touring bike with hub gears

[malverncyclist]

Hi everyone

this is my first post, so hopefully I'm in the right place.

I am thinking of buying a new bike, probably a touring bike in the summer (cycle to work scheme). I currently have an old (but in good condition) road bike and a Ridgeback folder with Shimano Nexus 7 speed hubs. I do really like the smoothness of the Nexus and wonder whether there are any 'affordable' tourers around with either hubs or that could be 'rebuilt' for using hubs. when I mean affordable ... below £1,000.

Any thoughts much appreciated.

Martin

[gilesjuk]

Any bike that has 135mm spaced dropouts can be rebuilt with a geared hub.

The limiting factor on which hub model to use is the type of bars you want to use.

You can get a jtek shifter for the Nexus or Alfine geared hub which will fit drop bars, but I don't think there's one for Rohloff, although you can fit the hubjub extension and slip the rohloff shifter on there (same adaptor will work with any flat bar shifter).

Go with Alfine instead of Nexus as the seals are apparently much better. Do a few hundred miles on it then give it an oil bath using the Shimano oil or clean out all the grease and dip it in some oil. Cleaning it removes all the metal dust and filings that are produced as part of the running-in process.

[hubgearfreak]

for a £1000 hub geared tourer.
start with bob jackson world tour. your exact colour and size.
then, sram i motion 9
front hub, rims & spokes from spa, or have them build the wheels.
conti tyres
the rest, to suit your taste

[gilesjuk]

iMotion 9 is definitely a much nicer hub when you wish to remove the wheel off the bike. But for more or less the same money you'll be able to get the new Alfine 11 speed around September time.

I'm not usually one of these people who waits for vapourware products, but given the life of a hub is many years then it can be worth waiting if you don't need something right now.

[hubgearfreak]

given the life of a hub is many years

it's going to be years yet, before we know the 11's life is to be measured in years

[willem jongman]

Going by past experience we will know sooner rather than later.
Willem

[hubgearfreak]

yes, i may just take a few months to know the answer

however, it may be that constantly keeping it oiled will prolong it's life?

[malverncyclist]

obviously hit the spot with some of you guys. My next question is ... are there any bikes around that have e.g. the 8 speed Shimano fitted (rather than me having to have one custom made)?

Also ... does anyone know a good bike dealer in the Worcester(shire) area?

thanks

Martin

[malverncyclist]

just found ONE answer to my question ... http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Charge_Mixer_2010/5360044278/

[willem jongman]

Fahrradmanufaktur do a number of them, and they are very good indeed, for very competitive prices. They may be hard to get in the UK.
Willem

[Freddie]

Doubt that Charge bike will take proper mudguards, chainstays are too short. Pity, they seemed to get most other things as right as a modern bike is likely to...

[thirdcrank]

malverncyclist

Just a moment while I round up the hobby-horse.

Shimano Nexus hubs: I've had a bike with the 7 speed for a dozen years. Generally OK but I find wheel removal/ replacement a pig. I don't think this has changed with the 8. Before buying one, get the nice person in the shop to show you how it's done. I'm suggesting a proper demo, not cheerful assurances that it's easy. Having had the demo, consider if you could do it in the dark, cold, wet at the roadside.

Neigh.

[hubgearfreak]

Fahrradmanufaktur do a number of them, and they are very good indeed, for very competitive prices. They may be hard to get in the UK.
Willem

there is a shop here
http://www.bikefix.co.uk/index.php?uniq ... l_id=2#a61

[simonineaston]

Hi, I bought a Moulton TSR 30 via the Cycle Scheme in '08. It didn't quite make it under the £1000 limit, but it was worth the extra, in my opinion It qualifies as having hub gears, although you get a derailleur thrown in too! I think the SRAM Dual Drive is genius - you get: wide range, a choice of close & medium ratio gear steps, and shifting on the move and when at rest.
Lots of folks wouldn't consider a Moulton, or any other small-wheeled bike, because of pre-conceptions about the concept. Let me reassure you that the TSR in particular, works very well as a tourer, for many reasons, large and small. I am of course biased.
If you don't like the Dual-Drive, then with the aforementioned 135mm drop outs, it's ready to accept most of the wide-range hub gears out there at the mo' (the new Alfine 11 speed looks interesting...).
I can send you a review of the TSR 30 I wrote that was printed in the Moultoneer if you want.

[niggle]

I recently bought an old Overbury's touring bike from the mid 1980s. It has a Reynolds 513 steel frame and has horizontal dropouts so could take any hubgear without any major modification other than spreading the rear spacing if necessary. The bike cost £175 in perfect working order so even a Rohloff conversion would have been pretty close to your budget: just a thought.