Originally Posted by
Bad Lag
By buying a complete bike, I got everything I needed - a complete bike, not just a frame, but cranks, wheels, brakes,...and it only cost $250 (?). I waited and picked a good bike in near new condition. This was especially pleasing considering it is 30 years old.
The gear shift cable worked out very well. I used the bottom bracket's rear derailleur cable guide and a short section of lined brake cable housing to reach down to the Alfine - no problem. I replaced the knobbies with balloon slicks (Schwalbe Kojaks). Lubing the bearings was easy to do. The single biggest task was lacing the old rim to the new Alfine hub.
Regarding maintenance, I've never needed to do any. I put some oil on the chain and wipe off the excess. That's it.
The modern, multi-speed rear hubs are under- or un-appreciated by the public. I was surprised at how nice the Alfine is. One chain ring up front, 8 speeds in the rear = quiet and fun, even up the hills.
I agree totally. I can't remember what size cog I settled on. I think it's 42T or 44T in front, using the inside ring on an ancient Stronglight crankset. And I forget exactly but the rear's something like 19T. I could be mis-recalling. But it takes exactly [the null set] as far as maintenance other than oiling the chain annually. It's a little wierd on the Alfine thumbshifter to have to push it into higher gears, which is just the opposite of the Sturmey Archer like some of us grew up with. But it's perfectly fine. I think the trigger unit is much more elegant that the twist shifter but they're a bit harder to find.
The Rohloff hub may be more mechanically efficient, but running stereo cables and their shift mechanism is a downer not to mention nerdy as hell. I don't know how much efficiency you leave on the table by slumming it and going with an Alfine setup, but it's really not all that much. Heck, that guy did the TdF course on an 8-speed Sturmey Archer this summer, to raise money for charity, and he made it.