# Can hub gear be fitted to any bike?



## mobi (5 Jun 2015)

If a mountain bike comes with standard chain gears, is it possible to fit a hub gear later?

What would be appx cost of doing so?


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## raleighnut (5 Jun 2015)

I think @SatNavSaysStraightOn is our expert on Rohloff hub gears but they are a bit expensive.


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## Sharky (5 Jun 2015)

Options and costs vary considerably. Have a browse on somewhere like
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/hubs-internal-hub-gear-brake-dept708_pg1/

If you have vertical drop outs, you will need a chain tensioner as well

Cheers Keith


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## raleighnut (5 Jun 2015)

Sharky said:


> Options and costs vary considerably. Have a browse on somewhere like
> http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/hubs-internal-hub-gear-brake-dept708_pg1/
> 
> If you have vertical drop outs, you will need a chain tensioner as well
> ...


Nice link, using this hub you could go to 78 speed easily





I want one.


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## mobi (5 Jun 2015)

So if hub gear is fitted to MTB, will it be rear wheel only? What will happen to front derailleur? Will it stay as it is or need to be removed?


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## Sharky (5 Jun 2015)

Normal set ups would ditch both the front and rear changers, but the one above is an option that is intended to eliminate the front changer but keep the rear and to give the equivalent of a front triple chainset with the three speed hub.

As raleighnut says, you could keep the front changer as well and you would end up with something like seventy-eight different possibilities, but there would probably be a lot of overlaps.

Or just go single speed and ditch all the extra weight.

Cheers Keith


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (5 Jun 2015)

You'll need a number of things.... but it is possible. I have just done exactly that to the recumbent trike I purchased back in February.

Firstly you need a wheel with the hub in it. If buying new, you have a choice now between 32 and 36 holes for spokes on the Rohloff Hub and once that decision is made, you are stuck with it for life. We only had 32 available us but the strength side of life has not been an issue. You will also need to make the decision if you want the internet or external gear changer system for the hub. Mine is the external gear changer (known as the black box because it is a black box). You will also need to purchase the gear selector and cabling to go with the black box. 

You will need to look at the drop outs and purchase the a suitable axel adaptor. I was able to talk with to the bike shop I was buying my trike through who talked with an ICE mechanic (manufacturer of my recumbent trike) and sort something out. There was a dedicated one to purchase. 

As mentioned you will need a chain tensioner. On my trike I have used a rear derailleur and a short piece of cable. There is a dedicated Rohloff cable tensioner, but I didn't see the need to go to that expense when a long cage RD would work... Long cage in my case because I also have a front derailleur on my trike giving me 48 gears to play with. On my tourer I don't have a FD, just the standard 14 Rohloff gears which cover roughly 98% of the MTB bike range. My tourer also does not have a chain tensioner, it uses an eccentric bottom bracket which works amazingly well and lasts and lasts. Currently mine has done over 12,000 miles and is not showing any signs of wear. 

So yes it is possible and it is not that difficult to do. Cost wise well my rear wheel alone is roughly £1,500 and that was purchased 4 years ago now. The additional bits needed to move it from one bike to the other trike... cost around £350. Its not cheap, its not light, but the moment you get back to using a Rohloff hub, you know it is worth it.


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## mobi (5 Jun 2015)

Why the rear wheel costs so much?? £1500 seems excessive for that.

Can I not simply buy a reasonably good mountain bike and buy the hub gear assembly separately and ask an LBS to fit it for me?

Are the rear wheel and hub gear assembly non-separable?


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (5 Jun 2015)

mobi said:


> Why the rear wheel costs so much?? £1500 seems excessive for that.


Well you are looking at a minimum of £1,050 for the Rohloff hub.
I then have a really solid touring rim which costs +£75 and is specially drilled for the Rohloff hub.
Add in spokes, nipples, rim tape and a hand build of the wheel.
The rim requires specialist brake blocks £25 (but they last around 5-8,000 miles), then there is the tyre and inner tube etc...

OK - may be £1,300? But I had to send on in the post recently and insured it for £1,500 because it had the gear changer attached as well as the OEM plate and an OEM mount, they added another £150 to the matter.

(Edit: OEM Mount was £35, black box was £45, new long grip shifter £100, new long cables plus outers £20, oh and I forgot the sprocket! £30 for a 19 Tooth sprocket and you will need to factor in the cost of the Rohloff sprocket tool as well... can't remember probably not too much tbh)


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## mobi (5 Jun 2015)

Is there any mountain bike available which comes with hub gear built in and does not cost few grands?


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## mrandmrspoves (5 Jun 2015)

I don't think there is a cheap hub gear solution for you assuming that you need a wide gear range. Why do you want to go for hub gears?


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## Deleted member 23692 (5 Jun 2015)

These's also Shimano Nexus (8 speed) or Alfine (8 or 11 speed) too. Any of which would be relatively straightforward to add to an 'normal' MTB, in fact the Alfine 8 is a quite popular conversation on MTBs


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## mrandmrspoves (5 Jun 2015)

Alfine will cost you appx. £250 (allowing for it to be on a reasonable wheel) It will give you a mid range of gears - which may suit as long as you are not climbing anything too steep or intending on racing.


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## outlash (6 Jun 2015)

Just to add to the Alfine idea, I believe they use standard width dropouts and you could just use a pair of tugnuts as chain tensioners. Be warned though, they are _heavy_, I have one on my Genesis and most of the weight is at the back!


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## Deleted member 23692 (6 Jun 2015)

An Alfine 8 with a 20t sprocket gives the equivalent of a 12-38 8 speed cassette which is pretty much an MTB range. It you were to use a standard 4 arm 104 BCD crank arm then you've had the choice of 1x narrow/wide chain rings ranging from 30-38t which gives plenty of choice to tweek the final drive to something suitable, added to which it's easy (and cheap) to change sprockets to a 23t for an even lower range. 

Granted you'll lose on the high gear end but do you really need a 44-11 ratio off road? I'm running a 32-11 top gear on my MTB and it's no slower over mixed routes than the previous triple setup.

Chain tensioning can be taken care of with clever use of a chain device, and with a 135mm dropout spacing you'll have the option to run disc brakes or rim depending on the frame/wheel. 

Alfine 11 is also an option for even bigger gear range but by all accounts it doesn't seem to be as robust as the 8.


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