How good is Shimano Alfine?

Shimano’s Nexus hub has always impressed, but Alfine is so much smoother and quieter. Shifting is buttery and it feels like each gear is delivered with a rounded edge rather than a definite clunk. The eight-speed gear range is more than enough for regular town and country use.

How does Shimano Alfine work?

Instead, the sealed Alfine employs an oil bath—like a car’s transmission—which can be drained through a port. Fresh oil can be injected with a special syringe. The whole system spins around a stationary axle that has three pawls—spring-loaded, wedge-shaped pieces of metal.

Are hub gears reliable?

Thus hub gears usually require less maintenance and can be more reliable over time than comparable external derailleur gear systems, which may require more adjustments and replacement of parts (front chainrings, rear sprockets, narrow derailleur-chain).

How do internal geared hubs work?

Internal-gear hubs work on the principle of “planetary gearing.” Thus, the wheel turns 3 times for every 4 revolutions of the sprocket, lowering the gear by 25%. Middle Gear has the sprocket still driving the gear ring, but the gear ring drives the hub. Thus, the drive is direct.

How do internal gear hubs shift?

Internally-geared hubs – Internally geared hubs switch gears in an enclosed mechanism by means of planetary gears connected to a shift cable and a shifter. On derailleur bikes: The chain will only shift when pedaling forward. Smooth shifting is dependant on letting off pedal pressure at the time of shifting.

What is better hub or derailleur?

Less efficient- Internal gear hubs are slightly less mechanically efficient than derailleurs. Fewer gears- The internal gear hub with the most gears is the 14 speed Rohloff Speedhub. Most modern derailleur bikes have 27 or more speeds. This means the internal gear hub will have a larger jump between gears.

How does 3 speed hub work?

Three speed hubs use a planetary gear system to achieve a gear ratio between the sprocket and the wheel. In this gear system the sun gear is fixed in place while the planet carier is rotated. This causes the planet gears to rotate which in turn causes the ring gear to rotate. The rider selects a speed using a shifter.

How does 3 speed internal hub work?

What is the difference between internal and external gear?

Internal Gears are gear teeth generated in the internal diameter of a cylinder while external gears have the gear teeth generated on the outside diameter of the component. While there are several different types of gears, only two can be produced as both internal and external gears, spur and helical gears.

How does the Shimano Alfine 11 hub feel?

There are some gears that feel a little “spongy” but overall, the hub is silky smooth, quiet, shifts incredibly neatly and give bags of range. I have noticed a slightly worrying “crunch” that occur when shifting gears, and sometime just after shifting gears.

What kind of spanner to use on Alfine 8 speed hub?

Before starting I had to get the LBS to order the large £17 Shimano ring spanner which undoes the plastic nut that locks in the hub internals. I gave the £90 “Shimano service kit” a miss and replaced it in best Blue Peter fashion with a 2l plastic drinks bottle (Diet Coke!) cut in half and a bottle of automatic transmission fluid.

Can a Shimano Alfine be used on a mountain bike?

To conclude, the 8 gears integrated Shimano Alfine hub does an impressive work. It can be used on city bikes but also mountain bikes, if you don’t have a problem with its weight.

Which is better Shimano or Rohloff speed hubs?

Our experience with the different hubs shows us the best use for each. We’ll compare 3 different hubs (the 3 we’ve built with): The Shimano Alfine 8-speed, the Shimano Alfine 11-sp, and the Rohloff Speedhub 14-sp. Shimano does make some lower end 8-sp IGH hubs (Nexus), but this article is ‘geared’ toward the more serious cyclist.