So I’m dreaming up something that will allow me to commute through sandy gritty wet woods and survive without needing loads of money thrown at it.

Steel hardtail – fine
Nexus hub gears with belt drive – should be possible
Mudguards with good coverage – options to explore

…. Hub brakes? Are they any good?

I just chewed through a third of a set of pads on one commute, so I’m thinking hub brakes might work out?

Yes, they’re relatively heavy and feel a bit “spongy” compared to discs, but very reliable and completely weather sealed.

Shimano rollers and Sturmey Archer drum brakes are what I know off.

I don’t think either are designed to be used off road, more commuting (in terms of power etc).

I think you WILL need to throw a lot of money at buying a bike like this

brakless fixed

Cable discs (bb7s) & run them with loads of clearance.

What pads have you chewed 1/3 through in one commute? How far? Conditions? Pads bedded in?

Sorry. Don’t know anything about hub gears…

I commute on this:

A Kona Bike with various low-maintenance upgrades. The Hebi chainglide rocks. Allows me to run a standard chain but the crap is kept off: I’ve oiled it four times in a year, if that.
The front rollerbrake / dynamo hub came via Rob at reallyusefulbikes.co.uk.
The rear hub (OEM) is a Shimano 3-speed with backpedal coaster brake.

Front wheel:

Whats wrong with normal discs, unless your mud is hub deep ?

you been resistance training again yes ?

Let go of the brakes – they last longer

Epicyclo did the Puffer with hub brakes on his Fatbike.

I wonder how the chain glide would hold up off road I like the idea for my rohloff 29er but may have too much chain bounce

What pads have you chewed 1/3 through in one commute? How far? Conditions? Pads bedded in?

I don’t want to start that war again. I’ve been at this long enough to understand how it works. The pads are so old I’ve no idea what brand they were or when I put them on, but one ride took a great deal of material off. It happens with specific soil compositions, specific trail structures and specific moisture canditions. In these circumstances a film of water holds grit between the pad and disc, which causes dramatic wear.

This is why some folk can ride in mud for years on one set of pads, and some can only mange a few rides. It’s got nothing to do with pad brand or bedding in etc.

Stirling – I like that bike. Was it expensive?

The bike was £170 new last year. I then added the chainglide (£35) and last month replaced my 8-yr old dynamo front wheel with the roller braked one (£150). Dynamo lights are from the previous bike.
Unfortunately, the Kona Bike has been discontinued, but the Halcion Yukon / Carrera Subway are similar in concept.
http://www.langtoninfo.co.uk/showitem.aspx?isbn=5032307685845&loc=GBP.

I’ve been amusing myself by developing a low-maintanance bike for years now and roller brakes are definitely the way forward. A spongey feel but easy to maintain. My last experiment came to a premature halt after 6years when the frame snapped…