Originally Posted by
Gene2308
Hi, I was wondering how well the Shimano Nexus 3-speed IGH holds up over very regular, long-term use (e.g. commuting daily).
I assume they are reasonably reliable, but it seems like a lot of the bikes sold with them probably end up being used very sparingly and spend a lot of time in garages.
Has anyone used one over the long term?
I have a Nexus-8 regular (non-'premium') hub, and am in the midst of my own durability study (otherwise known as the daily commute).
So far, so good. The hub seemed to break in a bit in the first 300-400 miles, and the shifting atually got better (smoother, faster) after that. My commute is about 24 miles round trip involves about 700 feet of net elevation change with 3-4 miles of sustained 3%-6% grades with some 12%-18% kickers. The Nexus has handled everything beautifully.
I tend to ease up my pedalling when I shift to avoid shifting under load.
The hub will
occasionally skip in gear when I am pouring on the torque (getting up to speed from a light or pushing to make a light before it changes). But this is infrequent, and has never persisted after the initial slip.
I have about 2000 miles on mine so far, and I'm happy with it.