agg1337

Recently bought a 2014 Raleigh Furley with plans to make it into a commuter over the coming winter. I want to put an internal hub on it but I'm having trouble finding one with 32 holes. I'd like a 5 speed and it has to be disc compatible. Im not sure if I'm just looking in the wrong places or if they don't exist? Obviously I could just get a new wheel, but I like the look of the stock rims.

fietsbob

5 speed? .. here: Sturmey-Archer | RX-RK5

https://www.sturmey-archer.com/files/...0IGH%20C50.pdf

[+ of course; Rohloff ..]


Your Bike Shop can perhaps built your wheel recycling the stock rim.





'/,

Dan Burkhart 

The Shimano Alfine 8 speed is available in a 32 hole version. I have a 32 hole one in my commuter bike.

agg1337

Huh, I guess I'm just really bad at searching the web. Thanks guys!

Mr IGH

Save yourself some aggravation and get the Alpine 8 speed to start. The Sturmey 5 speed is on its 4th or 5th iteration with no sign of getting better.

wschruba

I've got one on a mixed use bike, works fine, great, even. The 11 is touchy with regards to cable tension, but the 8 does not share that particular foible. It also doesn't need a spacer for the brake disc (which, granted, comes with the 11 speed hub), which is just another part to lose.

J-tek (via SJS cycles) even makes a bar-end shifter for both hubs. I have no direct experience with the 8 speed version, but the 11 speed one (touchy cable tension issues, see above) works very well. You could always take to modifying the stock shifter to fit on drop bars, but it doesn't look half as good, nor is it as nice to use, in my opinion:

agg1337

Man, getting reliable reviews for internal hubs is difficult. Some people I talk to say they love their SA hubs and some hate them. Same thing happens when I find info for just about every other hub as well.

Mr IGH

How do you know a Sturmey 5-speed has been ridden? It's broken. There's a reason why SA keeps redesigning it....

In the past when I slagged the SA 5-speed I got all sorts of grief, even by some who have posted in this very thread. Now days the silence is deafening....

fietsbob

try https://hubstripping.wordpress.com/

Mr IGH

That website was sold by the original author and the new owner hasn't added any new content, it's at least 5 years out-of-date. Most interesting is they still report on the SRAM i9 as if it's a viable product. SRAM pulled it off the market 3 years ago, there's no spares, no support. I bought one back-in-the-day, it's junk, esp compared to the bulletproof Alfine 8....

Right now the only viable solutions for anything over three speeds is Shimano, Nuvinci and Rolhoff. SRAM just released a new 8 speed but who has the guts to try it after the ELAN 12 speed and the I9 debacles....

Dan Burkhart 

My own experience with SA 5 speeds has been positive, although I do hear of some issues. We have two of the older ball lock type here in the home stable, and the one I have been riding for ten years has seen lots of trouble free, heavy duty use.
In addition to standing up to my 250 lb of rider weight, I have pulled lots of substantial loads in a cargo trailer.
I sold and installed quite a few of them before the production gave way to the updated wide range model, and never had an issue.
The wide range model is a bit more finicky in the shift adjustment I've found, but once I get them dialed in, they work fine too.
I've sold and installed 3 of them this year alone for thus far, satisfied customers.
Aaron's bicycle repair in Seattle has documented issues with soft sliding keys mushrooming under hard use. He attributes this to faulty materials in the early production models.
I do not have any experience with the new re designed model with the rotary shift mechanism.

agg1337

I talked to a couple of my bike enthusiast friends but only 1 of them has any interest in internal hubs. He said he'd go with an Alfine or a Rohloff. I've got another buddy who is not at all mechanically inclined and recently had a local shop put a 3 speed Sturmey Archer in one of his bikes. He says he likes it but he's only had it for a month and I don't feel like he's one to trust on stuff like this. He'd never admit if it was junk and he's one of those guys who brags about EVERYTHING he owns. Acts like it's the best thing ever just because he bought it...

I guess I'm leaning towards the Alfine 8 speed. The few reviews I've found have been positive for the majority of them.

I just want an indestructible hub I can set and forget. I don't want to have to baby it or have to change my riding style. I like to stand up and coast. I like to pedal hard up hills. I like to hop curbs. I like to pedal backwards when I'm cruising. Plus, single chain lines are sexy.

GamblerGORD53

First you need to measure the dropout, likely only 120. Rohloff and Alfine8 needs 135.
Some SA hubs are 130. Both 3 spd come in 120 mm, but not disc and the SA is the old pull chain shift. SA 4 and 8 spd both can be 120mm with rim brake. All disc brake ones are 135mm.

Looks like bike+1.
I have 10,500 miles on both a Rohloff and last model SA 5w.
ONLY the Rohloff is set and forget, including any stupid derailler. Still haven't touched the shifter cables.
My SA 5w has gone fine for a whole year, but either works great or the shifting key and springs stick. Setup needs to be just right. It is the most fun and efficient up to 10% hills. Great city or highway.

The Nuvinci weighs the same as the Titanic, and just as inefficient.

tcs

And on the topic of timely, relevant information...

Uh, the G8 and G9? SRAM discontinued production of these a year and a half ago.

agg1337

Used the chat feature on the Raleigh website and asked what my dropout spacing was. He said 135 so I'm still leaning towards the alfine 8.

Isn't "set and forget" kind of the point of an internal hub? I keep reading about how low maintenance they are and how little they need messed with. What are the draw backs of these things? I assume changing a flat is a bit of a pain...anhthing else?

wschruba

-Weight
-Drag (though this is somewhat spurious, a'la cartridge bearing vs. cup-and-cone)
-Gearing ratio (drive sprocket ratios) must not be exceeded, or damage to the internals can occur.
-Maintenance or repair is more complicated vs. derailleur gearing
-Super specific about the appropriate shifter
-Need a wrench to remove the wheel (except Rohloff, optional)

Flats are not really that much worse to change than any other nutted hub. FWIW, I've got a PDW tool that's the perfect design for stomping on to loosen/tighten the axle nuts, so I don't even find that bit much of a detraction. All manufacturers make some provision for a 'quick release' for the shifting mechanism, so all you have to do is remove it/disengage it, then drop the wheel. With track ends, it is a bit more complicated, but presumably, you'd know how to remove the wheel even if it wasn't an IGH. The Furley has an EBB and vertical dropouts, anyway, so it doesn't really matter--you don't even need to fuss with chain tension when changing a flat.

The gearing ratio bit is really the only valid issue that I see with IGHs. But even that is a trade-off, as everything else. Somewhere along the line, you need to decide if it is worth the pluses.