wahoonc

That is why I usually have an adjustable wrench in my tool bag....

Aaron

Rob_E

I haven't done any loaded touring since long before there was a Nuvinci hub, but if you were going to tour with a gear hub, I would think the Nuvinci would do well. It's supposed to be very durable. It seems like the weight would be less of an issue when you're hauling so much, but who knows? Personally I think the shifting mechanism does a lot more good for fatigue than than the weight does to tire you out. There's always a gear that's just right, and there's so little penalty for shifting. I never think twice about making adustments to my gearing, unlike my "normal" gears where I hate to find that I've shifted too soon or too high because I'm going to lose pedalling time and momentum while I correct my mistake. With the Nuvinci it's very easy to get dialed in to a comfortable ratio, and I think that would be welcome when spending all day on the road.
You might need a different set of tools, but that's not bad. Any bike requires an allen wrench set, and a wrench or two will not break your back.
If the hub dies, then, yes, your tour could come to an abrupt end, or you could have to replace the rear wheel, but you can destroy your rear wheel no matter what drive train you use, so I guess it's just a matter of how likely that is to happen. I've considered a couple short trips--overnight, maybe two or three nights. The hub giving out is not as big of a concern to me as my legs giving out. ;-)

Danthesoundman

I WANTED to like my NuVinci hub, I really did. I tried everything. It came with a cheapo freewheel that was clicking loudly and "popping" as I pedaled, so I ordered the NuVinci Freewheel service tookit and replaced it with a nicer Shimano freewheel. Okay, $65 later, and I got rid of the horrible popping sound.

THAT wasn't the NuVinci's fault, so I let it slide, but then the hub started to develop an incessant and loud squeaking. NuVinci tech support told me to slather the seals with Tri-Flow, and I did, to no avail.

It's like after about ten minutes of pedaling, it ALWAYS begins squeaking, LOUDLY. It's like it has to "warm up" or something before the squeaking begins. So every ride starts out nice and quiet, but then after a little while, the squeaking starts driving me mad. It's loud enough so that pedestrians and on-lookers look up and stare to see what that maddening, annoying sound is. It's embarrassing.

A SILENT drivetrain was one of the points that sold me on this techno-marvel. Nope, not here. I feel this should be a warranty issue, but nope - it's "normal".

I was prepared to deal with the excessive weight. I was not prepared for this. This is totally unacceptable.

Anyone else experiencing this annoying phenomenon? Anyone have advice, better than NuVinci Tech Support?

I'm at a loss. I'm tempted to sell this wheel on eBay or something and end up eating a huge chunk of change. What a disappointment. I was so psyched about this build too. I'd been drooling over this concept for a few years. Finally got one, and it ended up being a sickening, sinking feeling in my stomach.

Maybe I'm the first one, but I give this brick of a hub two thumbs down.

Also, there is noticeable drag. Even up on the workstand, with no load, you can see AND hear the drag within the internals of this thing. No brakes are rubbing (completely removed the brakes just to be sure), yet it SOUNDS like there is. (and when you stop rotating the cranks, and let it coast - it comes to a stop rather quickly, like the bearings are too tight, or filled with peanut butter. (it's not either one of those things though - it's internal)

Now, I know it has a "break-in" period, but I'm not sure that would cure the drag, and the squeaking... I really want to find out, but it's too painful to put the initial mileage on this thing. It's so annoying. So far, I've had it about a week, and only put about 45 miles on it. Forty-five PAINFUL and irritating miles.

vik 

I prefer the Shimano and Rohloff IGHs, but there is nothing wrong with the NuVinci...it's heavy and has a limited gear range, but those are just part of the hub's spec....not some critical fault. Lots of people use them and enjoy them.

NormanF

I have the first generation NuVinci hub installed on a porteur bike. Its smooth and quiet and the weight is barely noticeable. As the world's first CVT hub designed specifically for the bicycle, its idiot-proof to operate. I like it!

Val

Danthesoundman: squeaking such as you describe is certainly NOT normal for this hub - mine never did that, and I've been riding it hard for over two years. Who told you it was "normal"? Some drag is, actually, normal, but it should not be extreme after the first 100 miles or so. I have spoken with the folks at Fallbrook (parent company) several times, and they have always been quite helpful. If you haven't called them, it could be worth a try.

Danthesoundman

I've been talking with NuVinci Tech Support here: https://nuvinci.informe.com/forum/pos...squeaking#p929

Also, it briefly mentions the squeaking issue in the manual - here's a capture of that:



The squeaking begins after about 10 minutes or so into the ride, after it's warmed up... I've listened with a stethoscope and have determined it's definitely coming from the NuVinci. This is my ONLY complaint, really. I don't mind the weight, and I do enjoy the seamless adjustment of gear ratios.

If yours never squeaked, then maybe mine is a warranty issue. I guess I should try calling them. (Happen to have the number? Or a link to where I could find it?)

It's really obnoxious and loud. It's embarrassing, like I don't know how to maintain a drivetrain, and I take pride in my maintenance skills.

Thanks for the feedback, Val. If I can remedy this squeaking, I'm sure I will enjoy many years of service, otherwise, I'm tempted to call it a loss and toss this thing.

Val

Danthesoundman: Call 1 888 NUVINCI (688 4624) and talk to Avelino Rivera. He is quite knowledgeable and should be able to help. Warranty may be a bit difficult from your point of view, as the only option they will probably have will be to replace the hub, but it is still better than having a hub that you can't use. You deserve a quiet ride, and this should be the hub to do it.

Danthesoundman

Thanks, Val. I'll let you know how it pans out.

Danthesoundman

Val, I'm curious, do you run a disc brake on your NuVinci? I'm wondering if that adapter might be the culprit. At any rate, I think I cured my Constantly Variable Transmission of the squeaking. I called the NuVinci Tech Support, and a nice lady named Mia just told me to take off the freewheel, and the disc brake adapter to lube up under there... For a "no maintenance" hub, I just spent the last hour "maintaining" a brand new hub. Just took it for a ride, and No More Squeaking! Yes! Finally, I'll be able to enjoy this marvel of techno wizardry, and I'll report my experiences and thoughts here...

First, I removed that disc brake adapter:



Disc adapter removed:



Then, I slathered a bunch of lube here:



Then this piece here, I realized rubs metal against metal while rolling, (probably the culprit for the squeaking - design flaw?):



So, I gave it a healthy squirt here, but I plan to run rim brakes in the near future:



Then I noticed where the roller brake mates:



A perfect fit, but this roller brake weighs like ten pounds, so I'm not gonna use it:



Then, on the drive side, I had to use NuVinci's proprietary Freewheel service tool kit:



Removing the freewheel took a LOT of torque, like everything I had, and I'm a big strong man:



I lubed the crap out of it here, and on the rubber seal beneath that:



Buttoned her all back up and went for a ride and no more squeaking! Yay! I wonder how often I'll need to perform this maintenance on this no-maintenance hub. I'll probably ditch that disc brake deal if it starts squeaking again. (Currently this Cadillac Frame has no provisions for rim brakes)

Well, I hope this helps anyone else with a squeaky NuVinci. I imagine the Cadillac People didn't care to use any lube while they assembled the freewheel and disc brake adapter at their plant in China. So, if you had a custom wheel built, you probably won't have this problem. Happy day for me. Okay, I'm gonna stop typing now. Bye.

NormanF

Its a reliable hub. Has never given me any problem. Operating it is the same as running automobile gear; you just click to move to an infinite series of positions. Even a seven year old could operate it!

fietsbob

Looks to me like the left side will accept a 6 bolt brake disc or a 4 bolt Rohloff disc, Rohloff disc is the same bolt pattern as used on some mountain bike cranks
so the hub can function as a jack shaft, one chain turning the freewheel the Mountain bike 4 bolt sprocket on the other side driving another chain , so it has useful function in HPVs that wont even use it in the wheel

when I was a kid a buddys dad made a 9 speed for him , 2 x 3 speeds

chain went up to 1 hub at the top of the rear triangle,
it had another sprocket attached to the spoke flange, that sprocket drove the 2nd 3 speed in the wheel , worked fine.

Sturmey Archer now manufactures hubs with a sprocket on the hubshell now.
the NuVinci can be used in the same manner, I'd say..

Rohloff hubs are used in such a manner already Hub in the frame so wheel has little mass in it
minimal unsprung weight, speeds up suspension response.. Like for really long travel DH suspension bikes.

Val

Danthesoundman: I do use disc brakes on my NuVinci, but I assembled all that myself, and made sure that there was no untoward contact. The dust cover should not rub if properly installed. I did not do anything to lube the bearing seals, and so far, they seem to be self lubricating, with the lube in the hub gradually working into them. Yours should work the same, in time.

vik 

Hmmm..that 4 bolt pattern looks really far out from the axle [keep in mind the Rohloff hub shell is significantly smaller than the Nuvinci]...not sure that would work with a Rohloff rotor. Anyone tried that with a Nuvinci?

fietsbob

Just measured [cheap General Caliper] R'off disc mount bolts measure about 48mm/1 7/8" apart.

Said to be : 4-bolt/65mm-BCD pattern

to compare with your NuVinci hubs Bolt pattern.. and report back.. :

Rob_E

Thanks for the update, Danthesoundman. I have Nuvinci hub that gets an occasional creak as well. I have tried lubbing the freewheel area, but I have had no luck removing the freewheel, even with the tool. I figure when I want to replace the freewheel, I'll be destroying the old one to get it off.

But I haven't tried getting any lube under my dust cover on the non-drive side. I suspect that is what I need to do to completely eliminate my creaks. Thanks for the tips.

Sorry it hasn't been as "maintenance-free" as you would like. I agree that it can be pretty fiddly to get it working just right. I don't know that I'd say it's more troublesome than a standard derailer set-up, but at least most people are used to the standard set-up, so it doesn't seem like as much of a pain.

I just like the way the hub works. It makes any fiddling to get it running worthwhile. And once it is running, there isn't a lot to do to keep it going that I'm aware of. I've been using mine for a year now, and I probably couldn't describe it as maintenance-free, but then a lot of what I do is not the fault of the hub, but simply that I never stop fiddling with my bike. Actual hub maintenance after the final wheel build has involved replacing the cables and putting a little oil in the freewheel. The rest has been my never-ending tinkering with my drive train. There does not appear to be a hub that can cure that.

Danthesoundman

Ack! I just measured with some calipers, and my NuVinci's Disc Brake Adapter measures 44mm between the bolts (center to center) or 1 3/4" apart. Hmmmm....

lancekagar

Okay, everyone. What's the word on the new N360? From the Fallbrook website, it's significantly lighter and smaller now. Todd from Clever Cycles told me they're great--anyone here use one? Val? I'm about to pull the trigger.

https://www.fallbrooktech.com/08_bicycle_n360.asp

One feature I haven't seen addressed here is the shifter. If I remember correctly, the first model took a lot of turning to shift. New ones are apparently much better, requiring only a half-turn or so range.

fietsbob

I'm supposing .. the OP, jawnn, doesn't own one.. was just reading about it..

a motor controller on one grip, and the drive ratio adjustment on the other, seems like a
reasonable layout , a crossover drive electric motor setup like the Stoke Monkey
could make a pretty seamless transition of gear advantage and power adjustment.