Originally Posted by
Xilliah
Woaw so many high quality replies overnight, thanks guys!

Really great!
Sorry for all the "complaining" before, but it actually really lifted me up last night. I just loved that old bike and it never had any of these problems you see. I guess the new one is just more sensitive and I need to get over it.
The gear hub is pretty much
this one, if anybody still has any ideas. I guess I will check the cable adjustment regularly. Put a flashlight in my shed.
I can't remember any chain noise/problems really, but at least I know how to recognize rust earlier now. The weather here in Berlin has been very wet since I got the bike basically. How should I dry it? Just towel the hub and gear every evening and some quick lubing?
I'll ask the LBS to check all the spokes this time.
About the "smashing" lol, it doesn't add speed but it does create torque which is what I need in the city with all the red lights. However lately I've been trying an all around torque and I noticed the hub skips don't cause such a huge aftermath (still scary as hell though), and it also generates a ton of torque. Just have to get some muscles in different places. Now I finally know why some people have pedals that stick to your feet.
Thanks for helping a n00b! Here's a star:
☆
Antoon
The spoke issue is just not right. Several good engineering studies and long experience of very good hand wheel builders has clarified that spokes will not break or loosen quickly if the wheel is properly trued with the spokes at the correct tension and with the spokes properly stress-relieved. This results in racing wheels for use on Belgian cobblestones for hundreds of km that are usually trouble-free, carrying the strongest riders in the world. A few of them are even big and heavy. I don't think your LBS is going to resolve your problem correctly, if they are just replacing a spoke and making sure it doesn't wiggle. Another thing that will happen is your rims will start to wobble out of true.
If you can find a bike shop close enough to you that has extensive trade in long-distance touring bikes or for enthusuasts of high-performance road-racing style bikes, take your bike there if they are capable in "tensioning and truing wheels." And pay them for it, it should only be needed once every few years or less often, and it will be a lot more efficient than getting more spokes replaced until the rims are unusable. If there is a cycling club or a national club, send them email for recommendations on finding a good race-quality wheel builder because your wheels need proper retensioning and truing. I would not assume you have garbage parts or spokes too thin, simply that the wheels were not assembled and finished correctly.
I am surprised your hub issue is considered normal. IGH hubs are widely reputed to be stable, set them and forget them items. The old British Sturmey Archer 3-speeds and 4-speeds were that way, once the indicator (kind of a cable-operated actuating rod) was set up properly and there was some oil inside the unit. I think this expectation is still reasonable, though I'm not familiar with how modern IGHs really do stand up under use.
Overall I agree with forum member dabac - I think you have a right to be annoyed for 1k euro!