Hello. I'm in the market for a new bad-weather commuter, and I really like the 8-speed Shimano internal hub, but I've found I really dislike horizontal dropouts and nutted axles. Too fussy for me to get just right. I know you can use a chain tensioner to put an internal hub wheel on vertical dropouts with a quick release axle (do I have that right?), but I'd rather just buy new than get into a custom build. Anyone know of any current models that feature this combination? Thanks in advance.

I don't know if you are going to find any production bikes other than folding bikes that use an internal hub and a chain tensioner. You should be able to find a bike that uses an eccentric bottom bracket and vertical dropouts. Sliding or rocker style dropouts would be my preference. Both options should give you the benefits of a quick release, however.

No quick release on that IGH.

Don in Austin

Your right. I was reading on my phone and didn't notice that he was after the Shimano Nexus/Alfine 8 speed. The only current IGH that I'm aware of that can use a quick release is the Rohloff Speedhub.

I believe the Raleigh Furley has vertical drop-outs and uses an eccentric bottom bracket for chain tension. It's singlespeed, but it would be easy enough to add IGH. The Tripper may do that too. It can be done with any BB30 frame.

The Windsor Kensington bicycles on Bikesdirect.com have vertical dropouts, but they have nutted wheels. I kind of view that as a bonus, makes theft harder. I keep a cheap 15mm wrench in my trunk bag just incase I need to change the tire out on the road.

Any bike with vertical dropouts and a derailleur hanger can be used for IGH, you just need a chain tensioner such as Surly's: https://surlybikes.com/parts/singleator
Many options out there. You will have to bolt down the wheel though.

Rohloff for the win, as far I can tell, one has never failed or worn out. I think the record so far is 145000km (but that was in 2009.)

Kinda pricey though, but building a bike around the hub would be the way to do it.

I remembered that someone, somewhere, was advertising a Shimano IGH quick release but internet searches yielded nothing. Then it occurred to me that I had indeed seen such a thing on the Dynamic Tempo 8, a shaft drive Shimano IGH.
https://www.dynamicbicycles.com/bicycles/tempo8.php
There's an array of photos at the bottom. On the bottom row second to the left is thumbnail of the QR.
I'm sure they were selling the QR separately but I can't seem to find any info about them now. Either way, if they work on a Dynamic shaft frame they should work on others.
https://www.dynamicbicycles.com/image...ackSDTS_lg.jpg

My Cube Hyde has vertical dropouts along with an eccentric bottom bracket for chain tension. Great bike.

Love the bike.

IMHO, CUBE has the best bang-for-the-buck bikes on the market, especially their "Tour" bikes.

I ride an ACID, which I bought because it matched by username ... lol

Novara Fusion has a IGH and chain tensioner. It is a heck of a lot of bike for the money, especially priced at $699 now.

https://www.rei.com/product/808783/no...sion-bike-2012

There are good reasons for horizontal drops and nutted axles. What's so "fussy" about pulling the wheel back and tightening the nuts? It's easy. Once you do it a few times, you'll be fine. You are just not used to it. An IGH with a chain tensioner and vertical drops just smacks of "kludge" to me.

I agree with this. I think some manufacturers want to use the same frames as derailleur equipped bikes when they have an "upgraded" model with an IGH.

there are now quite a lot of frames out there with vertical drops and an eccentric bottom bracket (EBB) for chain tension for SS or IGH use. the problem you're going to run into, as has been mentioned by other posters, is that just about all IGHs require nutted axles as opposed to a quick release lever.

i have a Scott SUB 10 that has an alfine 8 IGH with vertical drops and an EBB for chain tension. while i don't have a quick release axle for my alfine, the vertical drops are still nice because it allows the bike to have disc brakes (i freaking LOVE disc brakes), something that becomes a lot trickier (or even impossible) with horizontal drops.

Chain tensioners collect as much dirt as derailleurs and need cleaning out. They are a kludge for selling std hybrid models with IHG systems or a useful way of fitting IHG to your existing bike with vertical dropouts.
My bike has vertical dropouts with eccentric bottom bracket. Its has a twin bolt external clamp which is simple and reliable. Internal wedge systems can stick, the better one as are self unlocking.
Sliding vertical dropouts are good but quite rare. You should also consider a split rear triangle for a belt drive upgrade.

Axle Release quick releases can be combined with Shimano seven- and eight-speed IGHs (3/8x26), SRAM iMotion3 (10mmx1) and Sturmey-Archer rotary gear select (RS-RF3, RX-RD3) hubs (3/8x26).





The NuVinci N360 IGH even offers Axle Release quick releases as a factory option.

Gunnar seems to think it's the way to go.

This. Horizontal dropouts and nutted axles are no big deal with a little practice.

+1

extra parts to fail. ebb is the way to go.

it's not a bad idea if you're trying to adapt a vertical drop out frame that you already have, but if you're buying new, an EBB or sliding rear drops would be more elegant solutions.

Volume bikes makes a model called the generator with IGH and EBB.

https://volumebikes.com/70026/bikes/generator/

i'm actually dying to get a test ride on one of these.

belt-driven, Alfine 11-speed and EBB.

don't seem to be too many around ... most have been sold out.

english page: https://blog.chrisbikes.co.uk/2011/05...th-alfine.html

I'm confused as to the benefit of a quick release with an IGH. Because of the cabling for the shifter, it is never going to be easy to pop the wheel off of an IGH bike, and my strategy would be to use a bulletproof tire so that I never have to fix a flat, and then not worry about it. In terms of production models, one bike which I know of which is offered with an eccentric BB is the Thorn Raven.

Having ridden sport tandems in clubs and large groups for the last 31 years, I've seen way more problems/failures with EBB's than derailleur tension cages. YMMV.