New chainset and running gear.

[Oldhippy]

I'm guessing @raleighnut might be a good ask here. After much deliberation about replacing for new bike I decided my Royal was perfectly good just tired. I want to upgrade the chainset, running gear, the whole kit and caboodle. Currently Shimano Acera derailier, Truvativ cranks. They came with bike new around 15 years ago. Shifters changed to accommodate butterfly bars. What would be a good upgrade?

 

[All uphill]

Good decision!

I have always been surprised at how much difference tyres and wheels make and how little deraillers and shifters make.

My tourer has an Acera derailleur and bar end shifters, my road bike is 105. One is slick and quick, the other less so. Both do the job reliably. If I was competitive or loved precision machinery I'd go for 105 but I ride for pleasure and for transport, not speed. Lower end shimano is fine for me.

 

[Oldhippy]

Or i was thinking Alfine or Rohloff hub perhaps. The cost difference between the two is huge and either are an investment. I want minimum maintenance maximum riding time.

 

[raleighnut]

I'm guessing @raleighnut might be a good ask here. After much deliberation about replacing for new bike I decided my Royal was perfectly good just tired. I want to upgrade the chainset, running gear, the whole kit and caboodle. Currently Shimano Acera derailier, Truvativ cranks. They came with bike new around 15 years ago. Shifters changed to accommodate butterfly bars. What would be a good upgrade?

I don't know, i've gone for HT11 but how reliable it is I'm not sure. My 'bulletproof' bike (the Ridgeback) has a 'caged bearing' square taper crank but an old one made when the case hardening was good quality (plus it gets regreased/new bearings when needed)
All these 'sealed bearing' bottom brackets seem to be made of compressed cheese whereas that old BB has thousands of miles on it and is still like silk

 

[Oldhippy]

In my travels today I stopped at LBS and had a chat with the mechanics and think I may give an 11 speed Alfine hub with new touring rims, lose the triple, stainless spokes a go. All available, wheels built, fitted and fettled for £950.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good afternoon,

....... I want minimum maintenance maximum riding time.

I looked at Alfine a while back and was somewhat surprised by the recommended oil changed frequency.

2 Years, (no problem) or 5,000KM (ouch) (https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/sm/SM-IHG-INTER11_ENG.pdf which is dated Dec 2019) especially as there were forum posts suggesting changes at around 2,000km. Although I suspect that the frequency of oil changes is the same as the lifetime of 10/11/12 speed chains, 600 or 5,000 miles.

Oil replacement may only be a 20 minute job once you have done it once, a bit less if you rush it, but if you are riding a lot would this schedule fit you?

Alfine oil is around £10-£15 plus postage for a 50ml or one cautious flush and replace or around £100 for 1l, 20 flush and replaces unless the can gets spilt or water gets in. Supplies of the stuff doesn't seem to have been affected by COVID, but buying it locally may be tricky and I am sure that mail order will never result in squashed Jiffy Bag containing some loose liquid and broken container.

I am one of those people who tend to find things like syringes and tubes are broken when I need them and I left the lid off that bottle that was supposed to last 2 years allowing the rain in, so overall I didn't see the low maintenance time or cost for the hub over the derailleur that I expected to see.

Equally I didn't like the idea, even if the reality may be slightly different of being forced into fixed gaps between gears, I was looking at 8 speed, but with the hub you can't put an a 12-19 cassette one day and 11-25 another day. Yes you can alter the overall gearing by changing the sprocket or chainring but that probably won't do what I wanted.

Bye

Ian