchase it. However, a message comes up saying it can not be shipped. It has to be picked up. I wonder if Alfred E. Bike would allow UPS or Fedex to come in and pick it up based on your initiating it?

http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30&action=details&sku=HU7860

Try calling Alfred E. Bike and see if there is a work-around.

Or try calling Harris Cyclery.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/shimano-nexus.html

Well, sheeit, after further investigation it appears that they are located about 25 miles south of where I'll be spending next weekend! Thanks for the tip off, georgiaboy.

I would definitely call them first. Alfred E. Bike dropships from the QBP warehouse. So, the said Nexus hub might not actually be at their location.

Your welcome. :beer:

Although, I don't think I would have announced that. It could happen that some other Bikeforum members will want you to pick up theirs as well. :D

I would definitely call them first. Alfred E. Bike dropships from the QBP warehouse. So, the said Nexus hub might not actually be at their location.

Your welcome. :beer:

Although, I don't think I would have announced that. It could happen that some other Bikeforum members will want you to pick up theirs as well. :D

For a nominal fee I would be happy too ;)

I looked at the AE Bike website and saw all kinds of Shimano stuff labeled as "store purchase only", not just Nexus8. Even some simple hubs were "store purchase only". After a few clicks around seeing that, it's a waste of time looking there.
Jensonusa.com has Nexus8 red band for about 165, their website says nothing about "store purchase only".

Alfred E. Bike is a Shimano dealer, but not a mail-order dealer. If they started selling Shimano parts online, they's get in trouble with them. I'm sure if you called them and told them when you'd be there, they could order it if they didn't have it in stock.

You can get a Nexus Inter-7 w/ coaster, shifter and cable for $130 at bikepartsusa.com. That's where I got mine. Also check out airbomb.com. They have quite a selection, a couple sturmeys, some srams and some shimanos.

harriscyclery.com

For all the many wonderful things Harris is (including a Shimano internet dealer), they are not a discount house. Their price for a Shimano Red Band and shifter with shipping is well over $250.

TCS

After a few clicks around seeing that, it's a waste of time looking there.

A.E. Bike consistantly has the lowest prices, and it seems to be only Shimano stuff they can't sell over the 'net.

TCS

A.E. Bike consistantly has the lowest prices, and it seems to be only Shimano stuff they can't sell over the 'net.

TCS

We need a resident BF's member who lives near there to pick it up for us. :D

I still say A. E. Bike may allow UPS or FEDEX to come in their to retrieve a pick up initiated by the customer. There would be no record of it shipping on their end so compliance with Shimano in a strict sense. :rolleyes:

I've gotten the Nexus, as well as other Shimano items, from aeBike. If you watch their (as well as many of the other LBS shops with the online Quality Bike Products catalog), you notice that quite frequently that you can actually purchase Shimano items and have them shipped. I don't know if it's a fluke in the system or something deliberate.

But back to the primary topic, call in your order to aeBike. If you've got questions, email or call and talk to Cullen at aeBike, he's a real helpful guy.

I ordred my Nexus SG-8R25 Red Band hub thru my LBS. They went thru QBP and had it less than a week. The problem, I had come across, was the shifter. I had to go thru harris cyclery to get the proprietary shifter, though, cause the back order thru QBP was three weeks plus.

I ordred my Nexus SG-8R25 Red Band hub thru my LBS. They went thru QBP and had it less than a week. The problem, I had come across, was the shifter. I had to go thru harris cyclery to get the proprietary shifter, though, cause the back order thru QBP was three weeks plus.

I've heard that the rapid-fire with brake lever works. Does anyone know if the rapid fire for the Alfine works? I'd like to avoid the grip shifter if at all possible.

How about this for a question:

How's the Sturmey Archer 8 perform? I see it on Alfred E. Bike for thirty dollars less and that includes the shifter. I've read some reviews that say it has a big jump at the top and the bottom, though you can accomodate for this, but is it worth looking into? Is it as durable/efficient as the Nexus?

Thanks

I'm looking at the SA 8 also. Yea, the top and bottom gears are big jumps. Not what I would choose, but I could live with it. Just put 7th gear where you would want the top gear for a normal day.

The big issue with this hub for me is the high gear range. I think folding bikes and such with small wheels are the target market. To get a low enough range for my liking with 700c wheels, I'd need a chainring with a tooth count in the low 30's.

What's the cog size that comes with the SA8?

I also don't like that the SA8s 1-1 gear is the first gear whereas the Nexus's 1-1 gear is #5. I feel like I could get a Nexus and make my 1-1 my most of the time gear and have range above and below. With the SA8 I don't want the most of the time gear to be the lowest, too.

But, for the price it's mighty tempting to try a work around.

I've heard that the rapid-fire with brake lever works. Does anyone know if the rapid fire for the Alfine works? I'd like to avoid the grip shifter if at all possible.
Yes, the Alfine shifter works with the Nexus 8. I ordered one through my LBS thursday, it will arrive tuesday. It looks way better than the tapshifter from the Nexus 8 range. Three major points made me use the Alfine instead of the Nexus' shifter: 1. It's separated from the brake lever, 2. the buttons are bigger so it'll be better for mittens in the winter, 3. it just looks plain better.

What's the cog size that comes with the SA8?
...


25 teeth.

alfred e. bike is my LBS. You can call them, and order the shimano parts and they will ship to you. just cant do it on the net.... im pretty sure.
Richard is the guy you want to deal with there.

Good peoples

Interesting story, and the reason I think I will go through Alfred E. Bike when it comes time:

I decided to check out some local shops to see what kind of prices they could come up with for me. I went into a well known "commuter-friendly" shop in the Denver area, names need not be named. Suffice it to say that this is one of the only shop that actually has Rivendells within as well as the 925. Asked them what it would cost me to lace up a Nexus Redband, and the friendly fellow started doing the calculation. He quoted me a price, that was truly unbelievable, something like $215. I asked him what rim he had used for that quote and he said some alloy rim...asked what size tire would be the max and min on it (was really surprised he hadn't asked me, actually) and he said it was a typical rim, could do 1.5" slicks and big knobbies, too.

I was confused for a second before I explained that this was meant for a commuter/tourer and I would be running 700c wheels and probably going no wider than 35 in width. I then asked if it would be a similar price to lace up that wheel, at which he kind of scoffed and said he didn't see the point in doing an internal hub on a commuter/tourer, that I should look at some good component groups or even a nice new bike with good components. Even though I held fast and reasoned with the guy as to why I wanted this done, he steered me away.

Now, am I wrong when I suppose that "the customer is always right?" This guy doesn't know me or my education level or my involvement with cycling, yet he automatically supposes I am wrong about what I want. So much so that he actually loses the sale he had. I was ready to give him my credit card right there for a down payment so they could get the hub ordered and start lacing. Now I'm not even going to go in there.

To be fair this is one of the nicest shops I've been in and I hate to not do business with the guys, but I'm not going to go back in there to fight with any of them over what I know I want for my bike.

Ridiculous. If Alfred E. Bike can lace me a wheel for a great price then they have my biz.

I'm amazed at how you guys can get the Shimano Red Band for 215 mounted. Shimano Canada must be really taking a cut on every sale, cause I can't even get the hub for that price!

Yeah, when they said $215 I was floored, but alas they won't get the biz. Alfred E. Bike has me quoted at $286 and that includes exactly the wheel I would want in exactly the color I want...no discount alloy. Best news is that I'll be there soon so if I pull the trigger I can just pick it up.

+1 with Alfred E. Bike. When I bought my rholoff, they were selling for $1000. Used a 20% coupon and bought a brand new one w/ warranty for $800. Pretty good deal.

To be fair this is one of the nicest shops I've been in and I hate to not do business with the guys, but I'm not going to go back in there to fight with any of them over what I know I want for my bike.

In my opinion, it's a matter of preference and need. Just because you were being influended to go with a conventional drivetrain, doesn't mean you couldn't say something like "If your buying it for me then OK, I'll go with the Ultegra but since it's MY MONEY, I want the Nexus"
Buy what you think you need and be done with it. I can't see them refusing to sell it to you!

To be fair this is one of the nicest shops I've been in and I hate to not do business with the guys, but I'm not going to go back in there to fight with any of them over what I know I want for my bike.

In my opinion, it's a matter of preference and need. Just because you were being influended to go with a conventional drivetrain, doesn't mean you couldn't say something like "If you're buying it for me then OK, I'll go with the Ultegra but since it's MY MONEY, I want the Nexus"
Buy what you think you need and be done with it. I can't see them refusing to sell it to you!

jbrians,

You would think so. The guy didn't explicitly say he wouldn't sell it to me, but we were in a full on battle over it. No raised voices or heated tempers, just back and forth over ideas, but I couldn't believe how resistant he was to the idea.

I'm in sales, so I'm pretty used to closing and bottom-lining (which is my hard won technique often times). I kept bottom-lining it, asking, "well, let's just suppose I did do this, what would the cost be?" And time and time again he kept skirting it, saying it just wasn't ideal and he thought I should have multiple bikes for multiple purposes instead of one for commuting and touring.

I had the feeling he thought I should get a true roadie bike alongside my commuter for those Saturdays that I just want to go. I don't think he understands that I'm more into casual overnight tours and bike camping than I am into roadie racing around the hills.

I even told him specifically what I'm into, it was like he didn't hear it. So, I'd ask him again, let's just suppose I went with this, what rims do you have that would work well and keep the cost low? He would reply with keeping my ss/fg my ss/fg and leaving an internal hub off of it and going with another bike.

Then he even tried to entice me with touring/commuting bikes they already have, including one rigged with a Nexus internal hub!

It was unbelievable.

+1 with Alfred E. Bike. When I bought my rholoff, they were selling for $1000. Used a 20% coupon and bought a brand new one w/ warranty for $800. Pretty good deal.
Pretty good deal? A bargain! Our British cousins are paying $1625 per hub (inc tax, at least), despite being in the EU.

Pretty good deal? A bargain! Our British cousins are paying $1625 per hub (inc tax, at least), despite being in the EU.

I just checked the Harris Cyclery website...Rolhoffs have taken a pretty sharp price jump in the past few months. I would guess that the current list US price is well over $1200...

Aaron:)

You LBS will bear more fruit, thou some are more fruitful than others. One shop around here puts on Nexus hubs more than others though a lot of them can do it.

My local bike shop told me that it would take about $500-600 to replace my current drive train with an 8-speed Nexus hub. Is this reasonable? It seems a bit excessive to me, but still cheaper than buying a whole new bike that already has a hub on it.

My local bike shop told me that it would take about $500-600 to replace my current drive train with an 8-speed Nexus hub. Is this reasonable? It seems a bit excessive to me, but still cheaper than buying a whole new bike that already has a hub on it.

That sounds ridiculous. Depending on your bike all you need to change is the rear wheel. I can get the hub for $150, a wheel for $40 and lace it myself and a friend will tighten it up for me for $15. I'm looking at barely over $200 for the complete wheel build...toss in $25-$50 for the shifter and I'm still well under $300.

Now, if you're having to replace the cranks, too, then that might add cost, but you can make do with your current ones. They're probably also quoting you for mounting the shifter, which shouldn't be that high. Maybe you need an eccentric bottom bracket? Get the list, because I can maybe see it, though it's a stretch, but I'd have to hear what you needed to make a judgement.

+1 with Alfred E. Bike. When I bought my rholoff, they were selling for $1000. Used a 20% coupon and bought a brand new one w/ warranty for $800. Pretty good deal.

Slightly OT, but where might one find one of these coupons?

To be fair this is one of the nicest shops I've been in and I hate to not do business with the guys, but I'm not going to go back in there to fight with any of them over what I know I want for my bike.


I was in the same boat with a local LBS (Bikes at Vienna) that supposedly specialize in folding bikes. I was looking to install a SA 3 speed hub in a single speed Boardwalk folder. After they did some calculations (hub, lace wheel, labor), they said it would be "too much." "Why not consider this new Dahon Vitesse, with an internal hub, at $399." No thanks.