Originally Posted by
NEXUS
I do not recommend you get the Sturmey Archer 8 hub. What I look for in an internal hub is smooth, fast dialing and well spaced gears and that's not what you get with this hub.
Here are the good things about the SA8:
-It is cheap.
-It is sturdy.
Now here is the bad:
-Direct drive, (the most efficient gear) is first gear. This means that the most efficient gear is the one that you will probably be in the least.
-This hub cannot be shifted while pedaling, even if into a lower gear. You have to completely stop pedaling to shift. Easing off on the pedal doesn't work either. This is especially frustrating when going up or down hill since you lose all momentum on the former and all your cadence on the latter.
-There is a huge, almost 30% jump from 1st gear to 2nd and the same with 7th to 8th, making 1st and 8th almost worthless besides when you have the steepest of hills or a very strong tailwind.
-The smallest cog the hub will fit is a 23T and the hub comes with a 25T. That means on a bike with 650B tires you will have to use a 32T chain ring for a tall gear of 101.5 in. and a low of 33.3in. You could use a 34T ring to raise your top gear to 107.8 in. but then your low end will also go up to 35.4 in. and you said you have a mile long hill to climb?
I used this hub for over a year and wasn't happy with it and after I switched to a Shimano Nexus 8 I then realized just how much I hate the SA8. Now I'm all smiles.
I think you're being a little harsh. The direct drive in first gear is actually the main advantage of this hub; but only in certain circumstances, namely if you have small wheels. Go to Sheldon's gear calculator and try the options with all the different IG hubs, assuming 16" (ISO 305) wheels. You will find that the Sturmey Archer 8-speed is by far the best option; all the others require an unusually large chain ring.
I have two of these hubs, one of which has about 5000 miles on it. I am not entirely delighted with it; the cable adjustment is very finicky. But if you need a versatile bike that folds up small, this is the hub you want.
Other than that... well, forgive me, I'm not trying to pick a fight here, but some of your details are simply wrong. You can get a 19T cog for it. You can shift under load. And so on. None of these are big deals, of course, and I don't mean to nitpick; I respect the fact that you tried it and decided you prefer the Nexus. Cool. But the SA 8 is a good hub and a good option for those who need it.