Utility Cycling - Nuvinci gearless hub

The Nuvinci gear-hubs for bicycles are worse than usless, they can't handle more than 26 gear-inches of torque (with human legs). And they weigh 11lbs. The maximum torque before it starts slipping is 130Nm or 96 LbFT . One wheel revolution to one crank revolution is the lowest gear possible. :mad:


Some one said they saw a vidio of some guy jumping on the pedals, and thought that it showed how strong the thing is. All it really shows is that it takes much more leverage to move in higher gear. And it shows how strong the chain is; I have torn chain links just climbing hills in low gear.
:notamused:

Why the hate? Did someone at NuVinci say something nasty about your bike? It's obvious you haven't tried one. I have been riding one for over two years now, and I love it. I have also set up NuVinci drive trains for several other riders, none of whom have had complaints about it. What's your beef?

130 Nm is more than any other IGH which specifies it is rated for including the Rohloff which lists a limit of 100Nm for input torque. Most hub makers do not even specify a limit but if they did I suspect that it would be a lot lower than the NuVinci specification. Rohloff also state that if their hub is geared to their specified input ratio limits then it will withstand use by even world class athletes. The old SRAM P5 Cargo is rated for 85Nm and yet was rated for use on tandems and cargo bikes.

Per posts here people have used considerably lower input gearing than NuVinci lists without problems including one member who has reported using it with an auxillary motor on a cargo bike. On the same bike he reportedly destroyed bothy Sturmey Archer and SRAM hubs IIRC before switching to the NuVinci hub. The main limit to going to lower gearing is the very low high gear that would result with the hub's overall gear ratio range of 350%.

I have a NuVinci hub bike I assembled myself, an old Trek 950, using the 2 to 1 ratio listed and it works fine. I do not see the 130Nm torque limit as a limitation and actually consider it a testament to the strength of the hub considering the other hubs I have listed specified torque limits.

Do you actually have any experience with the NuVinci hub or is your rant based strictly on the manufacturer's documentation?

What application could possibly justify 11 pounds (5 kg)?

What application could possibly justify 11 pounds (5 kg)?
According to Falbrook Technologies, a N171B hub weighs between 3.8 and 3.9 kg, including freewheel and mounting hardware.

According to Falbrook Technologies, a N171B hub weighs between 3.8 and 3.9 kg, including freewheel and mounting hardware.

He's asking "what purpose would require or justify using such a heavy hub instead of a lighter IGH".

The answer, if there is one, is unclear. I know of people who run NuVinci hubs on cargo bikes, and I'm somewhat tempted to as well. For a dedicated cargo hauler, the extra weight is somewhat irrelevant.

Could it withstand the torque that a strong rider would generate pedaling a cargo bike? And I suspect that pulling cargo obviates the appeal of continuously variable ratios. So again, I see no point in it, other than the fact that it's cool.

The Nuvinci gear-hubs for bicycles are worse than usless, they can't handle more than 26 gear-inches of torque (with human legs). And they weigh 11lbs. The maximum torque before it starts slipping is 130Nm or 96 LbFT . One wheel revolution to one crank revolution is the lowest gear possible. :mad:


Some one said they saw a vidio of some guy jumping on the pedals, and thought that it showed how strong the thing is. All it really shows is that it takes much more leverage to move in higher gear. And it shows how strong the chain is; I have torn chain links just climbing hills in low gear.
:notamused:

Lets examine your 96LbFt limit. With 170 mm cranks (6.69") this is 172 pounds of force at the crank arms and then multiply it by 2 due to the specified input ratio which halves the torque actually seen by the hub so the actual force applied at the pedals would need to be 344 pounds, with the pedals horizontal, to match the Nuvinci specified input torque limit! That sounds pretty strong to me.

Also as a retired reliability engineer I am familiar with most companies published specifications practices which typically have a reserve strength fudge factor built into them.

Your post indicates the hub can slip if the torque is exceeded and I am not sure that this is correct either. I did not note that this was stated anywhere on the NuVinci web site, only the input torque limit specification. I think that you are making a presumption of what the failure mode would be if the torque limit was exceeded.

BTW I would not set up any IGH with a low gear much below 26" except the Rohloff. Others which specify input ratios generally are close to the 2:1 limit of the Nuvinci and have low gear reductions in the .5 to .6 range. The Rohloff can be set up with a low gear below 20" due to having a low gear internal reduction closer to .3 and it can still have a reasonable top gear due to it's much wider overall gear range.

All in all this appears to me to be a troll post from someone with more experience at reading specifications than interpreting them sensibly as relates to bicycle use.

One wheel revolution to one crank revolution is the lowest gear possible.

Pardon my ignorance, but why would you need less than a 1:1 drive ratio on a bicycle?

130 Nm is more than any other IGH which specifies it is rated for including the Rohloff which lists a limit of 100Nm for input torque. Most hub makers do not even specify a limit but if they did I suspect that it would be a lot lower than the NuVinci specification. Rohloff also state that if their hub is geared to their specified input ratio limits then it will withstand use by even world class athletes. The old SRAM P5 Cargo is rated for 85Nm and yet was rated for use on tandems and cargo bikes.

Per posts here people have used considerably lower input gearing than NuVinci lists without problems including one member who has reported using it with an auxillary motor on a cargo bike. On the same bike he reportedly destroyed bothy Sturmey Archer and SRAM hubs IIRC before switching to the NuVinci hub. The main limit to going to lower gearing is the very low high gear that would result with the hub's overall gear ratio range of 350%.

I have a NuVinci hub bike I assembled myself, an old Trek 950, using the 2 to 1 ratio listed and it works fine. I do not see the 130Nm torque limit as a limitation and actually consider it a testament to the strength of the hub considering the other hubs I have listed specified torque limits.

Do you actually have any experience with the NuVinci hub or is your rant based strictly on the manufacturer's documentation?

That's me.

I have a 24 tooth cog on the NuVinci, a 42 front ring, and a 350 watt inline Panasonic motor.
SRAM's 5 would not hold a gear, always slipping down, the SA cracked in half, and the NuVinci has never given me a second of trouble.

Pardon my ignorance, but why would you need less than a 1:1 drive ratio on a bicycle?

Virtually all deraileur mountain bikes have lower than 1:1 gearing as do the Surly Big Dummy, Yuba Mundo and most loaded touring bikes. This is common gearing for the less athletic to use for riding steeper climbs, albeit slowly. With compact 5 arm cranks and cassettes the practical limit is about a 15" gear on a 26" wheel bike using a 34 tooth rear sprocket and 20 tooth front. 4 arm MTB cranks can take a smallest chainring of 22 tooth size.

You must need pretty good balancing skills to ride such a low gear. My wife isn't very strong so she needs low gears to climb hills, but she can't use her lowest gear because she loses her balance at such slow speeds. So she ends up walking up the hills.

You must need pretty good balancing skills to ride such a low gear. My wife isn't very strong so she needs low gears to climb hills, but she can't use her lowest gear because she loses her balance at such slow speeds. So she ends up walking up the hills.

On the geared Hub Bikes Yahoo group a couple of posters, both bike mechanics I believe, told of building bikes with low gears of 13" and 10.9" for customers. The 13" low bikes for hauling cargo trailers in Marin county and the 10.9" gearing for loaded touring in the Andes. Apparently the owners learned to balance the bikes ok at the very low speeds involved in such usage so it can be done.

With things like the Schlumpf mountain drive available the mechanical limit for how low you can go seems to be pretty open if you can learn to balance at the speeds involved.

The nuvinci hub also has a large following along light electric and gas vehicles to increase their top speed/climbing ability w/o a gearbox (hence the large torque specs). Additionally, the weight is usually negated by the smooth transition of power by most riders. Clearly these aren't marketed to speed racer or weight wenies.

Mine has a 34t chainring, 22t freewheel, effective low gear of around 12", and it goes up the 10-15% grades around my house just fine, even with payload. As alleng notes, every other IGH (besides Rohloff) will self destruct within a year under these conditions. Nuvinci has been trouble free, and is at least an order of magnitude easier to shift in dicey situations. As for riding slowly, has no one here ever heard of a track stand? Not that I can do one, but I can ride really slowly if I have to. Practice, that's the ticket.

Mine has a 34t chainring, 22t freewheel, effective low gear of around 12", and it goes up the 10-15% grades around my house just fine, even with payload. As alleng notes, every other IGH (besides Rohloff) will self destruct within a year under these conditions. Nuvinci has been trouble free, and is at least an order of magnitude easier to shift in dicey situations. As for riding slowly, has no one here ever heard of a track stand? Not that I can do one, but I can ride really slowly if I have to. Practice, that's the ticket.

Unless you are running a very small rear wheel that is a gearing of about 20", not 12". Presuming you are running a 26" nominal diameter wheel here is my approximate calculation for your gear inches. You would need to be running a 16" rear wheel for your stated gear inches to be correct.

34 / 22 = 1.55 (Sprockets input ratio) x .5 (internal hub minimum ratio) = .77 x 26" (wheel diameter) = 20".

A 12" gear on the NuVinci with a normal diameter wheel would require a slightly larger rear sprocket than front one, say a 22 front and 24 rear. With a 26" rear wheel this would be 11.9" gearing. High would be about 42" which is about the lowest gear on many road bikes.

For ultra low gearing on an IGH or NuVinci bike you would need to have dual front chain rings if you also want a reasonable high gear available. A limitation of the gear range of IGH units. Even the Rohloff, if set up with a 12" low, would only have a 63" high.

Oops, my mistake; it's been a while since I calculated it, and the number seems to have mutated in my head. Yes, you're right, 26" wheel, 20" low gear. Still not too shabby for hauling, and yes, I am using two chainrings - the large one is 46t, which is all the high gear I'll ever need on a bike like that.

I have a Nuvinci in my LHT set up with lowest recommended ration of 2:1. Yes, if I have it at the lowest gear setting I can move pretty slowly, but I move pretty slowly anyway. There have been times that I've wished I could gear it a little lower, but lately I've been happy with the ratio. There are always balance issues when you slow down to a crawl, but that's not the hub's fault. It's the rider's. And, of course, that's the lowest setting. If it's too slow, you shift into a higher range. Or set it up with a different ratio. There's no reason you can't set the hub up with a higher ratio, if lower isn't comfortable.

The hub is heavier than most (any) other hubs out there, but the real "penalty" of the hub isn't the actual weight, but rather the difference in weight between that hub and any other set-up you might want to use. I agree that if you worry about weight, this isn't the hub for you, but if you regularly use your bike to carry any significant amount, then the weight of the actual hub is hardly an issue. Whenever the Nuvinci hub comes up, someone has to point out how it's just too heavy to make sense. You can't really argue with that, because if someone thinks that amount of weight is that big of an issue, then I guess it is ... to them. Meanwhile those of us who tried it generally seem to like it.

I wanted a bike that I wasn't afraid to load up. I like IGHs for their ability to shift in any situation and for the simplified drive train. I wanted range and durability, and that's what Nuvinci has to offer. Rohloff has a better range, but is, I believe, a little less sturdy at about 3X the price. If money were no object, I'd still like to give it a try, but I'm really hooked on the variable gearing now, so I don't know. Higher range and less weight seems like a no-brainer, but I do love how the Nuvinci shifts.

At any rate, I'm pretty happy with the range. I'm running a double up front, but I so rarely get into the big ring that I'm thinking about taking it off, switching to a little higher small ring, and losing the front shifting entirely. It just doesn't get enough use to justify it's existence, plus I could then go with a simpler chain tensioner set-up.

So, sure, the Nuvinci is series of compromises, but, as near as I can tell, so is every other system out there. It's just a question on where you want to put your priorities. I prioritize having a bike that gets me where I'm going and is fun to ride. The Nuvinci fits right in there.

Hmm, so it's good for small horsepower motors, cargo bikes, and why not touring bikes, too? If you're doing long distance touring and carrying lots of stuff, the extra weight of the hub won't be too bad. Plus, it reduces the chance of needing a mid-tour repair.

Hmm, so it's good for small horsepower motors, cargo bikes, and why not touring bikes, too? If you're doing long distance touring and carrying lots of stuff, the extra weight of the hub won't be too bad. Plus, it reduces the chance of needing a mid-tour repair.

There are a few downsides I can think of.

1) It is heavy. 10lbs+ for the wheel. Even for fully-loaded touring that much extra weight may not be desirable. Or it may not matter; I don't do fully-loaded touring (yet).
2) From what I gather, removing a NuVinci rear wheel is a pretty significant pain. Definitely not a quick-release setup, and possibly even worse than other internally geared hubs. Don't get flats.
3) Because the NuVinci is so unusual, if it does fail you're basically SOL. Even if you can find someone who can fix it, getting parts in a reasonable amount of time will be difficult or impossible.

Right, but if your wheel fails in Timbuktu, you can at least get a new wheel. It might be a 3-speed wheel or a 1-speed wheel, but you can get going. Or you could buy a new bike. I was almost faced with that decision in the middle of my three-month tour, and it would not have been a disaster. It would have left me with less money, so I'd spend a little less time before my trip ended, but still not a disaster.

2) From what I gather, removing a NuVinci rear wheel is a pretty significant pain. Definitely not a quick-release setup, and possibly even worse than other internally geared hubs. Don't get flats.
3) Because the NuVinci is so unusual, if it does fail you're basically SOL. Even if you can find someone who can fix it, getting parts in a reasonable amount of time will be difficult or impossible.

2.) To remove the NuVinci (and most other IGHs) is the exact same as removing any solid axel wheel.

3.) This can be said of most of the working parts on your bike. I live 50 miles from Atlanta. We have two stores that sell bike parts; they are both WalMarts.
A spoke, a 700c tube, a brake cable can all be difficult to find if you are touring outside of urban areas. Major mechanical failures can take you out of the saddle no matter who manufactured the critical part.

True enough. My point was that it's liable to be tough even in an urban area. It seems like you'd be more likely to be in a "replace the drivetrain, or replace the bike" situation like noglider mentions. Maybe the difference doesn't matter, though, and maybe the extra base durability of the NuVinci would be worth it. I'm just speculating on possibilities.

2.) To remove the NuVinci (and most other IGHs) is the exact same as removing any solid axel wheel.

3.) This can be said of most of the working parts on your bike. I live 50 miles from Atlanta. We have two stores that sell bike parts; they are both WalMarts.
A spoke, a 700c tube, a brake cable can all be difficult to find if you are touring outside of urban areas. Major mechanical failures can take you out of the saddle no matter who manufactured the critical part.

Allen;

Your #2 depends on the installation. The NuVinci wheel removal requires carrying two wrench sizes, a 15mm and a 22mm, due to the size of the nut on the drive side. Also the design of the anti rotation plate for use with vertical dropout bikes requires removal of the chain tensioner before the rear wheel can be removed. That requires a Allen wrench IIRC.

Probably no worse than removing the rear wheel from a IGH bike with an old style metal full chaincase but IMO the NuVinci is best installed in a frame with horizontal dropouts.

I forgot about the different sized nuts. It's been about 6-8 months since I have removed my rear wheel.

I forgot about the different sized nuts. It's been about 6-8 months since I have removed my rear wheel.

That is why I usually have an adjustable wrench in my tool bag.... ;)

Aaron :)

I haven't done any loaded touring since long before there was a Nuvinci hub, but if you were going to tour with a gear hub, I would think the Nuvinci would do well. It's supposed to be very durable. It seems like the weight would be less of an issue when you're hauling so much, but who knows? Personally I think the shifting mechanism does a lot more good for fatigue than than the weight does to tire you out. There's always a gear that's just right, and there's so little penalty for shifting. I never think twice about making adustments to my gearing, unlike my "normal" gears where I hate to find that I've shifted too soon or too high because I'm going to lose pedalling time and momentum while I correct my mistake. With the Nuvinci it's very easy to get dialed in to a comfortable ratio, and I think that would be welcome when spending all day on the road.
You might need a different set of tools, but that's not bad. Any bike requires an allen wrench set, and a wrench or two will not break your back.
If the hub dies, then, yes, your tour could come to an abrupt end, or you could have to replace the rear wheel, but you can destroy your rear wheel no matter what drive train you use, so I guess it's just a matter of how likely that is to happen. I've considered a couple short trips--overnight, maybe two or three nights. The hub giving out is not as big of a concern to me as my legs giving out. ;-)

I WANTED to like my NuVinci hub, I really did. I tried everything. It came with a cheapo freewheel that was clicking loudly and "popping" as I pedaled, so I ordered the NuVinci Freewheel service tookit and replaced it with a nicer Shimano freewheel. Okay, $65 later, and I got rid of the horrible popping sound.

THAT wasn't the NuVinci's fault, so I let it slide, but then the hub started to develop an incessant and loud squeaking. NuVinci tech support told me to slather the seals with Tri-Flow, and I did, to no avail.

It's like after about ten minutes of pedaling, it ALWAYS begins squeaking, LOUDLY. It's like it has to "warm up" or something before the squeaking begins. So every ride starts out nice and quiet, but then after a little while, the squeaking starts driving me mad. It's loud enough so that pedestrians and on-lookers look up and stare to see what that maddening, annoying sound is. It's embarrassing.

A SILENT drivetrain was one of the points that sold me on this techno-marvel. Nope, not here. I feel this should be a warranty issue, but nope - it's "normal".

I was prepared to deal with the excessive weight. I was not prepared for this. This is totally unacceptable.

Anyone else experiencing this annoying phenomenon? Anyone have advice, better than NuVinci Tech Support?

I'm at a loss. I'm tempted to sell this wheel on eBay or something and end up eating a huge chunk of change. What a disappointment. I was so psyched about this build too. I'd been drooling over this concept for a few years. Finally got one, and it ended up being a sickening, sinking feeling in my stomach.

Maybe I'm the first one, but I give this brick of a hub two thumbs down.

Also, there is noticeable drag. Even up on the workstand, with no load, you can see AND hear the drag within the internals of this thing. No brakes are rubbing (completely removed the brakes just to be sure), yet it SOUNDS like there is. (and when you stop rotating the cranks, and let it coast - it comes to a stop rather quickly, like the bearings are too tight, or filled with peanut butter. (it's not either one of those things though - it's internal)

Now, I know it has a "break-in" period, but I'm not sure that would cure the drag, and the squeaking... I really want to find out, but it's too painful to put the initial mileage on this thing. It's so annoying. So far, I've had it about a week, and only put about 45 miles on it. Forty-five PAINFUL and irritating miles. :mad:

The Nuvinci gear-hubs for bicycles are worse than usless, they can't handle more than 26 gear-inches of torque (with human legs). And they weigh 11lbs. The maximum torque before it starts slipping is 130Nm or 96 LbFT . One wheel revolution to one crank revolution is the lowest gear possible. :mad:


Some one said they saw a vidio of some guy jumping on the pedals, and thought that it showed how strong the thing is. All it really shows is that it takes much more leverage to move in higher gear. And it shows how strong the chain is; I have torn chain links just climbing hills in low gear.
:notamused:

I prefer the Shimano and Rohloff IGHs, but there is nothing wrong with the NuVinci...it's heavy and has a limited gear range, but those are just part of the hub's spec....not some critical fault. Lots of people use them and enjoy them.

I have the first generation NuVinci hub installed on a porteur bike. Its smooth and quiet and the weight is barely noticeable. As the world's first CVT hub designed specifically for the bicycle, its idiot-proof to operate. I like it!

Danthesoundman: squeaking such as you describe is certainly NOT normal for this hub - mine never did that, and I've been riding it hard for over two years. Who told you it was "normal"? Some drag is, actually, normal, but it should not be extreme after the first 100 miles or so. I have spoken with the folks at Fallbrook (parent company) several times, and they have always been quite helpful. If you haven't called them, it could be worth a try.

Danthesoundman: squeaking such as you describe is certainly NOT normal for this hub - mine never did that, and I've been riding it hard for over two years. Who told you it was "normal"? Some drag is, actually, normal, but it should not be extreme after the first 100 miles or so. I have spoken with the folks at Fallbrook (parent company) several times, and they have always been quite helpful. If you haven't called them, it could be worth a try.

I've been talking with NuVinci Tech Support here: http://nuvinci.informe.com/forum/post929.html?hilit=squeaking#p929

Also, it briefly mentions the squeaking issue in the manual - here's a capture of that:

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l138/audiophotography/screen-capture-64.jpg

The squeaking begins after about 10 minutes or so into the ride, after it's warmed up... I've listened with a stethoscope and have determined it's definitely coming from the NuVinci. This is my ONLY complaint, really. I don't mind the weight, and I do enjoy the seamless adjustment of gear ratios.

If yours never squeaked, then maybe mine is a warranty issue. I guess I should try calling them. (Happen to have the number? Or a link to where I could find it?)

It's really obnoxious and loud. It's embarrassing, like I don't know how to maintain a drivetrain, and I take pride in my maintenance skills.

Thanks for the feedback, Val. If I can remedy this squeaking, I'm sure I will enjoy many years of service, otherwise, I'm tempted to call it a loss and toss this thing. :mad:

Danthesoundman: Call 1 888 NUVINCI (688 4624) and talk to Avelino Rivera. He is quite knowledgeable and should be able to help. Warranty may be a bit difficult from your point of view, as the only option they will probably have will be to replace the hub, but it is still better than having a hub that you can't use. You deserve a quiet ride, and this should be the hub to do it.

Thanks, Val. I'll let you know how it pans out.

Val, I'm curious, do you run a disc brake on your NuVinci? I'm wondering if that adapter might be the culprit. At any rate, I think I cured my Constantly Variable Transmission of the squeaking. I called the NuVinci Tech Support, and a nice lady named Mia just told me to take off the freewheel, and the disc brake adapter to lube up under there... For a "no maintenance" hub, I just spent the last hour "maintaining" a brand new hub. Just took it for a ride, and No More Squeaking! Yes! Finally, I'll be able to enjoy this marvel of techno wizardry, and I'll report my experiences and thoughts here...

First, I removed that disc brake adapter:

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l138/audiophotography/IMG_7292.jpg

Disc adapter removed:

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l138/audiophotography/IMG_7296.jpg

Then, I slathered a bunch of lube here:

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l138/audiophotography/IMG_7302.jpg

Then this piece here, I realized rubs metal against metal while rolling, (probably the culprit for the squeaking - design flaw?):

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l138/audiophotography/IMG_7304.jpg

So, I gave it a healthy squirt here, but I plan to run rim brakes in the near future:

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l138/audiophotography/IMG_7306.jpg

Then I noticed where the roller brake mates:

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l138/audiophotography/IMG_7297.jpg

A perfect fit, but this roller brake weighs like ten pounds, so I'm not gonna use it:

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l138/audiophotography/IMG_7298.jpg

Then, on the drive side, I had to use NuVinci's proprietary Freewheel service tool kit:

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l138/audiophotography/IMG_7300.jpg

Removing the freewheel took a LOT of torque, like everything I had, and I'm a big strong man:

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l138/audiophotography/IMG_7301.jpg

I lubed the crap out of it here, and on the rubber seal beneath that:

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l138/audiophotography/IMG_7299.jpg

Buttoned her all back up and went for a ride and no more squeaking! Yay! I wonder how often I'll need to perform this maintenance on this no-maintenance hub. I'll probably ditch that disc brake deal if it starts squeaking again. (Currently this Cadillac Frame has no provisions for rim brakes)

Well, I hope this helps anyone else with a squeaky NuVinci. I imagine the Cadillac People didn't care to use any lube while they assembled the freewheel and disc brake adapter at their plant in China. So, if you had a custom wheel built, you probably won't have this problem. Happy day for me. Okay, I'm gonna stop typing now. Bye.

Its a reliable hub. Has never given me any problem. Operating it is the same as running automobile gear; you just click to move to an infinite series of positions. Even a seven year old could operate it!

Looks to me like the left side will accept a 6 bolt brake disc or a 4 bolt Rohloff disc, Rohloff disc is the same bolt pattern as used on some mountain bike cranks
so the hub can function as a jack shaft, one chain turning the freewheel the Mountain bike 4 bolt sprocket on the other side driving another chain , so it has useful function in HPVs that wont even use it in the wheel

when I was a kid a buddys dad made a 9 speed for him , 2 x 3 speeds

chain went up to 1 hub at the top of the rear triangle,
it had another sprocket attached to the spoke flange, that sprocket drove the 2nd 3 speed in the wheel , worked fine.

Sturmey Archer now manufactures hubs with a sprocket on the hubshell now.
the NuVinci can be used in the same manner, I'd say..

Rohloff hubs are used in such a manner already Hub in the frame so wheel has little mass in it
minimal unsprung weight, speeds up suspension response.. Like for really long travel DH suspension bikes.

Danthesoundman: I do use disc brakes on my NuVinci, but I assembled all that myself, and made sure that there was no untoward contact. The dust cover should not rub if properly installed. I did not do anything to lube the bearing seals, and so far, they seem to be self lubricating, with the lube in the hub gradually working into them. Yours should work the same, in time.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l138/audiophotography/IMG_7292.jpg


Looks to me like the left side will accept a 6 bolt brake disc or a 4 bolt Rohloff disc, Rohloff disc is the same bolt pattern as used on some mountain bike cranks

Hmmm..that 4 bolt pattern looks really far out from the axle [keep in mind the Rohloff hub shell is significantly smaller than the Nuvinci]...not sure that would work with a Rohloff rotor. Anyone tried that with a Nuvinci?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vUEhS0lU3eU/SAqZA-pgxlI/AAAAAAAAE58/btsnmoD70TU/s400/Rohloff+disc+rotor+2.JPG

Just measured [cheap General Caliper] R'off disc mount bolts measure about 48mm/1 7/8" apart.

Said to be : 4-bolt/65mm-BCD pattern

to compare with your NuVinci hubs Bolt pattern.. and report back.. :popcorn:

Thanks for the update, Danthesoundman. I have Nuvinci hub that gets an occasional creak as well. I have tried lubbing the freewheel area, but I have had no luck removing the freewheel, even with the tool. I figure when I want to replace the freewheel, I'll be destroying the old one to get it off.

But I haven't tried getting any lube under my dust cover on the non-drive side. I suspect that is what I need to do to completely eliminate my creaks. Thanks for the tips.

Sorry it hasn't been as "maintenance-free" as you would like. I agree that it can be pretty fiddly to get it working just right. I don't know that I'd say it's more troublesome than a standard derailer set-up, but at least most people are used to the standard set-up, so it doesn't seem like as much of a pain.

I just like the way the hub works. It makes any fiddling to get it running worthwhile. And once it is running, there isn't a lot to do to keep it going that I'm aware of. I've been using mine for a year now, and I probably couldn't describe it as maintenance-free, but then a lot of what I do is not the fault of the hub, but simply that I never stop fiddling with my bike. Actual hub maintenance after the final wheel build has involved replacing the cables and putting a little oil in the freewheel. The rest has been my never-ending tinkering with my drive train. There does not appear to be a hub that can cure that.

Just measured [cheap General Caliper] R'off disc mount bolts measure about 48mm/1 7/8" apart.

to compare with your NuVinci hubs Bolt pattern.. and report back.. :popcorn:

Ack! I just measured with some calipers, and my NuVinci's Disc Brake Adapter measures 44mm between the bolts (center to center) or 1 3/4" apart. Hmmmm....

Okay, everyone. What's the word on the new N360? From the Fallbrook website, it's significantly lighter and smaller now. Todd from Clever Cycles told me they're great--anyone here use one? Val? I'm about to pull the trigger.

http://www.fallbrooktech.com/08_bicycle_n360.asp

One feature I haven't seen addressed here is the shifter. If I remember correctly, the first model took a lot of turning to shift. New ones are apparently much better, requiring only a half-turn or so range.

I'm supposing .. the OP, jawnn, doesn't own one.. was just reading about it..

a motor controller on one grip, and the drive ratio adjustment on the other, seems like a
reasonable layout , a crossover drive electric motor setup like the Stoke Monkey
could make a pretty seamless transition of gear advantage and power adjustment.