Originally Posted by
makeinu
Since the shift/pedal timing and tactile feedback for an internal hub is basically the opposite of a derailleur I think lots of folks are messing up their hubs by instinctively and subconciously pedaling and shifting with the worst possible syncronization every single time they shift. Stop using a derailleur for six months and then tell me how horrible the shifting is on Sturmey Archer hubs.
I have never said that "shifting is horrible" on the SA hubs. Rather, I've made a more specific charge ... the older 3-speed and the current 8-speed drop out of gear
while the rider is pedaling, resulting in a sudden loss of pedaling resistance that can cause the rider to lose control of the bike. With the type of derailer chain drop you mention, typically the rider has eased up to make the shift and so, if the rider recommences pedaling with the chain not correctly seated on the cog, the rider has only begun to re-apply pedaling force. The scenario with the derailer would therefore be far less likely to cause the rider to lose control. When the SA hub loses pedaling resistance, it's like stepping with one's full weight onto a patch of thin ice; with the derailer, it's more like discovering the ice is thin as you test it with the tip of your shoe.
Regards
T