Touring - How would the Alfine 11 perform under touring loads

Building a bike for my wife. We live in NYC so her regular ride is flat and when she commutes, she doesn't carry a heavy load. I'm wondering whether the Alfiine 11 will stand up to loaded touring. It seems like a great solution for NYC as it will reduce winter time maintenance and has plenty of range for the occasional hill or getting over a bridge. However, I don't want to strip it under a load and then have no manufacturer warranty to stand behind it.

Does it make a big difference between credit card and fully loaded touring?

Is it readily available now? I haven't seen it advertised on any of the sites I watch.

Is it readily available now? I haven't seen it advertised on any of the sites I watch.

http://www.ebikestop.com/alfine_sgs700_32h_disc_brake_11spd_hub_black-HU7891.php

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/HU266C00-Shimano+Alfine+Sgs+700+11+Speed+Hub.aspx

It looks as sturdy as the Alfine 8, for what that's worth... probably okay for loaded road touring, I'd be suspicious of it with loaded off-road stuff. Then again, with proper maintenance, I've heard good reports of the 8.

In a few days I am leaving for a two week tour of northern Ontario using an Alfine 11. I will be fully loaded and doing a fair bit of climbing.
I'll report back on how it holds up. Hope it doesn't turn into a hitchhiking trip

Touring with Alfine 8 (http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/news_and_info/news/shimano_alfine_takes.html)

In a few days I am leaving for a two week tour of northern Ontario using an Alfine 11. I will be fully loaded and doing a fair bit of climbing.
I'll report back on how it holds up. Hope it doesn't turn into a hitchhiking trip

The lowest gear available on the Alfine 11 (together with the minimum recommended chainring size as stated by Shimano) was higher than I cared to push up a hill when fully loaded. I hope you're a stronger man than I am. Good luck on your tour!

To the OP: as I've written above, I think the lack of range in the lower gears is more of a problem than reliability with the 11. If you're not climbing mountains and you have the cash, it certainly is a good investment.

Looked through the spec sheet (http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/techdocs/content/cycle/SI/SI_37R0A/SI-37R0A-001-ENG_v1_m56577569830713437.pdf) (pdf) and the recommended ratio is 1.9 for the Front/Rear cogs. Slapping that into ye ol' Sheldon Brown's calculator with the exampled 34/18T cogs gives you 26.9 Gear Inches. This is on a high side for loaded touring gearing but still entirely doable in my opinion. Also, you can be a rebel and mess with the recommended ratios for an even lower value (as long as you don't have a chainguard).

Unless my maths are completely wrong, of course

http://thelazyrando.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/im-back-from-the-gdr/

Read the comments.

Vik has an Alfine 8 on his Pugsley, I think, and has no complaints about off road touring with it.

http://thelazyrando.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/im-back-from-the-gdr/

Read the comments.

Vik has an Alfine 8 on his Pugsley, I think, and has no complaints about off road touring with it.

I was surprised. I think his hub is going on year 3! He's running the 8 speed hub at 23 inches!!

>>>>>>>>> "The rear cog is 21T and the front chainring is 32T with a wheel that measures 28.75″ in diameter. For a ~44″ gear. With the the Shimano Alfine IGH that then equals approximately a gear range of 23″ – 71″."

I like my Rohloff ... wider range... 526% equal % steps. flip over cog.
Im using 2 ... a 53-16 in a 20" wheel , and a 38-16 in a 26" wheel ..
both lower and higher than above 17" to 90"