Jeff --

I looked into coverting my Specialized Crossroads about four years ago. The main problem is that derailleur bikes have vertical dropouts, rather than the horizontal ones required for internal gears, singlespeed, and fixed. The solutions are to braze in a new set of dropouts (expensive) or add a chain tensioning device called a singulator (which, like a derailleur, may not be happy in ice and salt). I concluded that buying a new bike was the more economical solution. Buying a singlespeed frame and moving your components over is another possibility.

Paul

Actually chain tensioners are much happier in salt and muck because they don't have much in the way of moving parts, unlike a derailer which not only has the chain passing through an S-bend but--much more importantly--needs to be able to smoothly move laterally.

The real issue is that it looks like the Cypress uses a 135mm rear triangle spacing. Grab a ruler and check it out sometime to be sure. You'll want to measure between the inside faces of the dropouts. This has been the standard mtb spacing for many years and is the standard for 8/9/10-speed freehubs as well.

Unfortunately, the Nexus-8 only comes in 130mm, I believe. It's not clear to me if you could add spacers to space it out to 135. I've never seen one in person.

I was thinking I would simply leave my existing rear derailer as the chain tensioner... just fix it in position (side-to-side) and disconnect it. Any reason why that wouldn't work?

2.5mm washers on each side doesn't seem too extreme, sounds like I ought to be able to space it out. I'll measure to double-check my existing spacing though.

One more. Call your local Public Works or state transportation department.

How tough is it to change a flat on a Nexus equipped bike? I've had an Electra Sunny Garcia for a couple of years and haven't had a flat yet. I guess I should give it a close look one of these days.

Just about any bike can be fitted with an internal geared hub by replacing the rear wheel. If the has verticle dropouts then you will need some kind of chain tensioner like the Surly Singulator. The most difficult part will be the shifter. I think you can make Shimano style index shifters work with a hub gear but I'm not sure. Otherwise you will have to find room for the included shifter which is usually a grip shifter or occasionally a thumb shifter.
Craig

I've been comparing my 8 speed to a 7 speed(thinking about converting the Surly) and from what I've read the major difference between the two is the 8 basically adds a lower gear to the bottom of the 7's range.

BTW,used the Milano for last night's Pirate run. Much fast riding with up/down hills. Zero probs. Gearing was low enough for climbing and I never ran out of gears while descending. I heard an occasional click while shifting,but otherwise absolutely no sound from the hub. Never jumped out of gear,and the only thing I fealt when shifting was an increase or decrease in resistance. There was a touch of drag,but it didn't cause me nearly as much effort as the time I rode my Sedona. I also noticed it seemed to coast a bit easier than most of my other bikes.

Not tough from my experience. I don't know about the Nexus hubs with integrated roller brakes and such, but on mine you just release the brakes, unbolt the wheel, and slip the cable end out of its slot on the hub. The cable goes in and out very easily with no tools. No harder than a regular derailleured bike, IMO. Of course, as pointed out earlier, you can just get the tube out with the wheel in the frame.

That'll work fine. Set the limit screws to hold it in place and rock out. The only issue is that the bend adds more friction to the system. If you can arrange it so that the chain only engages one jockey wheel you'll probably be happier though it might look stupider.

I have to disagree with this love fest for internal geared hubs. They are heavier, less efficient, have less gear range, and the rear wheel is much harder to remove and replace when changing flats. In my experience derailleurs don't require much maintenance at all. If you want a simpler bike for commuting in a flat area get a fixed gear or single-speed bike. I ride fixed gear in San Francisco, all you have to do is get out of the saddle and stomp on the shorter hills and do your best to avoid the mega steep ones.

It's true, they are a bit less efficient but many people will never notice. Heavier? Are you carrying a set of clothes, tools, lights, maybe rack and pans. Some fenders? Lunch? Heavier seems to be relative. As for less gear range, modern 7 and 8 speed internals have about the same range as a classic 10 speed. It's not quite a triple, but then that's probably ok most of the time.

On the other hand, you don't have to deal with your rear cluster turning into an iceball in the winter, do ya?

http://static.flickr.com/27/48587282_c9803ec2ab.jpg

Sure. I made Bob Rodale a custom frame and set it up with an early SA 5 speed years ago. Wonderful to ride, very quiet and none of that junk hanging off.

Perhaps I'm confused, but I don't see any way to remove (or remount) a tube on a wheel bolted to a bicycle. The tube would have to be broken somewhere, which, of course, would ruin it.

- Warren

you pull the tube out of the tire, but not totally out of the rear triangle. you patch it while it's hanging out there, then re-insert. you don't actually have to take the tube out of the frame to patch it.

it works if all you want to do is patch it, you just have to be a little nimble with your fingers. if you're like my office mate who replaces his tubes any time he gets a flat you'd be out of luck

How cold will you be riding? My son ran a 7 speed Nexus one winter and it wouldn't shift properly below 0F, eventually failing.
Maybe replacing the oil with Mobil 1 would have done the job.

How cold will you be riding? My son ran a 7 speed Nexus one winter and it wouldn't shift properly below 0F, eventually failing.
Maybe replacing the oil with Mobil 1 would have done the job.

I've had no trouble with Sturmey Archer 3 speeds at any temps.

I guess it depends on the type and weight of the bike. I have two fixies but my grocery-getter is a German-English 3-spd that I built up into a SS. Even after all the aluminum crap I installed it still weighed 32lbs. Needless to say I was unhappy with it as a SS so I installed an almost new condition Shimano 3S hub and shifter. It's about 36lbs now (with Wald basket) but much easier to live with now going up that honkin' hill to the grocery store.

I also kind of like that ticking sound in high gear. Kind of like a grandfather clock or metronome but faster!

I've commuted on my SRAM Spectro 7 speed and SRAM Torpedo 3 speed at -10° F. without problem in the past three winters. Over 25 years ago I commuted in temperatures as cold as -15° F. on a S-A S5 hub; also with no problem (outside of getting cold toes and learning about the disadvantage of metal zippers at such a cold temperature.)

How do you find the leak if the puncture hole/cause is not obvious with the tube still on the wheel/frame? Especially in windy, (road) noisy, or dark conditions by the side of the road.

I'm in Boise, Idaho so one never knows! Teens and 20's are not unusual here.

So, bad idea to try and use a Nexus-based wheel on my MTB for singletrack riding? I'm more into cross-country-style riding and don't do many jumps and drops. Or how about for a non-racing cyclocross set-up?

I'm thinking right now about buying a singlespeed 29er frame or singlespeed cyclocross frame and having an extra rear wheel built with a Nexus hub for some versatility.

Also, are there any disc-compatible internal hubs out there besides the Rohloff (assuming Rohloff even makes one)?

I really don't know what would happen with a Nexus offroad. I know Sheldon used to ride his SA 3-speed hub offroad. You might fire off an email to him and he might be able to give you a better sense since he's such a big hub gear fan.

Anyone using the Schlumph BB out there?
I'd love to go internal on my xtra but want the wider gear range. It just seems like a big mechanical installation and i'm hesitant.

Have you mated it with an internal rear hub? I like the idea of progressive gearing without lots of crossover gears. It makes sense to have a high speed and a slow speed.

Side question... i've seen pics of gear boxes for mtb bikes, 7 speed shifters that sit in the triangle and eliminate the derailer. I wondered why the conventional approach to gearing with cogs instead of a closed system in the same area. Seems like an internal hub would be a perfect prebuilt solution but i hav'nt seen any other attempts other than the schlumpfh. And they're just too hard to spell.

I'm narrowing my choices down. I live in a fairly flat terrain. I like the idea of at least a 3 speed hub but would a single speed be my best choice?

There are some interesting comments, and good information, about hub gears.

I'll add that the 7- and 8-speed Shimano hubs are high quality. The low end on the 8-speed is pretty low, ~24", as I recall. They are serious possibilities for multi-speed bikes, even in hilly areas.

There is some friction loss in hub gears compared to deraillers, though. There's no getting around that. Some of the older English 3-speed hubs would lose ~10% of the power compared to ~1% for a properly maintained derailler drive. The Shimano hubs might be better than that, but they're not going to be worlds better.

That loss would be a deal breaker for me, but only because I sometimes want to make ~20-odd mile round trips for groceries and the like. (I live in a small town, and sometimes have to travel to get to places like Megalowmart.) If I were just making shorter trips, the hub gear penalty wouldn't bother me much. It might well be worth it to avoid all of the derailler maintenance. You can use a proper chainguard, too, which is no small consideration on a practical bicycle. (I curse many times for there being no proper chainguard in North America for a derailler bike.)

I'll mention too that the Breezer bikes are very attractive. The LBS has got a few in stock, and I'm impressed. They are not clunky machines. They are surprisingly light weight, well made bikes. The high end model has a Shimano generator hub in front, and a dedicated light. I would definitely consider one for a utility bike.

Well, I would consider it, except that I think that a touring bike is a better utility bike even than a Breezer. You can carry more stuff with full front and rear racks than with the smaller rack on a Breezer-type bike. A tourer will allow more efficient travel over longer distances, too. If you really want the hub gears, though, consider a Breezer.

I have been a big fan of internal gears for the past 6 years ever since I purchase a old British AW 3 speed as a back up for my road bike. I gave away the road bike when I start doing serious riding on the 3 speed and never looked back since. Since then, my new bike was modified with a three speed hub and another new bike coming soon will also have an internal gear drivetrain installed. And I live in an area surrounded by sharp steep hills!

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I'll mention too that the Breezer bikes are very attractive. The LBS has got a few in stock, and I'm impressed. They are not clunky machines. They are surprisingly light weight, well made bikes. The high end model has a Shimano generator hub in front, and a dedicated light. I would definitely consider one for a utility bike.

Well, I would consider it, except that I think that a touring bike is a better utility bike even than a Breezer. You can carry more stuff with full front and rear racks than with the smaller rack on a Breezer-type bike. A tourer will allow more efficient travel over longer distances, too. If you really want the hub gears, though, consider a Breezer.
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Only if you lucky folks who live in the country, Merriwether. If you live out in the wide open spaces, a good touring bike is your #1 choice. It would be hard to beat a Breezer internal hub bike, like the Villager, for short city hops. Lucky for you, Joe Breeze makes some nice country touring bikes as well. Check 'em out.

Burley's commuter bike seems to have impressive specs. It features an inernally geared hub and rear brake, while the front brake is disc. Looks like it's made with some quality components, all steel frame. Also comes as a 27 speed deraillieur model.

http://www.burley.com/products/commu...unabout-27&i=0

I was impressed enough with the burley's spec's to seek out a test ride. I was impressed with the bike's build quality. The internal hub was as fine as they get - you have to ride a few to know what I mean. But what put me off was the roller brake in the rear. Compared to the disc brake in the front it offered no appreciable stopping power. I could tell it would take me quite some time to get used to squeezing the right lever 10 times as hard as the left lever in order to use both brakes simultaniously - if ever.

I built my own internal hub commuter on a Surly Crosscheck frame, with a Sram 7 speed and both front and rear V-brakes. I eventually tired of the weight and low gear mechanical friction issues and converted the bike to single speed.

Anyone wanna buy a 700c Sram 7 speed wheel and shifter cheap?

DanO