You are reading a single comment by @niggle and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
-
However if you only need a limited range of gears their 5 and particularly their 3 speed hubs are much better...
Anyone know anything about Sturmey 4 speed hubs, new ones really. I have a colleague who is looking to put an igh in a track frame and wants as many gears as possible. The 5 speed RX-RF5 comes in a 125mm oln version but the 4 speed comes in 120mm so might be kinder on the frame. I presume the workings are quite different between the 4 and 5 speed hubs as the 4 speed is direct drive in the lowest gear whereas the 5 speed is direct drive in the middle gear.
M_V
@niggle
Depends on what gear range you require, how deep your pockets are, what type of shifter you want:
Alfine 8: affordable and tough, grease lubed. You can use a J-Tek bar end shifter (£80), or now available Microshift bar end shifter BS-N08 for £50 from SJS Cycles. However no brifter/sti option now that Versa shifters are no longer available. Gear range 307%
Alfine 11: reasonably affordable, possibly not quite as robust as the 8, oil lubed, can use J-Tek bar end shifter (£100) or Microshift now are making a brifter/sti pair of levers for £200 (SJS Cycles sell these). Gear range 409% and weighs almost exactly the same as the 8 speed.
Shimano also make a Di2 version of the 11 speed, with STI lever option, but once you have bought all the bits and bobs it adds up to quite a lot and the hub is different so you cannot retro fit to a hub that was originally cable shift.
Rohloff Speedhub: oil lubed, bomb proof with excellent support from the manufacturer, 14 gears, 526% range but very expensive and no easy options for shifters with drops- various lash ups but nearly all based around a rotary shifter.
Avoid the Sturmey Archer 8 speed, they have never got this one to work reliably despite redesigns and it is very tall geared requiring a tiny chainring for a sensible gear range. However if you only need a limited range of gears their 5 and particularly their 3 speed hubs are much better and now available with disc compatibility for reasonable prices, bar end shifters available for both.