DBrown9383

I researched the Dynamic brand shaft drive bikes last night. I thought one of these might be nice for my wife as she still has some difficulty with her derailleurs, when and how to shift. I was attracted to the fact that you can change gears under load or even when at a full stop. I have spent time with her and explained anticipating downshifts etc. etc. but she will still grind the gears sometimes. She would also like the no mess sealed shaft BUT, (there is always a BUT) It seems although the bikes have improved lately they are still of relatively poor quality and there are no dealerships. We own inexpensive big box store bikes now and I don't want to spend $800 plus shipping and options for another low quality bike. Is anyone riding a Dynamic shaft drive bike currently and if so, how would you rate the quality of the bike in general, reliability etc. Early reviews were negative but Dynamic has a flashy website with cool videos and they say they are on the fourth generation of their sussex shaft drive. They also claim their bikes are tested and adjusted before shipping. I don't want to make a thousand dollar mistake but the technology intrigues me. If the rest of the bike is of poor quality I'm not interested. Thanks.

StephenH

I think from the standpoint of reliability, you'd be ahead to get a regular bike with internal geared hub (or single-speed, if you live in a flat place.).
It's not clear from your post if she has a problem with gears, or if you have a problem with how she uses them. Anyway, some of that problem may be solved just by going to a higher grade bike, even with derailleurs. On using the gears, you learn by doing, so if she keeps riding, it should all iron itself out anyway.

DBrown9383

LOL.. I'd say it's a little of both. Yes, she sometimes has problems with gears and yes, sometimes I have a problem with how she uses them. .. My question is about the quality of the current dynamic shaft drive bikes or lack thereof.

fietsbob

A bit heavy but simple to use .. NuVinci 360 CVR hub is a continuous range.. just turn the grip till it feels right...

I dont, never seen one in person.. Somebody buys them, But they may never look at this forum.

leob1

My wife ride about twice as much as I do, 1500 to 2000 miles a year. After several 'lessons', discussions, and tutorials, she still has problems with her gears. Mainly she shifts too late on hills, and\or (and this is what gets me) cross chains.
So, I feel your pain Brother.
If it's a real problem for her, an IGH, or a 1x(1 ring in front, 10-11 in back) might make things easier on both of you.

FBinNY 

IMO- the main benefit you're looking for in the internal geared hub, aka IGH. Whether the primary crank to wheel transmission is via shaft, chain or belt is immaterial, since that's not where her problem arises. There are many, many nice IGH hybrids out there at lower prices than the shaft drive, so I don't believe it makes sense to pay a premium to get the shaft. (sorry couldn't resist that one).

Taking it one step further, chain drive is more efficient than shaft drive which uses 2 bevel gears. That wouldn't matter to a casual rider, since the difference isn't great, but it's there none the less. Also, I expect that a chain or belt drive bike would have better service life and lower maintenance cost over time than the shaft, but that probably remains to be seen.

Lastly, 4th generation sounds good, and would be good if the 1st was good and they refined from there. OTOH- it can also mean that they're going through iterations because it wsn't right, and may still not be 100% dialed in, so that statement means less than zero to me. I'm skeptical of having to pay for the privilege of being a Beta tester for a company, and would be far more receptive to an ad that said, "same design and construction that's been proven over 15 years". To me "new and improved" means that they either found a cheaper way to make it, or had no choice.

osco53

SPEEDHUB: www.rohloff.de

https://bike.shimano.com/publish/cont.../0/alfine.html

zonatandem

Ditch your idea. Sell the low quality bikes and buy a decent tandem . . . she'll never have to shift again!

osco53

I don't love my wife THAT much, besides that when I start up a hill I often fart. She'd smack me..

DBrown9383

Now those IGH's look like quality Osco. I read some of the older reviews of Dynamic bikes and quality complaints were an issue. 4th generation of their drive system may or may NOT be good for reasons FB pointed out. Until I can find someone that has recently purchased a Dynamic bike and vouch for it's quality I will not be spending $800 + for one. Even if my wife destroys the Shimano Tourney derailleur and/or chain, those parts are inexpensive to replace. Actually I'm quite pleasantly surprised how crisp and accurate the shifting is for such low level components. I just want to make riding as easy and enjoyable for her as possible and she gets frustrated with the triple chain ring up front and the 7 in back. The trigger shifters of course are opposite on the front and rear as to which way shifts up and which way shifts down, she likes to click once for a gear change but not push with her thumb for the long throw to change the front ring. So she's happy shifting from say 1st all the way to 7th in the back. click, click, click but she doesn't like PUSHING and waiting to go from 7th back up to 1st and she forgets to downshift before the hill gets steep. I've given the tutorial and showed her what happens but the best thing for me to do is sit back, say nothing and let her figure it out. If I have to replace parts so be it. I KNOW IGH would be easier for her and not having to worry about her throwing the chain again would be good for me too.

Retro Grouch 

What are you trying to accomplish? I'm hearing two issues: difficulty managing a derailleur shifting system and concern about chain yuck.

The established solution for the first is an internal gear hub - like a 3-speed. The current consensus for the second is belt drive. For $800 I'm thinking that REI could set you up with both and you'll have a local dealer to work with should you encounter a problem.

DBrown9383

She needs more than 3 speeds... The chain yuck isn't that big of a deal but she'd like not having it. We like being different so the shaft drive is interesting and solves the dropped chain/yuck issues. The IGH solves the shifting issues (maybe). Their hubs are 7 or 8 speeds. I still haven't found anyone that can vouch for the quality of the rest of the bike though.

BlazingPedals

What style bike are you looking for? Cruiser? Hybrid? It sure sounds like a belt drive would be a good idea for her. No gunk, unusual but not weird, and easy to shift. You could get one with an internally-geared hub (IGH) with up to 11 speeds, or like fietsbob suggested, have one built with a Nuvinci 360 hub, which is a CVT.

DBrown9383

CVT sounds great. I'm impressed with all the different options out there. She likes the general fit of her comfort hybrid right now. I'm actually seeing the limitations of the bike (we have the same bikes) and am leaning towards more of a road bike next. Is there a lot of mush with the CVT's? The way I see this going is my wife remaining a casual MUP rider and me getting more serious but we should still be able to ride together. This is WAY more fun than it was when I was young. I brought both bikes into the living room last night for cleaning/lube and tuning. I think I'm getting a little carried away

fietsbob

Gates belt drive resolves the chain yuck, and is only used on IGH drivetrains, they cost a significant amount more than Chain drives, and the rear triangle

must open to let the belt pass through for installation Home - Gates Carbon Drive Belt System

Retro Grouch 

Gates belt is still new enough to be unusual but seasoned enough to have proven that it actually works.

osco53

Seen the same bike out on the Single track trails now several times, His Gates set up Is still trouble free and I've seen him hammer his bike hard.

Little Darwin

Depending on style, there are a variety of bikes available with an internally geared 7+ speed hub.

My guess is that if she can't figure out how to soft pedal to shift, or shift down before coming to a stop, that she probably also thinks she should be able to stand flat footed while in the saddle, so I would suggest something like the Electra line. I have seen other crank forward type designs (one I think was by Trek). I know there is at least one Electra with an IGH.

fietsbob

There are Crank forward bike models from many manufacturers not Just Electra..

DBrown9383

.. How interesting you would say that. Yes, she thinks her bike is too big for her because she can't stop and be flat footed while in the saddle. Her seat is very low and she's not getting anywhere near proper leg extension. Sadly, I am pulling away from her with endurance/stamina/speed etc. but she refuses to raise her seat. I'm not asking for any marital advice but it's very frustrating to see this happening and her insistence that she be able to remain in the saddle with both feet on the ground when stopped. You can't argue with physics but you can't argue with your wife either..

Little Darwin

You didn't ask for marital advice, but here it is: Get her a bike where she can sit flat footed and still get some reasonable leg extension.

Electra has several options, here are a couple that caught my eye:

3 speed Townie Original 3i | Electra Bikes

7 speed Loft Loft 7i | Electra Bikes


Trek Pure (not IGH, but flat foot design) Pure - Trek Bicycle

There may be others as well. You may still be able to ride faster than her, but I suspect that she will do better.

DBrown9383

I Like the loft 7i.. Showed to the Mrs. She didn't like the rack in the back.. LOL.. I told her that can be removed.

jyl

Find her a group of women to ride with. She won't listen to you, she'll listen to them. They'll tell her about correct saddle height.

The crank forward bikes, like the first Electra listed, are for slow cruising. If you're worried about her keeping up, a crank forward won't help. It will just mean that she stays slow forever.

A recumbent is another option, if she absolutely has to be able to flat foot in the saddle. Heck, so is a trike.

BTW, the second Electra is not a crank forward bike, she won't be able to flat foot seated, but still have proper leg extension.

CrankyFranky

I wish that there were a simple answer to your conundrum over your wanting to ride with your wife, but your two divergent preferred riding styles (and your desire to gain more "endurance/stamina/speed") seem diametrically at odds. Every riding partner I've ridden with has has had some minor difference in riding technique or biking 'goals' from me, but your better half's unwillingness to get optimal leg extension is a real problem which can't be resolved by gears or position of the bottom bracket.
Perhaps you need to adopt two riding styles/bikes: a relaxed and pressure-free one when riding with your wife, and another one to embrace your own performance goals. It would mean that you need to get a better bike for yourself, and ride on your own to gain the latter, while keeping the former mindset fully accessible when riding with your loved one.
In any event, best of luck with your choice and whatever you do, keep riding!

bobcat71

I am a 71 year old woman with an Electra Townie 21d. Feet on the ground technology. I'm short and have hip rotation issues, so it is essential to me that I get on and off easily, and, when stopped, have my toes on the ground. Both toes while still perched. I've worked with both my husband and the LBS to get the best possible placement of saddle, saddle tilt, and handlebars to get the best possible leg extension for the best possible ride. Right now I cruise at about 10mph, will probably never do much better. Shifting? I'm still working on smooth shifting, as I've only had this particular bike for a month or two.
Sometimes it's not easy to describe why feet on the ground is important. For me, it's a quiet nagging apprehension of not being in control while moving at a speed faster than walking. :-)