Its been a year since I purchased a new bike with an Alfine 8. During this time I've dreaded the thought of changing a flat on the rear tire. I've probably watched the below video a dozen times but had adopted a "ain't broke, don't fix" mentality. Well this morning I was all geared up but must have picked up a shard last Friday. Caught, I resorted to driving. More studying the videos during the day and then in to my tiny shed when I got home.

What caught me was removing the gear change cable. I gathered from the videos this is the hardest thing about an Alfine and they're right! I put it in the lowest, slackest gear (previously having thought it must be gear 4). I put a hex key in a hole in the cable carrier which is meant to give you slack.

http://youtu.be/rGEXjpXtw4g?t=1m24s This is what I didn't get. I didn't feel like it clicked or did anything. I thought I would press down on something and it would just easily turn. Now I'm beginning to suspect no, you use it just like a handle. It just makes it easy to hold on to a fiddly, spring-loaded part. Am I right?

After I changed the tire I just used my hands to rotate and hold the carrier holder and reinsert the cable nut. It was a serious pain alright holding the spring loaded cable carrier by hand. I didn't get it at the time but, yeah, it would have made life easier if I'd understood the hex key in the hole just helps you hold on.

Anyhow, now I'm ready for next time!