Originally Posted by
K6-III
The gearing actually makes a fair amount of sense. The middle 6 gears are spaced closely together, 1st is bailout for climbing, and as it is direct drive, it is most efficient. 8th is for downhills or tailwinds.
If the XRK8W corrects the prior hub's issues with adjustment sensitivity, seals, and robustness, it should be an overall winner.
And again, as mentioned earlier, a 19t sprocket is also available, but not in a dished variant.
If the new (W) version is as good as it needs to be, coupled with 30t cranksets for 700c and 33t cranksets for 26" wheels, it could be a decent hub with the 25t sprocket.
BTW, it looks like the new (W) series is about 30% more expensive, so some of the cost advantage is going away.
Decent maybe but not as good as a Shimano or Sram that has way more gearing possibilities and if you still have completely stop pedaling with the new model then there is no point.
So what if you live in a place with no hills or much wind? It is better not to have to settle for a hub with a bailout gear just for climbing and one just for tailwinds. It is better to have more evenly spaced gears that makes sense for any environment or situation.
There is no point in fitting a 19T cog since the 25 already makes the gearing too high for anything but a folding bike.
If they are going to make it the price competitive with Shimano and Sram then lower-end bike companies will start selling their bikes with Shimano and Sram hubs which are better known and better respected brands.