So many gears, pointless?

[SGG on a bike]

Since we’re talking gears here, what are peoples views on hub gears?

I’ve been browsing new bikes, not because I need one, but mainly because my trusty steed is a mid 90s rigid mountain bike and I was curious as to what I may be missing out on. I saw a few with Shimano Alfine hubs with variations of 5,8 and 11 speeds with a spread roughly equivalent to the current crop of 1x rear cassettes.

 

[Venod]

Since we’re talking gears here, what are peoples views on hub gears?

I’ve been browsing new bikes, not because I need one, but mainly because my trusty steed is a mid 90s rigid mountain bike and I was curious as to what I may be missing out on. I saw a few with Shimano Alfine hubs with variations of 5,8 and 11 speeds with a spread roughly equivalent to the current crop of 1x rear cassettes.

The Rohloff is the best hub gear IMO, I had one on a MTB, a fantastic well engineered piece of kit, just a bit heavy compared to a deraileur set up, but no mud problems.

 

[SGG on a bike]

I should think they’d be quite well suited to touring bikes too in that case. From what I read, the Shimano gears are compatible spline wise with Sturmey Archer hubs, so I guess they’re very similar in design?

 

[Blue Hills]

Ha Ha, I am of the same mind.. When folk start talking about Gear Inches, Watts, Cadence and RPM all I hear is blah blah blah

I am not knocking anybody for discussing those things though, it is just a bit too in depth for my own interest level. It's always good to know you techy folk are out there though for when I am in need of help

I assure you that I'm not techie jp - have never sat down and tabulated gear inches for my bikes - has always struck me as a barmy imperial system. The very odd time I have looked at this I used metres development or whatever it's called - I can get my head round that. I just know what works for my non competitive (amateur or pro) riding. I used to have a fast bike - bigring something over 50 at the front but I can only recall one bit of road on the run to brighton where I ever managed to get it in top gear (front and back) - that too was 9 speed.

 

[Ian H]

I've ridden an ordinary, so I know what inches feel like .

Checking my track from yesterday I was pedalling downhill at a not terribly high cadence (for me, anyway) and reaching 40mph. That's on a 48x12 top gear. It might be that riding fixed regularly makes a difference.

 

[itboffin]

I’ve just ordered an 11-34 8 speed cassette for my on one inbred mtb which is a triple atm but once the cassette arrives I’m aiming to turn it into a 1x8 for the few times I ride off road I think I’ve only need 3 or 4 gears at most

 

[Blue Hills]

I’ve just ordered an 11-34 8 speed cassette for my on one inbred mtb which is a triple atm but once the cassette arrives I’m aiming to turn it into a 1x8 for the few times I ride off road I think I’ve only need 3 or 4 gears at most

1x8 has always seemed a good setup for a gettin round london bike (as long as you don't live in one of the rare hilly bits like me) - I think Edinboro Bike Co-Op used to do such a thing before they stopped doing their own bikes.

 

[NotAsGoodAsMyBike]

That’s a lot of detail for someone who shows no interest.

Fair point. I suppose I know what they’ve got when I buy them and the knowledge then fades (but my memory isn’t so bad it goes completely).

I bought the 9 speed in 1999 so have forgotten that completely. Fixed ratio is in my mind because I’ve been thinking about changing and/or adding a sprocket to make it easier to get myself up hills (it has a flip/flop hub so can be single speed as well as fixed). Decided to just push harder instead!

 

[itboffin]

1x8 has always seemed a good setup for a gettin round london bike (as long as you don't live in one of the rare hilly bits like me) - I think Edinboro Bike Co-Op used to do such a thing before they stopped doing their own bikes.

I live in Wiltshire it’s super hilly so it’s either a low low gear going up then an avg followed by steep downhills so about 4 gears

 

[JPBoothy]

I assure you that I'm not techie jp - have never sat down and tabulated gear inches for my bikes - has always struck me as a barmy imperial system. The very odd time I have looked at this I used metres development or whatever it's called - I can get my head round that. I just know what works for my non competitive (amateur or pro) riding. I used to have a fast bike - bigring something over 50 at the front but I can only recall one bit of road on the run to brighton where I ever managed to get it in top gear (front and back) - that too was 9 speed.

The only ring/sprocket combo that I know for certain I'm using is on my SS bike (46/17). I didn't use any calculations to arrive at that choice though just trial and error. I started with an 18t sprocket which had my legs spinning too quickly, then dropped to a 16t which I found a bit too hard for my knees if any climbing was required and so finally settled on the 17t which is just about right for me.

 

[Tigerbiten]

Since we’re talking gears here, what are peoples views on hub gears?

I’ve been browsing new bikes, not because I need one, but mainly because my trusty steed is a mid 90s rigid mountain bike and I was curious as to what I may be missing out on. I saw a few with Shimano Alfine hubs with variations of 5,8 and 11 speeds with a spread roughly equivalent to the current crop of 1x rear cassettes.

Longtime Rohloff user here, so I like them ........

The ability to change gear while not pedaling is both a good and bad point. Coming into a junction, you don't need to preselect a gear just in case you stop, but you lose a lot more momentum changing gears going up a hill.
You tend to go further with less maintenance so lower running costs, but when thing go wrong it tends to be more terminal.

Luck ............

 

[classic33]

Longtime Rohloff user here, so I like them ........

The ability to change gear while not pedaling is both a good and bad point. Coming into a junction, you don't need to preselect a gear just in case you stop, but you lose a lot more momentum changing gears going up a hill.
You tend to go further with less maintenance so lower running costs, but when thing go wrong it tends to be more terminal.

Luck ............

Put the two systems together and you can have the best, and worst, of both worlds.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

. Coming into a junction, you don't need to preselect a gear just in case you stop, but you lose a lot more momentum changing gears going up a hill.

With a basic SA 3-speed, you don't have that problem. You just select Low at the bottom of the hill, pedal like fury, and hope for the best.

 

[simongt]

Aye, and back in t'day when we whippersnappers would think now't of a weeks loaded touring on't five speed - !

 

[Mike_P]

Latest GCN News
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSICONudXdE
has a feature (22:46 onwards) on the latest Sram ETAP groupset promoting a 43-30 with a 10-36 which the 43-10 gives a top gear midway between what would can be achieved with a 50-11 and 50-12 while giving better low gearing of 30-10 compared to a normal compacts offering of 34-11 or 34-12.