Do you get dead nervous about pressing the PLACE ORDER button? Done it now…

To replace my knackered old MTB commuter/hack bike. 10 days to wait. I’m just worried that it’s a bit too nice.

So, any other Alfine/Nexus users on here? Fancy talking about what they are like? Have you serviced one yet and how much faff are they?

dunno but its nice is that.

clean and tidy……..nowt to dislike.
enjoy.

Someone at work has just got one of them (although it might be the Mixer).
Looks very nice.

LOVE Charge bikes. Very nice.

Me too. Ordered a Santa Cruz Heckler recently, really excited about it!

Always nice to order a new bike. But its just a bike basically.

Looks well nice 😀

“But its just a bike basically.”

But in my mind it’s a much bigger thing! If you want one, look on Wiggle £320.

£320 – bargain! Really like the look of it and yup +1 for generally liking Charge bikes.

My commuter has an 8 speed nexus hub. Spesh Globe from 2009

Its great. back is a bit heavy but it zips along at an alarming rate. I tend to sit it at 18mph without any problem along flat bits.

The commute takes 30 minutes (moving time)on my Allez and 31 minutes (moving time) on the Globe so its hardly a slouch.

I could really take a slightly larger front ring too as I can spin it out in 8th on occasions.

a few hundred miles in the Nexus and I’ve not had a problem nor have I felt any need to have it serviced. I believe they need “special” grease?

I like the look of a single speed the internal hubs bring to a bike but you still have the speed and versatility.

Your Tap will rip along I’m sure.

my alfine top tip:

STOP pedalling during a gear change – it just feels much nicer (at the lever) and the hub stops making odd noises if you do this.

nice bike.

🙂

Your Tap will rip along I’m sure

That’s what I’m hoping. I’m not really keen on racing-style bikes and many of the scenic country roads I like riding in Somerset are rough, gravelly affairs. So I have been thinking about a tough, fast rolling bike like a CX, or steel beast. Being Somerset designed, I’ve been attracted to the Charge Plug variants. As much as I want a single-speed, a few gears are a bit more versatile, and that price convinced me.

STOP pedalling during a gear change

Good tip, thanks

a few hundred miles in the Nexus and I’ve not had a problem nor have I felt any need to have it serviced.

Great. I have heard that you have dismantle the wheel and soak it in a an oil bath 😯 But I guess you replace wheels ever couple of years anyway.

I’m jealous – enjoy…..

Great buy that at £320. Very smart.

Yeah! At £320 that’s a real ‘steel’. Nice bike. Enjoy.

8 speed is so last year

I work in the warehouse that sends charge bikes to the shops that order them. had one of them out the box, look very nice in the flesh!

have 2 bikes with alfine hubs, 456 for 3 years in nov and pompino for nearly a year. pompino is set up as commuter/pub bike with 44:20 and i sit in 6th on the flat fine.

320 is a bargain considering the price i paid for the rear wheel.

both bikes are bombproof, ease off when changing gear for smooth, gear gaps are noticeable on the flat at my fitness but give me a definite goal. on the ps3 so check my post history for more details

“gear gaps are noticeable on the flat”

It’s interesting this. I have talked to a few road cyclist and they tend to want quite narrow shifts. I guess so that it doesn’t interrupt their cadence so much as they shift progressively up or down the cassette.

As someone who mostly mountain bikes, and so used to both mashing and spinning at random times, this is not something I have really considered. So I’m hoping the gaps don’t annoy me too much.

I’d be lying if I said the bike’s good looks didn’t matter 😀

Love the look of this been after a bike to start commuting on
was going to go down the road bike route but this has turned my head
any idea how the sizing comes up? im 5′ 9″ and considering a medium

I had a Charge Mixer 8 but it was slightly too small which was a shame as its a great bike and well made. I ended up stripping it and transferring the parts to an On One Pompetemine which at a large is just slightly longer than the small Charge. The On One build quality isn’t a patch on Charge nor is the tubing. Alfine works nicely with no regular maintenance all you need do is match up the yellow dots, only downside is needing a 15mm spanner to fit wheel.

Just in the middle of my first oil bath service on my alfine, so far so good! using atf fluid for it and seems to be removing the dirty grease nicely! not too hard to work on and only cone spanners required so far!

Must admit the engineering geek in me really likes the compact mechanics of an internal hub gear!

wow that looks too good to be true, sent link to my mate who’s after a commuting bike

any idea how the sizing comes up? im 5′ 9″ and considering a medium

I contacted Charge to ask about sizing and they indicated Medium for me (5’11”). Ping them.

Just in the middle of my first oil bath service on my alfine, so far so good!

That’s reassuring. Thanks.

“gear gaps are noticeable on the flat”

It’s interesting this. I have talked to a few road cyclist and they tend to want quite narrow shifts. I guess so that it doesn’t interrupt their cadence so much as they shift progressively up or down the cassette.

As someone who mostly mountain bikes, and so used to both mashing and spinning at random times, this is not something I have really considered. So I’m hoping the gaps don’t annoy me too much.

I’d be lying if I said the bike’s good looks didn’t matter

I don’t find them annoying, if I was 10% fitter/stronger I could use 7th more but that’s the challenge for me. I need the wide range anyhows, low gears so that I can tow the nipper trailer around the local woods and the higher range for commuting (low is also handy for coming back from the pub).

My 456 needs the races sorting as they are sounding ropey now, but apart from tightening the axel nuts because of the kiddie trailer I’ve done nothing to it in 29 months riding in everything – I lie, it’s had the chain oiled 4-5 times.

I did manage to strip some holding pin thing for the pompino (for the 20t spocket) when I hammered it after someone who had nearly ran me over and I mashed the gears abit – but that was a 20 quid fix.

The 456 has the original 500 hub, the pompino the better clutched 501 and I can’t tell the difference.

I’m very tempted to get that bike as a spares horse…

I’m very tempted to get that bike as a spares horse…

I see what you mean, though I suspect you’d end up riding it 🙂

The 45% offer is because it’s the 2010 model, and they still have stock for all three sizes. The 2011 model is full price, but not sure I see much difference in spec.

any idea how the sizing comes up? im 5′ 9″ and considering a medium

I had the Charge Mixer small which has a 56cm seattube and it was about 2cm short on the top tube for me at 6 foot tall. In hindsight I would have been better with a medium and to answer your question I would say a small would suit you better. If you did go for medium you may not have any standover clearance and a short stem could bring the reach back a bit but make it twitchy too.
Evans normally have a good stock of Charge bikes so you can try for size, they’ll also price match too.

Cheers Craigxxl i thought standover clearence would maybe be an issue ive emailed Charge for sizing info
and i’ll nip into Evans for a try

Anyone tried mudguards on the Charge tap clearance on the back looks a bit tight was think Crud roadracer mk2 ?

That’s a great looking bike, deeply envious now!

How’s it look with mudguards, though?

Mrs tiboy just ordered one of these! Fantastic value and she’s really looking forward to no derailleur, and chain cross etc, or more accurately lectures from me on how to shift etc! 😳

Feel a bit silly having spend that much on a Dew, but that was four years ago now 🙂

How’s it look with mudguards, though?

How wet will you get without them ??
just got a mail back from Charge to say clearance too tight for full length mudguards on the 2010 model
2011 comes with guards

they suggest SKS blade XL but i suppose any 3/4 length rear would do