I'm looking to get a new commuting bike to ride through the winter. The Shimano Alfine 8-speed internal hub appeals to me. This hub comes with a disc brake. It gets pretty sloppy and wet in Milwaukee in the winter, so I want something that will do well in the cold, wet weather. I'm thinking of putting it on a Bianchi Roger (which is a single speed by default).

Does anyone have experience with the Alfine hub? Or the Bianchi Roger for that matter?

Any recommendations on a (less expensive) alternative to the Roger that would take the Alfine hub?

I have been running the Alfine hub for 12 months now.
Love it.
Did go thru a few weeks where the usual cable-stretch and 'settling-in' got a bit frustrating but has settled in nicely now.
Things to consider tho. You will need to carry a spanner to get wheel on/off.
My bike has horizontal dropouts. Shimano now have a chain-tensioner so they can use the hub on vertical dropout bikes.
Running this hub with mudguards can be tricky but not a deal-breaker.
Expect a little 'noise' in 4th gear. Not sure of the science behind this but i suspect it has something to do with it being the 'direct-drive' gear or a transitional one???
Personally i would have preferred to get mine with thumb shifters not the gripshift. Makes for sore hands on longer riders. Also would have preferred discs too.
The low count spoked wheel is also a weakness but not a reflection on the hub itself.

conclusion. enjoy. as a 5-6 day a week commuter this hub has been great.

I got my Alfine-equipped bike this summer, and it's great. I had some trouble with it missing the shift into 5th sometimes and dropping into neutral, but a little cable adjustment fixed that. It needs to be adjusted dead-on to prevent this, though.

Really? It's my understanding the Alfine is just becoming available in the US. Did you score one from Europe?

I believe the Alfine innards are the same as the Nexus Inter-8 Premium (AKA Red band, AKA SR-8G25, not ..20). I'd like to confirm that. Anyone know for sure?

Beyond that, it seems the key difference for the rear hub is the disc brake that is on the Alfine but only an expensive after-market jury-rig on the Nexus. I'd like that, but as I have my eye on a Surly Cross-Check and it doesn't have disc tabs, oh well. I'm thinking of swapping out the cross-check stock fork with the Dimension rigid steel fork avaialable from QBP. Same axle-to-crown. And slap discs on the front only, v-brake rear. Any comments on that welcome, too.

I'm seeing more 2007/2008 bikes come out with the Alfine gruppo, but have been unable to find a good source. I want the Alfine trigger shifter, instead of the Nexus revo, to use in my build. So far, haven't found a source.

Topeak Morph Pump, fenders, rack and understated color. This is the 'commuter bike of the year' for sure. What a nice looking ride. Congrats on your choice.

bw, I think I'm in love (haha, with your bike, not you)





pete, check out bianchi's website, They have a Milano with and Alphine 8 allready in it.

https://www.bianchiusa.com/08_milano_alfine.html

The Alfine hub is going to be the hot ticket next year. I expect to have an Alfine-equipped bike early next year. Come on, Gary Fisher---get the Simple City to market! :-)

I'm In Australia, so mildly chuffed to hear we get something before the rest of the world (err, US)!
Shimano DO operate in a funny manner.
There already bikes here that might be bought simply for the running gear and swapped onto nicer frames etc.

Yes, I believe the Alfine is the red-banded nexus with sexier looks/colour and disc option

I would also subscribe to the discs-front V-Brake-rear setup. 70%+ of your weight and thus braking happens up front.
for parts try: https://bike-components.de/catalog/ad...alfine&x=0&y=0

I thought of the Milano, but when I saw it, I decided I wanted something lighter.

I'm confused by the Bianchi. Is it an Alfine hub with no disc attached? Why? Maybe it's just a red band hub with the Alfine trigger shifter.

Sheldon makes the San Jos8, but unless you want to pick it up, well ...

You could get the bike for ~$600 and build the wheel for under $200. Could be allot of fun.

-Rob.

You're right. That's weird.

That's bad because you could get it for $468 in Milwaukee:
https://www.benscycle.net/index.php?m...keyword=milano

Haven't had too much saddle time because of injury but I've had the hub for a month now and its so far great. Adjustment does have to be pretty precise but adjusting it is really easy with its built in indicator and once locked in its good

Heck of a bike! Could you post a website with info?

I wish the prices were that low in Toronto. $900 CDN at the 2 bike shops I checked which surprised me a little since the new Milano's are due to arrive soon. And it is the Milano from last year that I want because it has the roller brakes, gone from the new Milano.

According to Shimano's press releases, exploded diagrams, interchange tables and parts lists, the Alfine is not the same internally as the Nexus 8. The Alfine allegedly contains extra needle bearings.

On all Shimano 8s, 5th gear is direct.

TCS

What's the rear spacing on the Roger? That's the big deal. I believe the Shimano hubs need 135 spacing. The roller brake Nexus line did. As lone as the spacing is wide enough,you can put a internal gear hub on any SS,fixie,or bike with sliding dropouts. You can also put it on any bike with vertical dropouts if you use a tensioner.

Specialized has a Alfine/disc bike called the Globe Centrum:
https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkM...08GlobeCentrum

Trek also has a Soho Alfine:
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...n/soho/soho40/

As posted above,Brodie also makes an Alfine/disc bike,as does Rocky Mountain. Swobo is supposed to be coming out with a SRAM 9sp/disc bike.

I had a Milano and have a Surly 1x1 with Nexus 7. The Nexus hubs were nice,but personally I prefer the SRAM i-Motions. The cable attachment is easier to unhook than the Nexus' routing around the hub.

Yes,it probably has a roller brake.

Would've been nice if they'd gone with a coaster brake. The rollers weigh a ton.

Thanks for all the input. I was just about ready to go with the Bianchi Roger and the Alfine, but had one more concern. The Roger has drop handlebars, which I wanted as I head into the Northwest winds in winter. The concern is the shifter -- the Alfine shifter isn't designed for those. Any experience or ideas?

Look at thdave's VooDoo in the photo this thread. I PM'd him, and he said that's the Alfine trigger shifter, and he didn't have a problem sneaking it up and around those trekking bars. I'm hoping to do similar on a set of drops, have nothing but good and righteous thoughts about it now. I'm probably a month out. If you do it, please let me know how it goes!

Thanks, you're right. I will for sure let everyone know how it goes.

Nice looking bikes. The spacing on the Roger is 130 and I think we can make the 135 spacing work.

Sheldon HubBub:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/shimano-nexus.html

Stub bar:
https://sheldonbrown.org/raleigh-inte...l-nexus11.html

Bar end mount:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/rohloff.html#barend

FSA control center:
https://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30...ils&sku=HB0820