Geared hub commuter
- Thread starter merc-blue
- Start date
LTR
Annoys the hell out of Grip!
At BSC, we sell quite a few! Infact one just rolled out the door...! You'll be amazed how many Rohloff hubs are getting put into commuter/touring bikes around Melbourne!Or wine for that matter. But I totally agree. That Bad Boy Rohloff was probably my dream "stock" commuter. I think they only sold it in Europe though? Probably because there'd be more than the 3-4 commuters in Australia with that kind of money to spend on something without an engine...
DW-1
Dirt Works
ok... lots of feedback on the lights which is good.
I was sold with this page: www.supernova-lights.com/newsite/e3_comparison.html (the E3 triple is at the bottom)
and this quote: "Depending on the alignment it can be extremely blinding."
hmmmmm... blinding you say... hmmmmmmm... 3.30am ride to work... Great Western Highway... blinding... hmmmmmmmm...
Elvis.
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DW-1
Dirt Works
I like the chainguide. Did you notice any drag when riding?
My commute is 75klm (one way). So anoying drag and noise would drive me nuts...
and on another note:
Looking for a 700c/29er tyre option... I'm heavy and currently commute on a 26 x 1.6 Continental. But they don't offer much in a really wide 700c or 29er slick/commuter/touring specialist tyre.
I've had the Schwalbe Marathon Plus recomended to me in a 700 x 45 or 50 wide. And there is also the option of the 29 x 2.2 Big Apple... anyone have any feedback on any of these?
The bike will be running hydro discs and Surly Nice Racks at both ends too. Oh... and full fenders. Can't ride a bike in the Blue Mountains in winter without fenders...
Elvis.
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merc-blue
Likes Bikes and Dirt
LTR, dont want to roll one out the door and into the back of my car for me? i wont tell if you dont.
Infact i recon i could ride it on a downhill bike without much pain
Mad hippie was telling me they have a cube hooper tester on ATM, which i think would give a good indication of the alfine groupsets worth,
But somthing along the lines of the Charge mixer looks like the bike for me, or the Cell bike transplant into a cross-check or similar
The only decision on spec now looks like disc or rim brakes, i prefer the look/styling of the rim brake but the low maintainance, low cost and stopping power of even a AVID BB5 or similar cable operated discs makes them so tempting on a bike built for travel not style
This is the other reason for thinking the alfine is the way, mine is about 10kms if that.
Infact i recon i could ride it on a downhill bike without much pain
Mad hippie was telling me they have a cube hooper tester on ATM, which i think would give a good indication of the alfine groupsets worth,
But somthing along the lines of the Charge mixer looks like the bike for me, or the Cell bike transplant into a cross-check or similar
The only decision on spec now looks like disc or rim brakes, i prefer the look/styling of the rim brake but the low maintainance, low cost and stopping power of even a AVID BB5 or similar cable operated discs makes them so tempting on a bike built for travel not style
Techno Destructo
Riding In Peace
Solid!
DW-1
Dirt Works
perhaps... but I get a lift home.Solid!
hope to build up to the return trip.
rek
Likes Dirt
Not while riding, no. I'm sure that if I did back to back tests, one after the other, I would be able to notice a difference, but when you take the bike out in the morning to work it's not something that is readily apparent.
However on the workstand it feels like a BB with stiff bearings - the cranks won't free spin very far. Also in the workstand, you can hear the chaincase gliding on the chain as it goes around. It's an ugly sound, but it is drowned out by tyre noise when you're actually riding. (I was skeptical at first, given how loud and nasty the gliding noise was.. but it works!)
You have to make sure the chainline is dead on perfect, and there's a limit to how wide the chain can be (the super wide BMX chains are too much). Get either of these wrong and it makes a real racket.
They are designed for 440-480mm chainstays; my bike was 425 or so, and had to take to the ends with a knife. There's normally a series of tabs locking the parts together; since I cut those off, I had to put bulldog clips over one end so prevent them from shimmying around with the chain too much.
Don't try to ride them on a gravel or dirt path in the wet though.. the watery gritty sludge does get into the chaincase somehow, and the grit paste, now trapped inside the chaincase, will cause really bad scraping noises and pulverise the chain into submission.
A shame Conti don't make a 29er version of their Sport Contact slick, eh.. I use the same 26x1.6 tyres on my commuter. In fact the derailleur based commuter has a frame designed for 700c, but use 26"ers for better wide tyre options - comfort foremost (I'm heavy too), as well as a more secure feel on gravel and dust trails in the wet. The lower BB height from having 26" on a frame designed for 700c was nice around the city too (stopping at traffic lights etc.) Just no MotoGP style cornering, with those pedals hanging so low!
There are some "Extralight" versions of the 700x42 Continental Contact that weigh about the same as Sport Contact 26x1.6ers.. heard a lot of good about Schwalbe trekking tyres too.
Building commuter bikes with parts that were never meant to be put together is fun.
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axertes
Likes Dirt
Bumping old thread...
Look what I found:
http://www.sussex.com.tw/versa.html
...for Nexus/Alfine! Another step closer to the ultimate commuter.
So, 700c steel frame with braze-ons, Alfine hub, BB7s, drop bars and these brake levers/shifters = my ultimate commuter.
Look what I found:
http://www.sussex.com.tw/versa.html
...for Nexus/Alfine! Another step closer to the ultimate commuter.
So, 700c steel frame with braze-ons, Alfine hub, BB7s, drop bars and these brake levers/shifters = my ultimate commuter.
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axertes
Likes Dirt
May have found my frame:
Second pic is apparently early prototype whence the lack of disc tabs.
Despite this build having big tyres and NEEDS MOAR STEM RISE AND SPACERS! it's a CroMo, sliding dropout, crossish bike with disc tabs and braze ons. Might just be perfect for a geared hub frankencommuter. Add flared drops like an On-One Midge or those WTB ones, and the Sussex Alfine shifters with Road BB7s.
However, I still keep coming back to the Singular Peregrine:
EBB should be easier for discs than sliding dropouts, just a matter of whether it works properly. However, I'm nearly resigned to having a mullet (cantis/Vs out back), in which case Cross Check with disc fork would be the go.
Second pic is apparently early prototype whence the lack of disc tabs.
Despite this build having big tyres and NEEDS MOAR STEM RISE AND SPACERS! it's a CroMo, sliding dropout, crossish bike with disc tabs and braze ons. Might just be perfect for a geared hub frankencommuter. Add flared drops like an On-One Midge or those WTB ones, and the Sussex Alfine shifters with Road BB7s.
However, I still keep coming back to the Singular Peregrine:
EBB should be easier for discs than sliding dropouts, just a matter of whether it works properly. However, I'm nearly resigned to having a mullet (cantis/Vs out back), in which case Cross Check with disc fork would be the go.
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jasevr4
Likes Dirt
Massive thread dig, but have you seen the Bianchi San Jose Pro?
Carbon fork, steel frame with disc mounts and track ends.
I'm thinking about buying one complete, then swapping the rear wheel out for an Alfine/700c and the levers for some Versas..
axertes
Likes Dirt
Wow that looks like a great idea. If you end up doing it I'd love to see the results.
thelankyman
Likes Dirt
I had been thinking for a while about getting a IGH but always baulked at not having the option to run it on my Crossie with Drop bars. Now that is no longer a problem I might very well have to get into it before the winter rains begin in Melbourne. Just need to make sure that they will work with my Cantis. Wait I just read they are compatible!Bumping old thread...
Look what I found:
http://www.sussex.com.tw/versa.html
...for Nexus/Alfine! Another step closer to the ultimate commuter.
So, 700c steel frame with braze-ons, Alfine hub, BB7s, drop bars and these brake levers/shifters = my ultimate commuter.
Does anyone have one and is there an Australian importer?
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