I seem to remember a discussion on here about minimum gearing on alfine hubs. I can’t find it now tho

I have an alfine 8. I added a BB mount ebike kit to the bike, geared it down with 32 / 22 gearing and then mashed it up the steepest hills I could find in first. It didn’t break. the gearing was really silly – spinning out in top at under 20 mph and spinning away in first at under 3mph

so from that I would say you can go well below the usual 2:1 gearing quite safely. Me giving my all plus the motor would be more power than most could put out and it simply worked

sorry I couldn’t find the thread but thought this info might be useful

Sorry no link to thread but I have been running 32:25 for a few years using the lowest a fair bit on steep stuff. Still going strong.

38:17 for me on the winter road bike. Haven’t had to get off and push yet and have done a few centuries on it. Spins out at around 40-45mph.

Yeah I remember that thread too- it all stemmed from a mention in the manual about using a 19t sprocket or something like that. It doesn’t explicitly say that there is a minimum ratio (like Rohloff does) but a lot of people take it to mean that. Fwiw I ignored it and my roller clutch crumbled after 5 years/ 15,000 miles, make of that what you will…

Ps there is an Alfie expert out there (can’t remember his name) who is quoted as saying that you shouldn’t pedal out of the saddle either. I guess what it boils down to is that if you do those things your Alfie will last longer, but it’s up to you whether you think that’s worth it or not! 🙂

mine is years old and thousands of miles. I do service it annually tho

I was standing up on the pedals and mashing it as hard as I could with the electric motor at full blast as well

As a slight segue, I have an 8 speed Alfine mechanical on one bike with Versa 8 levers. If I don’t use the bike for a bit, the lever changes up (down) with the big paddle OK but seems to change down (up) in multiples on the small lever. It’s as if something is sticking in the release mechanism. Trial shifting on the stand and GT85 gets it going OK again but the behaviour soon returns. Any ideas?

I had a thought of Alfine Di2 as a £££ fix (I want drop bar levers) but it is a bit spendy but a bike I don’t use much. Anyone using 8 speed Alfine Di2?

I’ve used mine geared 32:23 and 28:23 over the last seven years. It never seems to have done it any harm. I just relube it about every year with Rocol Aerospec 100, which might have been made for Alfine hubs.
It wasn’t, of course – Bombardier Q400 prop. grease, more like.

I had a thought of Alfine Di2 as a £££ fix (I want drop bar levers) but it is a bit spendy but a bike I don’t use much. Anyone using 8 speed Alfine Di2?

I got fed up of the Versa levers varying the cable shift and resulting in ghost shifting, so moved to the Di2. First with Alfine Levers, then with RS785s. I’m using an Alfine 11 Di2 and have been for 20000+km without any problems at all.

I also have set of Alfine Di2 Drop bar shifters if you’re interested? Mint condition – £75.

I have been running 32:25

Didn’t know 25T was available – is that new ?
Biggest I ever found was 23T

Anyway been running 32:22 for 4 years and haven’t serviced it once (as an experiment not because Im lazy – but I am also lazy)

Its still fine

I think the alfine manual listed some gesr combinations and possibly a recommended maximum ratio.

running 29/18 here … no issue

IIRC Sram or sturmey archer (forget which) do a 25t which fits alfine also. Pretty sure I found mine on eBay.

sturmey archer sprokets fit but IIRC they have 6 tabs and alfine 3 so you have to file 3 tabs off