Even though the invention of the derailleur came 10 years after the internal gear hub, the technology progressed much faster.
The simpler derailleur system allowed for more gears and a wider gear range with the technology available at the time. Internal gear hubs topped out at 3 gears for decades. This is how derailleurs grew to dominate the cycling market originally. Now, things are changing. In the past couple of decades, internal gear hub technology has progressed significantly. In terms of gear range and performance, they are catching up to the best derailleurs.
Internal gear hubs also include a number of other benefits over derailleurs that I outline in this article. These days, the decision is harder than ever to make. Some drivetrains combine an internal gear hub with a front or rear derailleur. This unconventional setup is known as hybrid gearing. This system offers some of the benefits of both internal gear hubs and derailleurs. It can also provide a wider gear range and closer gear ratio spacing. Hybrid drives are common on folding bikes and recumbent bikes.
The most common style of hybrid gearing uses a 3-speed internal gear hub with 2 sprockets attached for a total of 6 speeds. A rear derailleur allows you to shift between the sprockets. Usually, the rear sprocket gears fall halfway between the gears in the hub. This setup usually requires a chain tensioner. Dual drives are common on some types of recumbent bikes as well because they allow the rider to downshift while stopped.
This makes it much easier to get started riding again after making a stop. Internal gear hubs can also be combined with double or triple chainrings and a front derailleur. Sometimes both a front and rear derailleur are used. This widens your gear range but increases the weight and complexity of your drivetrain considerably.
Hub gears come in 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 14 speed options. Generally, the more gears, the more complex the hub will be and the more critical maintenance becomes. They keep going with minimal maintenance. For touring, the more gears the better. For commuting, you may be better off with a simpler hub with fewer gears. You also have the choice of the type of brakes you want to use. You can choose from disc brakes, rim brakes, or hub brakes. Many hubs come in disc and rim brake versions.
Hub brakes are less common. The number of spokes is another consideration. Most internal gear hubs use either 32 or 36 spokes. When shopping for an internal gear hub, you have quite a few options. Designed and manufactured in Germany, the Rohloff hub is known for its longevity, solid build, low maintenance, and amazing engineering. This is the king of internal gear hubs. T o keep this hub going, all you need to do is change the oil once every km.
This is about a 20 minute job. Rohloff hubs commonly last , km without failing. Rohloff offers a number of variations on their speed hub. It is available in disc and rim brake versions, 32 and 36 spoke versions, as well as touring and cross country style axle versions. They work great for urban commuting and light touring.
Alfine hubs come in 8 and speed versions. Fresh oil can be injected with a special syringe. Fixed Axle The whole system spins around a stationary axle that has three pawls—spring-loaded, wedge-shaped pieces of metal. Alfine hubs require a gear combination that creates a 1. Bikes and Gear. I welded up parts to extend the hub axle and was able to thread a 5 cog cluster on a 3sp SA to give a 30sp bike. It was a tail heavy bomb with chain angle issues, but could shift almost instantly and had a tremendous range.
If hubs have range now, they are the way to go. I recently purchased a bike with internal hub gear system and noticed a constant faint clicking in all the gears except gear 4 there are 7 gears. Is this normal? The bike shop I purchased it from said that noise is to be expected. Most internal gear hubs can be adjusted by changing the shift cable tension.
However, if the noise is really faint and it still shifts without issue, then it may not be anything to worry about. You could have a different bike shop take a look to provide their opinion.
Like most traditionally geared bikes, the Paratrooper frame has a vertical dropout. A horizontal dropout like those used on single speeds is preferred for an internal gear hub as it allows you to slide the rear wheel back in order to tension the chain.
However, you can still use an IGH with a vertical dropout, you just need to add a chain tensioner. The rear hub spacing on the Paratrooper is mm, so any gear hub with the same O.
Over Locknut Dimension can be used. Does that sound right? Would it even fit? This article praised gear hubs and mentioned a Boston 8 bike with a gear hub. Yet, when I look at the Montague website, Boston is only available as a single speed anymore and the only bike left with a gear hub is the Alston. Why is that?
It would be nice to have something like the Navigator available with internal gearing! Your email address will not be published. Receive new products, special offers, and exciting news from Montague riders around the globe.
We'll never share your email with anyone. Facebook Twitter Instagram. Why Use an Internal Gear Hub? Reliability One of the biggest advantages of the internal gear hub is that all the moving parts responsible for shifting are completely contained in a sealed unit — the hub. Maintenance and Longevity Internal gear hubs are easier to maintain than standard derailleur systems. Shifting I may have saved the best for last here. Tell us What you Think What kind of shifting does your bike have?
Bradley on May 26, at pm. Montague Bikes on May 27, at am. Mark Erickson on July 3, at am. Montague Bikes on July 5, at am. Cam Sawzin on May 28, at pm. Barbara Kantner on April 1, at pm. David Elden on December 30, at pm.
Montague Bikes on January 3, at am. Ronnie on January 10, at pm. Montague Bikes on January 11, at am. Sarathy on December 7, at pm. Gregg on December 26, at pm.
Fernando on February 11, at pm. Montague Bikes on February 13, at am. Montague Bikes on March 30, at am. Martin on May 31, at am. So an internal hub bike but a tough one would be ideal. Montague Bikes on October 1, at am. Thanks for writing, by 21D are you meaning derailleur?
Jim on November 3, at pm. Montague Bikes on November 5, at am. Anna on February 26, at am. Hi, I have a similar question to Lucy. Thank you Anna Reply. Montague Bikes on March 4, at pm. Hey Anna, It would be hard to answer your question without more information about the two setups. Bang on March 27, at pm. EasyRider on May 14, at am. Rockinit on June 21, at am. JimmyD on July 28, at am. Love your bikes though. Thanks for listening.
Queenie on September 28, at pm. Kevin on December 10, at am. Roemer Timbre on July 18, at am. Hitesh Joshi on April 15, at am. You don't have to anticipate gear shifts to the same extent either. Any glitches are usually due to problems with the cable tension, which can be adjusted easily at home.
The hub itself should go on working for a long time, perhaps with an oil change at the bike shop every year or two.
Most hub gears have a smaller range than derailleur gears: the difference between top and bottom gear is narrower. A 3-speed hub is fine on flatter or rolling terrain but can be hard work on hills. A 7-, 8- or speed hub is a better bet there.
The number of gears is smaller than a derailleur setup too, so there are bigger steps between those gears. You can't change those steps. However, you can move the whole range up or more usually down. Retro-fitting a bigger sprocket or smaller chainring will make hills easier whatever hub you have. Ask your bike shop about this. Hub gears aren't as efficient as well-maintained derailleur gears. All those pinions whirring around create friction. A simple 3-speed hub is comparable in efficiency to a speed derailleur set-up.
More complex, multi-geared hubs are typically two or three percent less efficient on average, with the greatest losses is in the gears furthest from direct drive. Wheel removal is more of a fiddle. You'll generally need a spanner to undo the axle nuts and might need to unscrew a torque arm from the chainstay. The gear cable will also need detatching. When you put the wheel back, it normally has to be correctly located in the dropouts to tension the chain.
If you're not comfortable with this, avoid having to remove the rear wheel: check out our advice on how to prevent punctures. Hub gears tend to be a bit heavier than derailleur gears, and it's noticeable because all the weight is in one lump.
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