5 ms·

The biggest issue is the complexity, weight and poor efficiency compared to a derailleur. And also fewer and unevenly graded gears, though that's probably less

The biggest issue is the complexity, weight and poor efficiency compared to a derailleur. And also fewer and unevenly graded gears, though that's probably less true with Pinion hubs. It's not that hard to avoid shifting under heavy load (higher-end IGHs shift fine under some load). And on a commuter bike, being able to shift gears at a standstill is great. Edit: you completely changed the content of your message and my reply doesn't make a lot of sense now.

jacquesm 5y ago
Both Rohloff and Shimano have been making pretty sturdy internal gear hubs for a long time, efficiency is fantastic. Ditto for the venerable Sturmey Archer internal gear hub, which goes back to the dark ages. Efficiency sucks for the continuous variable kind, like the Enviolo and other variations on that theme.
- hocuspocus 5y ago
  With the Shimano 8 and 11 speed hubs you can tell that some gears have a poor efficiency, it's really noticeable! Apparently the Pinion and Rohloff fare better: https://bikeshed.johnhoogstrate.nl/bicycle/drivetrain/shimano_alfine_inter_11/#efficiency https://bikeshed.johnhoogstrate.nl/bicycle/drivetrain/shiman...
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    I have a Shimano 8 here, which gears do you notice this with? I'd love to see if I can replicate that.
    - hocuspocus 5y ago
      The gear #4 is really bad especially in comparison with the #5 (the 1:1, direct-drive gear).
      - jacquesm 5y ago
        Ok, thank you!
- justinator 5y ago
  I think Sturmey Archer is no more except in name so don’t expect quality from new SA stuff.
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    Yes, true. But back in the day they were ultra reliable, I've seen a few fail but that was mostly due to gross abuse, if you were kind to them they'd last forever. Plenty of the oldies still in use today are proof of that.
    - justinator 5y ago
      That I certainly agree. About 15 years ago, there was talk of them (re?)releasing a 3 speed fixed gear hub and I couldn't (first) believe it and also couldn't ever find it in stock. They're around now, but I'm not sure I'd risk it.
mcntsh 5y ago
I find the shifting in the IGHs to be super annoying because it destroys your cadence. You have to stop peddling, then shift, then start peddling again. Weight/efficiency are also definitely noticeable. Complexity is a weird thing. For the vast majority of owners the most you'll need to do is change the oil every 10k kilometers, but for the unlucky ones that do need it serviced, that requires shipping your hub across the world. I'm hoping that their growing popularity improves the technology and makes them cheaper. I tour bikes as a hobby and make pretty okay money, but I still can't justify the price point of a Rohloff system.

jacquesm 5y ago

Both Rohloff and Shimano have been making pretty sturdy internal gear hubs for a long time, efficiency is fantastic. Ditto for the venerable Sturmey Archer internal gear hub, which goes back to the dark ages. Efficiency sucks for the continuous variable kind, like the Enviolo and other variations on that theme.

hocuspocus 5y ago
With the Shimano 8 and 11 speed hubs you can tell that some gears have a poor efficiency, it's really noticeable! Apparently the Pinion and Rohloff fare better: https://bikeshed.johnhoogstrate.nl/bicycle/drivetrain/shimano_alfine_inter_11/#efficiency https://bikeshed.johnhoogstrate.nl/bicycle/drivetrain/shiman...
- jacquesm 5y ago
  I have a Shimano 8 here, which gears do you notice this with? I'd love to see if I can replicate that.
  - hocuspocus 5y ago
    The gear #4 is really bad especially in comparison with the #5 (the 1:1, direct-drive gear).
    - jacquesm 5y ago
      Ok, thank you!
justinator 5y ago
I think Sturmey Archer is no more except in name so don’t expect quality from new SA stuff.
- jacquesm 5y ago
  Yes, true. But back in the day they were ultra reliable, I've seen a few fail but that was mostly due to gross abuse, if you were kind to them they'd last forever. Plenty of the oldies still in use today are proof of that.
  - justinator 5y ago
    That I certainly agree. About 15 years ago, there was talk of them (re?)releasing a 3 speed fixed gear hub and I couldn't (first) believe it and also couldn't ever find it in stock. They're around now, but I'm not sure I'd risk it.

mcntsh 5y ago

I find the shifting in the IGHs to be super annoying because it destroys your cadence. You have to stop peddling, then shift, then start peddling again. Weight/efficiency are also definitely noticeable. Complexity is a weird thing. For the vast majority of owners the most you'll need to do is change the oil every 10k kilometers, but for the unlucky ones that do need it serviced, that requires shipping your hub across the world. I'm hoping that their growing popularity improves the technology and makes them cheaper. I tour bikes as a hobby and make pretty okay money, but I still can't justify the price point of a Rohloff system.