Originally Posted by
acidfast7
Can you guys comment on the maintenance factor as I'm very interested in an IGH.
Do you need to do an oil soak with the innards once per year?
Also, my bike lives at ambient temp (outside all day during the day at roughly and in an unheated basement at night ... so usually at 10-30F always) ... does the constant cold affect IGH performance?
I find that for 95% of the ride I use the 44T ring and shift once per commute to the 32T ring for a small hill, so I think the gearing range would be OK?
The service interval on a Shimano nexus / Alfine IGH is supposed to be once a year / 6000 miles (IIRC), older Sturmey Archers that get oil lubrication need to get serviced every 30,000 - 40,000 miles.
Sounds like an SA hub would suit your flattish commute quite well and even hillier riding can be done if you are geared right... my winter bike hits the curb at 45 pounds when it is loaded up and 20% of this weight is the back wheel which has a deeply studded tyre and a hub that also houses the generator.
