now the snow is gone I am thinking about next year now and transforming my MTB into the ultimate winter commuting machine-

it will have a new rear wheel based on a Shimano Nexus type geared hub with a Snowcat rim on which I will mount my Nokian Extreme 296s. I think this will be an improvement over the Deore derailleur system that I have at the moment that sometimes wouldnt shift very well when the temperature dropped below about -10oC.

I will also rebuild the front wheel also using a snow cat rim and a Shimano hub dynamo so I always have some light.

Does anyone have any suggestions for improvements?

Also can anyone tell me what would be the best geared hub to use?. I have disc brakes so I need disc mountings and I would prefer 36 spokes as I am quite heavy. I would like to have at least 6 gears but the Rohloff hubs are way to expensive.

Edit: it looks like the Nexus doesn´t take a disc - there is an SRAM dual drive hub which does but only has 3 gears :(

Edit2: The guys at ice bike seem to be thinking along the same lines as me: http://icebike.org/Equipment/CustomEquipment.htm

Edit3; A further thought if I get a geared hub with a built-in brake I could ditch the rear disk. Sturmey Archer make a 7 speed hub with brakes. http://www.sturmey-archer.com/layout3.htm. I have read bad things about coaster brakes but drum brakes should be OK

you can hear a pin drop in the winter commuting forum :p

ok its the wrong season to be thinking about winter commuting-everyone is just glad its finally over :)

Whaddaya mean it's over? No way.

Of course both hubs could be upgraded: rear to Rohloff and front to SON. But cost may be prohibitive, as you said yourself. If you do get the Shimano dynohub, make sure it's the 3w newer model.

You don't mention other details: pedals, possible suspension systems and lights. I personally would not use clipless pedals in winter, and any added moving parts just bring more maintenance work IMHO. Lights: I would suggest either B&M Lumotec or Bisy in front (I have the Lumotec and I like it), a white "be seen" led for backup and a blinky led of your choice in the rear.

Add lots of reflectors and maybe a reflective vest on self.

--J

thats the dream team alright a Rohloff with a SON- I was just looking at the Rohloff hubs and the price just for the hub I would need is about 900 euros- :eek: :cry:

I don't think I can justify that- the other alternative I was considering was just to go for absolute simplicity, i.e. singlespeed and get a White Industries eccentric ENO hub.

I dont know I am confused now.

If you're looking at the ENO, don't go SS, go fixed. That allows you to continue to ride at temps where freewheel grease gets too thick for the pawls to properly reengage as well as a secondary and fail proof (short of the drivetrain breaking) braking mechanism. An alternative is to regrease the freewheel with a lighter lube but that seems like too much work.

I'm thinking the same thing. If figure the folks from down under will take over this community forum soon. And of course a few Canuks from the central tundra. Maybe an Eskimo or 2. But here in the Mid-atlantic the flowers are begining to poke their heads out. I also want to build a winter commuter for next year, but will first have to rebuild my regular commuter which had a very hard season. I'll follow this thread if it gets going. Hard to think Nokians when temps are way above freezing.

Fixed gear is the way to go. I purpose built a Surly 1x1 into a fix for winter riding.

http://img62.exs.cx/img62/902/fixed9wh.th.jpg

My final chore is a rear rack. I'm thinking along the lines of one of those seatpost clamped types with the addition of some stays from the unused rear brake braze-ons.

what is a good rear fixed hub for a mtb? mine is already a ss but i think i want to go fixed.

The ENO is great if you have vertical dropouts. If you've got an older MTB frame, a new SS-specific frame, or a frame fitted with new dropouts, then go with an IRO 135mm fixed/fixed hub. It's $40 for the same hub that Kogswell sells as a hub set for $80.

If you plan to do fixed gear offroad, then you might be better served with the Level Components hub or a disc hub with a cog bolted to the disc side. FG offroaders seem to strip hubs pretty regularly.

i was hoping you would answer, i have this bike set up as a winter ride it has seen alot of snow and salt,but i like they wayit feels so ill probley ride some this summer. it converted to a rode bike the only off road i do is when cut through some grass or through a parking lot.

I'm running the 26" wheelset from IRO. Rear hub is spaced 135mm and has the proper threading on both sides for a cog and lockring (fixed / fixed).

Tony at IRO is a super guy to work with.

I sent this to Sheldon Brown a couple of months ago.....F.Y.I.
Dear Capt. Bike:
About this time last year as I'd been for several years, I was cravin' to try a newer (then my 8 winters ridden Sturmey AW 3 spd) Nexus 7 speed.

My Sturmey provided pretty fair commuting service (23 km daily) on a department store mountain bike frame and I had it laced into a double walled "Rino Light" aluminum rim. I did have a bit of the usual fun of stripped nuts and the threaded rod of the end of the shifter chain commin' unwound but it was easily fixed. The movement of the shifter mechanism in the hub was reliable otherwise and benefited from a bit of 10W oil once or twice a winter season. I perhaps managed about 8K (Km) in the time I'd used it and to the best of my knowledge is still servicable.

Late last fall I finally got my hands on a Nexus SG-7R42 with the BR-IM41-R brake assembly. I had it laced into a double walled Keba rim with DT's to provide what I hoped to be a pretty bullet proof wheel (heavy enough too).
Although the Shimano instructions indicate that the brake would drag in cold weather I liked it's positive feel and opted to use it. I'd also read Shimano's advisory that the Nexus Intra 7 is not intended for offroad use and figured that I would be fine as they promote unit being used for by folks on "comfort" bikes.
I also selected the same crank chain ring, 42 teeth, and hub cog, 18 tooth ratios that I'd been accustom to with the 3 spd. I treated myself to some of those studded snow and ice Swabbé tires.
I was initially "quite chuffed" with the ability to spin better with the set-up although it took a bit getting used to a grip shifter (I'm still a fan of handle bar mounted single lever - indexed if they can be adjusted properly) Initially there seemed to be a slight harmonic buzz in the pedals in 3rd gear. On the first -10°C day I found the unit somewhat difficult to shift and especially difficult to return back to gears below the fourth one. Initially I thought some debris between the cassette joint pulley and bracket and the end of the hub combined with surface grease was causing the problem so I flushed it out with bit of WD40. Consequently this did not seem to help much. I also checked that the shifter cable was not binding in its sheath.The sticking of the shifter returned continued to be sporadic most to the winter and not necessarily temperature dependent.
In early April shifting became more difficult and by the middle of the month I relubed to mechanism, and lubed, aligned and tensioned the chain. The following day on the way home something snapped in the hub and the rear wheel began floppin' around just the way a snapped axle would behave on a free hub. And that was the last time I rode it.
About a week later while riding my "fair weather" commuter I came across the only other commuter in town who uses a Nexus Intra 7 on a small framed hyrbrid. Unlike myself he indicated that his has been fairly trouble free, never having any reason to break it down or do an overhaul in about 4 seasons of winter ridin'!

I've yet to pluck up the nerve to try and disassemble and try and salvage the hub. I wounder if I should forget about cadence for the winter and return to the Sturmey 3 spd.

Sheldon have you or your mechanics ever successfully serviced a Nexus Intra 7? Any advice of web pages on servicin them? I'd try a different lube but Shimano seems to discourage that.

I'm in the process of converting an old road beater to a fixed. Ideally, I'd like a nicer frame, but due to cash constraints and theft issues (I live in Winnipeg), I'll use the one I've got.

My ride:

Schwalbe snow stud 700C x 38 tires (nice thing about a beater frame is the clearance)

Cheap pedals and toe clips

Chopped and flopped bullhorns with an upsidedown brake lever on the right side horn and a Tektro inline near the stem (careful about braking in the slick, though you probably know that already)

Front and back fenders (front is useful for keeping crud out of the chainring and BB)

Lights, helmet, and reflective rim tape for safety.

Bigger cog in back



Maintenance:

Spray and wipe down chain with WD40 as often as possible, Ice wax regularly as well

Wax the frame with pledge or some such

Clean the rims regularly with rubbing alcohol

Lube nipples with 10W oil from time to time

Lower seat to make putting a foot down easier

This caught my eye:
WD-40 is not a good chain lube. It's great for eliminating squeaks in door hinges, but that's about it. It combines a solvent [a.k.a. degreaser] with the very light lubricant that wears off almost immediately. Clean and dry your chain with a proper degreaser or even a rag, then apply a good bike oil [Pedros, Finish Line [or motor oil works in a pinch], etc. Your chain will thank you. The wax-based lubes [Ice Wax, White Lightning] aren't really designed for cold conditions, and unless your chain is sparkling clean before application, they don't stay on very long. I know weather in Winterpeg is much colder than here in Calgary, so perhaps you don't have to worry about salty, slushy conditions as much. Here, "wet conditions" lubes work well. Your experience may vary...

Unless they never plow the roads where you live, I think Snowcat rims and Nokian Extremes are more than you need. I use 622 35 Hakkapilitas, and they work fine in our conditions, with the added virture of being perfectly OK on dry pavement. I have them put on in December and simply leave them until March.

I ride a Kettler Silverstar with the Nexus-7 year round. That is about 2,500 miles (4,000 km) per year for four years -- 10,000 mi / 16,000 km with no problems. That includes trailering my daughter up steep hills to summer day camp. No problems with the hub. However, it is a good thing to replace brake and shifter cables annually. Otherwise, they will take on moisture and stick when below freezing. The Nexes-7 is as reliable and trouble free as a brick, and seems unaffected by temperature if you use the right grease.

I think coaster brakes are great, especially for winter. The only problem is that you can't take your feet off the pedals and slide them for stability on a slippery downhill. With studded tires, this may not be a problem. Lack of cables to freeze is a good thing.

I have the hand operated Shimano drum (roller) brakes front and rear. They require repacking with grease every two years, but no other maintenance.

I have a Shimano dynohub in front. Lighting is with Lumotec and B&M toplight. I upgraded the Silverstar from sidewall dynamo to hub dynamo, and it was the best upgrade I could have made.

I'd recommend some sort of chainguard or at least partial chain case, in addition to fenders. You don't want to be having to clean and relube the chain all the time. I have the chain cleaned just a few times a year and still get about 5,000 miles / 8,000 km per chain.

Get a decent set of platform pedals so that you can ride in winter overshoes.

Winter conditions vary a lot. What works here may not be best over there.

Paul

So this is the result of my efforts to rebuilding my MTB as a winter bike efforts when budget met reality.

I sent an E-mail to the Snowcat people in Alsaka and didn´t get any response so I settled for some Sun double-wide rims. The tyres are Nokian Extreme 296´s (2.1 wide).

I am not sure how low I can go with the tyre pressure so I have started with 20 psi

The brakes/shifters, rear derailleur and rear hub are XT and there is a SON hub dynamo on the front for constant front and rear light. I also have Cateye LED lights front and back for some extra light. I want to get a Cateye Triple Shot for the front for the dark evening commute through the forest. The price of those in Europe is outragous though so I will have to order from the US.

I put some platform pedals on instead of my usual SPDs.

Unfortunately the shifters are designed to work with a rapid rise derailleur so the indicator reads backward but it is not the end of the world

I got the frame at "Extreme bike" on the Paul-Heyse Strasse in Munich. They also built the wheels and supplied the Rock Shox SL fork.

http://img456.imageshack.us/img456/7...terbike0fj.jpg

http://img456.imageshack.us/img456/1...erbike22rq.jpg

time to hit the trails yeaaaaa haaaaa

and just how cold might that be? I've been riding conventional freehubs in sub zero F temps for quite a while, I've heard about it happening to the Iditabike guys but you have to admit that type of weather is a little extreme for Munchen? I can't imagine that there is no grease inside a Nexus, it has to be more complicated internally than any freehub and complication=friction which will get substantial in sub zero temps.

I haven't had the " the cold made the grease too thick for the freewheel to work" problem.

The Nexus hub is very good for winter riding on pavement (not designed for off-road use!), and is a reliable gearing system that's virtually foolproof, and easy to maintain. (I guess, herburtwormy, you got a "dud"! :( I never have had that problem...I can't kill the things, as a matter of fact!!)

The Nexus--or any internal-gear (epicyclic) hub has its problems...weight, if you are a weight-weenie, is Number One!. However, since winter is NOT the time to do speed work on the road, it should not be much of a factor! Also, most internal-geared hubs are designed with bolt-on axles; undoing those bolts, AND the linkages to hub and brake (if you use a drum brake) is nothing you want to do when it's freezing out...so get those heavy, puncture-resistant tires and those thorn-proof tubes!

Also, a Nexus hub can make the wheel feel as if it's harder to pedal (and it is) when it gets much below 0 degrees F. I have also had the occasional "funky" shift where the downshift won't stop properly at the intended gear, and I must upshift immediately to get my gear...but it must be really cold to do that, and it rarely happens. The Inter-M drum brake in the rear works well if you cannot accomodate a disc brake; even a suspension fork has helped save my bacon on occasion; you don't need one, but, on rutted ice and hardpack snow--and bran' new potholes!--it can sure help you keep that traction in front without putting too much weight there! (Your butt works well in the rear! No pun intended!)

As for the snow tires? If you never plan to ride with more that a few inches of snow anywhere, the Hakkas will work fine as the worst-case tire. The "Extremes" are useful when it's really going to be (or already is) really bad out, and the pavement is not likely to be at all well-plowed for awhile...they drag WAY too much otherwise.

And...DON'T FORGET THE LIGHTS! Fully charged, preferably with a spare battery in the bag. Even if you ride only in the daytime...the weather (and visibility for both you and the other road users) changes rapidly all too often, and you don't want to be caught without them!

Actually I've had this happen in Toronto, at about -25C, which I'm guessing is pretty balmy by Alaskan standards. It depends on the hub, and the grease, as well as the temperature.

New hubs actually seem to be worse in this respect that old ones. The grease on the pawls getting thick can only be a problem IF there is actually grease on the pawls.

I had a new rear hub last winter, and at around -20C it wouldn't engage, I got 1/2way to work and found I could freewheel in both directions. I had to rachet the cranks 20 or 30 times to get it to engage, then ride the rest of the way without daring to coast, as if I was riding a fixie (which left me wondering how in god's name anyone can ride a fixie, in snow, in the winter, but whatever).

My older formula hub with most of the grease in it long gone had no such problems, and has subsequently been adapted for cold weather use.

well I'm with you on the riding a fixie in winter part (unless its winter in california), maybe I've just been fortunate enough to ride all the grease off my pawls before it gets cold every year. There is no question that when its below 0 F everything gets harder to pedal, I'm in the small ring most of the time now on a route I ride in warm weather in my 50t.