Steamroller with IHG
 

Posted this question in Mechanics-
response was very helpful,
however I was hoping for more feedback.

Has anyone set up a Surly Steamroller with a 3 or 8 speed IHG ?
If so- issues, challenges, successes doing so ?
Thanks in advance for your feedback,
martianone.


"08-01-09, 07:46 PM #2
tatfiend
Gear Hub fan
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Reno, NV
The Steamroller has 120mm dropouts so need to be spread to fit most hubs which are 132 to 135mm. The SRAM P5 and T3 are about 120mm as are some versions of most Sturmey Archer hubs and some versions of the Shimano 3 speed.

SRAM 7 and 9 speeds as well as the iM3 are 130mm to 135mm. Shimano Nexus and Alfine 8 speeds are in the 132mm to 135mm width range as is the Shimano 7 speed IIRC. The Rohloff is also 135mm. "


PS- Specifically I had in mind the 3 speed SA hub with 119-120 mm spacing

You might be better off with a crosscheck. The steamroller has a very minimal number of braze-ons for racks/fenders/cables.

I agree with what Tabor said. The Steamroller isn't particularly well suited to commuting. Besides the Cross Check, the Salsa Casseroll could also suit your needs.

If you're determined to try to put something together with the Steamroller, besides the hub spacing (which sounds like it should work with a Sturmey-Archer hub, including the 8-speed X-RF8), you'd need to figure out how to mount the shifter. If you run a flat bar on the Steamroller, that's probably not an issue, but if you're thinking about drop bars, it is.

The Nexus hubs can be respaced to 120, so you don't have to deal with frame spacing/dropout alignment (though you do need to redish the wheel 2-3mm). Alfine hubs can not be respaced. Also, the Steamroller does not have ANY brazeons (water bottle aside), not even cable stops for the rear brake (I bought clamp-on stops from QBP for mine).

JTek makes a bar-end shifter for internal hubs that works like a rapid-rise MTB ste up. There is also a company called Sussex that makes the Versa STI-like shifters for IGH road bikes, which will work with a Nexus 8 speed hub.
http://www.sussex.com.tw/versa.html

At some point in the next year or so, I'd like to convert my Steamroller (which is already fine for commuting, assuming one is ok with not having rack or fender mounts) to an IGH set up for longer rides in the country. One issue is the need for a cable guide pulley to mount on the seat tube, and clamp-on cable stops for the rest of the cable. These are readily available from places like QBP or J&B.

There is a post/short discussion on another website (that I don't think I'm supposed to talk about) froma guy who is running a Nexus 8 on a "track" bike. I'll see if I can find it, then post it here.

Here's the link:
ttp://tarckbike.com/node/10513?page=91#comment-495193

This is where the discussion begins. You can go back a page or so and check the guy's original post with more pictures of the bike.