Originally Posted by
Steely Dan
that is annoying. given the fact that IGH's seem like an absolute match made in heaven for a winter bike drive-train, why does shimano go and use a grease that increases drag inside the hub during cold weather? i rode my alfine 8 all last winter without noticing an increase in drag, but last winter was a completely fake winter (i was riding to work in shorts and t-shirt in january, WTF?).
we'll likely have a real winter in chicago this year. if i notice the cold weather having a negative effect on the performance of my alfine hub, how difficult is it to perform this oil bath procedure? will most LBS's perform such service?
Originally Posted by
modernjess
The ride: Alfine 8 speed on a Surly Cross Check. Use it in 4 seasons and FWIW I don't feel any difference in the winter to summer with the grease and the drag in the hub or whatever. I'm in year 4 with it.
...
I definitely notice a difference in cold weather. There's a few reasons I may feel a difference and modernjess doesn't
1. I'm just more sensitive
2. My bike sits out in the cold at night. I don't feel much drag on the way home after my bike has been in a warm office all day but I do in the morning after my bike has been sitting out. (modernjess may have the same storage arrangements, - don't know)
3. I have a roller brake which also uses grease and Shimano admits in their documentation for that part that you will notice increased drag in cold weather. It could be what I'm noticing is more about the roller brake than the hub.
It's not just me. A local bike shop recommends replacing the grease with oil partly because of our cold winters. Here's their procedure:
Internal Gear Hub Service
I haven't done it yet but probably will before winter. There are all kinds of videos available. The Freewheel Bike Shop procedure I linked to uses Shimano's lubricants but there are people using ATF and other stuff instead.
It's also worth noting that the new Afline 11 speed hub uses oil rather than grease.