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Originally Posted by mtalinm
(Post 11711035)
But after riding it for that many miles, I've developed a handful of complaints:
1. The Nexus just doesn't have the gear range I'd like, especially on the low end. I'm big and there are hills on my commute, so it's a problem. I'm sure a Sturmey-Archer would be better. 2. Because there are only 8 gears, it's harder to find just the right gear. I usually want to be somewhere between 5 (direct drive) and 6. 3. Changing a flat on the rear is a real nightmare. Maybe with practice I'd get better at it, but it took much much longer than a typical setup. Part of the problem might be the drum brakes. 1. This is one of the main limitations with the current belt drive cog selection for the nexus/alfine hubs. The only rear cog is a 24t. If you have a 55T up front, you can get a 50T to gain some lower gear range, otherwise, we all have to wait for more rear options to become available. 2. ohhh the 5-6 jump. This is the oddity of the nexus/alfine design. Why they designed such a large jump between the two most used gears is beyond me. 3. The Nexus roller brake does make wheel removal a pain, IMO. The belt drive and nexus are very straightforward without the added hassle of the roller brake operation. If you haven't already done it, be sure to have a 2mm hex key (or a short length of an old spoke) in your toolkit - the nexus/alfine has a hole in the cassette joint that is designed to accept these things, whereby the cassette joint can be easily rotated, making cable removal and installation a snap. Also, consider getting some better tires if you are getting that many flats. well worth the extra money, IMO. I REALLY like my Schwalbe Marathon Supremes. |
Those belts have close design to the Gates power belts used on motor scooters CV drive. They can take rpm's past 10,000 , sudden accelerations & decelerations , what
kills them fast is heat !! |
I think that these are a great idea for certain types of bikes. The obvious upside is not having to do chain maintenance. The downside is that internally geared hubs are less efficient than derailleur systems. I am a little curious if they can be adapted to any internally geared hub or if the hub has to be specially made to support the belt cog.
Not worth buying a new bike for, but if you were in the market for this type of bike anyway, it's an option worth considering. |
Originally Posted by canyoneagle
(Post 11711120)
1. This is one of the main limitations with the current belt drive cog selection for the nexus/alfine hubs. The only rear cog is a 24t. If you have a 55T up front, you can get a 50T to gain some lower gear range, otherwise, we all have to wait for more rear options to become available.
2. ohhh the 5-6 jump. This is the oddity of the nexus/alfine design. Why they designed such a large jump between the two most used gears is beyond me. 3. The Nexus roller brake does make wheel removal a pain, IMO. The belt drive and nexus are very straightforward without the added hassle of the roller brake operation. If you haven't already done it, be sure to have a 2mm hex key (or a short length of an old spoke) in your toolkit - the nexus/alfine has a hole in the cassette joint that is designed to accept these things, whereby the cassette joint can be easily rotated, making cable removal and installation a snap. Also, consider getting some better tires if you are getting that many flats. well worth the extra money, IMO. I REALLY like my Schwalbe Marathon Supremes. |
if I win the lottery I would like to try a belt drive mated to a Rohloff hub, which has the same range as a triple I'm told
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