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1. paul4stones - Member

   I like to be able to see if things are wearing out rather than have a 'black box' system which is either working or broken, and when bits do wear out I like to be able to choose what I buy to replace them.

   This is key for me. I had one for 2.5 yrs with no problems and wondered if it was actually the Holy Grail. It failed on me at the start of a holiday and the lack of parts/expertise meant it had to be abandoned (the hub, not the holiday thankfully). With a conventional system you can always bodge it somehow and parts are readily available.

   Posted 9 months ago #
2. monkeyboyjc - Member

   No,it doesn't, it makes bugger all difference to refitting the wheel - how can it?
   As soon as you disconnect the cable it goes to the lowest gear anyway so you might as well select 1st gear so you have the most cable slack.
   

   because when you put the wheel back in the shifter has to be in 4th or 6th! which is easily to forget, then you loose gears and have to take the cable out again etc...

   Posted 9 months ago #
3. thepodge - Member

   I've always put mine in the easiest gear when taking the wheel out, never 4th, never had any problems.

   Posted 9 months ago #
4. Andy R - Member

   monkeyboyjc - Member

   because when you put the wheel back in the shifter has to be in 4th or 6th! which is easily to forget, then you loose gears and have to take the cable out again etc...

   No,no it doesn't and you don't - when you reconnect the cable the hub will shift to whatever gear the shifter is set to. So, if it's set to 1st, the hub will be in 1st (slackest cable), if it was set to 8th on the shifter then, when you connect the cable, the hub will be in 8th. The same for any other gear.
   The only thing that is gear position specific is setting cable tension by lining up the yellow lines. On the 8 speed this is 4th and, I believe, 6th on the eleven speed.

   Simples

   Posted 9 months ago #
5. lardman - Member

   8 speeds are a bit less prone to problems (as far as I can tell from researching this issue) and owning one for the past few years. 11's are more fiddly to get shifting right,, and explode a little more.

   Weight - you'll get used to it, and it's not that different.
   Gears - there are bigger gaps, and far less range. You might hive to try a bit harder.
   Maintenance - there ain't none
   Shifter - does my head in- for the first 5 mins of a ride.
   Chain - get a thick, cheap single speed one. Even my awesome power and errr..... Weight cant break it. 3 years later on my winter bike, and stil going.

   All in all, these things are mere triflings compared to the many amazing benefits for the lazy cyclist, who prefers to ride rather than clean/fix/repair the bike.

   Only worth it for people with the special needs listed above.

   If anyone has a second hand Aldine 8 for sale, I'd like to get another one. My third.

   Posted 9 months ago #
6. simons_nicolai-uk - Member

   Not convinced Madison have worked out service/warranty on these either yet -

   Brixton Cycles just sent some back to Madison, for warranty, as complete wheels. Madison are holding onto the hubs "to send back to Japan", returned some of the rims (not all of them), none of the spokes and a couple of random discs. That's simply not acceptable - this should have been a swap of internals.

   Posted 9 months ago #
7. travellingman - Member

   8 speed Alfine hubs are definitely 'worth it' right now as they're proven and affordable.

   Rohloff hubs are well proven but remain expensive.

   In contrast 11 speed Alfine hubs are unproven and 'mid-priced'. Not the best relationship, in my opinion. Interesting to hear that a few problems have surfaced but it's not entirely surprising. A classic new versus old technology scenario.

   I'm saving up for a Rohloff hub whilst using my 8 speed Alfine bike everyday...

   Posted 9 months ago #
8. simons_nicolai-uk - Member

   It will be money well spent. My only real problem with our Rohloffs is getting the screw on cog off to change it (it's a shit of a job). Other than that they've been un-noticable for 1000's of miles.

   Posted 9 months ago #
9. 29erconvert - Member

   check out the on one web site there selling an alfine 11 for around 400 quid full set that is mind not just hub.

   Posted 9 months ago #
10. travellingman - Member

    Glad to hear your hubs have been trouble free! That's the essence of a well designed and manufactured component, it just works and you don't have to think about it.

    Sadly there's always a crap job lurking somewhere on a bicycle or motorcycle for that matter. The retaining ring for the sprocket on the Alfine hub is a pain, although practice makes perfect.

    I've also looked lovingly at Nicolai frames, including the Argon TR (does that make me special?!) but both together would be prohibitively expensive.

    Sadly the Nicolai would have to bow out before the Rohloff hub..

    Posted 9 months ago #
11. packer - Member

    @simons_nicolai-uk - so it sounds like Shimano are honouring the warranty on the Alfine 11 if people break them. Do you know if they are asking any questions regarding the use of the hub prior to failure and the gearing ratios used?

    Posted 9 months ago #
12. simons_nicolai-uk - Member

    Well, we'll see - I'd hope they would honour the warranty but they've not dealt with it in any way satisfactorily so far - at the moment Madison have left the owners with an incomplete pile of parts and no hubs for 6 weeks.

    Posted 9 months ago #

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