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Running an Alfine Hub

41 posts & 33 voices | Started 1 year ago by bland | Latest reply from djaustin

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bland - Member

What are peoples thoughts? It would be on a mountain bike, steel hardtail for example and just fancy something different for peaks winter riding.

How do people find that they fare? Are they strong enough for off road over a long period or are they more designed for road use?

Also i did a quick calculation as i was worried about the weight and was quite surprised at what i found.

You would save

Front Mech - 125g
Rear mech - 300g
Chain - 100g
Casette - 315g
Hub - 300g
qr - 125g
Rings and bolts - 125g
Shifter & cable - 200g
Shorter spokes - 40g

Total saving - 1590g

Alfine weight - 1590g

So it actually makes **** all difference, just means you have a bit more weight in one spot!

hmmmmmmmm.....interesting!

Posted 1 year ago #
Mostly Balanced - Member

Plus points:
Weatherproof gears
Your chain will last longer and cost less to replace
Gear changes at a standstill

Minus points:
Slow pickup from freewheeling
It's a bit of a lump in one place
Wheel removal is a little more involved than undoing a QR

The only reason I don't use my Alfine more is because I ride the bike singlespeed most of the time. All the minus points are quite eaasy to get used to. I can switch my bike from singlespeed to Alfine geared in under 15 minutes now.

Posted 1 year ago #
cynic-al - Member

OP you planning on not using a chain? (and does your alfine weight include sprocket, chifter and cable?) Some of those weighs do look biased...125gm for a QR?

Another thing is you can feel the inefficiency in the hub, may not bother some, but i was aware of it on a v. brief test ride.

Posted 1 year ago #
GW - Member

Also i made up a few weights ~~as i was worried about the weight~~ so as not to be surprised at what i found

Posted 1 year ago #
yossarian - Member

not sure about the OP's calcs but in all honesty all you need to do is pick up a rear wheel with a cassette on it and a rear wheel with an alfine.

Hubs gears are the future but the alfine is WAAAY too heavy to be a serious contender imho

Posted 1 year ago #
epicsteve - Member

I've got an Alfine hub on my Roadrat and while I like it there is no doubt that the bike a fair bit heavier than it would be with conventional gearing.

Posted 1 year ago #
cynic-al - Member

+350gm according to this

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=520896

Pretty insignificant for performance however it will of course make the bike less flickable - probably only significant for aggressive trail centre riding.

Posted 1 year ago #
bobbyspangles - Member

no complaints here. runs nicely through the clag and clog of Warwickshires' dirty months.

Posted 1 year ago #
ash - Member

Been running Alfine since December 2006, so nearly four years.

After a *LOT* of use in the Savoie and Maritime Alps I am in absolutely no doubt whatsoever as to Alfine's longevity and its suitability for harsh off road use.

The weight-in-one place thing is pretty easy to adapt to IME.

Posted 1 year ago #
plushhill - Member

Been running an iOiD demo bike for the last six months and customers never mention weight, the main negatives are: How do I get the rear wheel out and running out of gears on road descents. Both issues can be managed. The massive plus is lack of mechs to get stuffed with mud. Perfect second bike choice I think, I'm thinking Transition TransAM Alfine could be a winner.

Posted 1 year ago #
Conespanner - Member

So why can't you use an Alfine with a chain tensioner and double rings up front?

Posted 1 year ago #
mikertroid - Member

Also have an iOiD and have no problems with the strength of the hub.
weighs a bit but doesn't feel inefficient, do a fair bit of jumping on it. I use a slime lite tube which makes it all a bit less work.

superb piece of kit.

Posted 1 year ago #
ash - Member

So why can't you use an Alfine with a chain tensioner and double rings up front?

You can if you really want to. No problem.

Posted 1 year ago #
james-o - Member

"So why can't you use an Alfine with a chain tensioner and double rings up front? "

you can )

Posted 1 year ago #
ir_bandito - Member

I have a Thorn Raven with a Rohloff, and a Singular Peregrine with an Alfine (for road-riding)
they are heavy, but they're both bombproof. Would never consider going back to deraileurs now.
Can't wait to have a look at the new Alfine as it takes the technology of the Rohly (helical gears, oil bath) and combines it with Shimano's cheaper price.

Posted 1 year ago #
lucien - Member

I've been running an Alfine on a 456 for the last 6 months or so - intended to use it as a winter bike, off road and so far has been great. Don't bother washing the bike, oil the chain a bit every now and again - that's it.

Downside, it's heavy hub - so whilst all the weight savings add up to the same most of the weight is centred on the hub. Weird to get used to but ok now I have. I Can't flick the bike much, it's not good on bunny hops, downhill it's fine. There's a big gap between the gears.

Plus side - I'm saving the price of a chain, cassette, jockey wheels, rear mech being ripped off, chain rings replacing - all of which I did the previous year, sometimes more than once at great cost!!!!

Posted 1 year ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

I have an alfine in Genesis IOID

Its mainly used as a commuter but has done some offroad. Great in foul conditions as no dérailleur to gum / freeze up

I don't notice any drag now everything is run in. Uneven gaps between the gears are a bit annoying I don't really notice the weight of teh hub until I tried the bike SS then could feel it lighter.

I like it very much

Posted 1 year ago #
stooo - Member

Just built up an Inbred 29er with alfine 8spd on the back. Only had one test ride, but very impressed.

Yes, it's heavy.
Yes, there's big gaps between the gears.
Yes, you lose the top and bottom of the range of a 3x9 setup.
Yes, it's a bit of a pain to remove the rear wheel for a puncture - particularly if it's dark.

However, you don't really notice the downsides too much and the simplicity of use and maintenance on a winter bike is huge. As a second/winter bike it's a brilliant idea.... or if you're pushed on budget to keep a bike on the road/trail, I'd seriously consider an Alfined hardtail as a main bike.

I'll be using my Alfine inbred 29er for the strathpuffer this winter.

Posted 1 year ago #
steve_b77 - Member

What size of rear cog do you typically run on a Alfine hubbed MTB?

Posted 1 year ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

steve - mine came with 32 / 18 which gives you almost identical gearing to a 1x9 11-34 with a 32 chainring

Posted 1 year ago #
nicko74 - Member

The overall weight isn't a huge issue, it's the concentration of weight in one place - it makes the bike ride differently IME. Harder to get the back wheel off the ground, for example.

Lovely design, and clearly mechanically better grounded than conventional gears, but just... not for me, really!

Posted 1 year ago #
convert - Member

32X20T with Alfine on an 853 Niner Sir9. Does the job very well indeed for me as a winter ride and local summer bridleway basher when 140mm of travel of my fs is daft.

The weight thing is no drama - I carry around kilograms of mud, warmer clothes and lights at this time of year so worrying about a few grams here or there is laughable imo. The located in a single spot thing might be a possible to tell if I bothered to think about it but its not a bike I ride rad to the max so not a biggie.

Having to ease of slightly to shift is probably the biggest issue for me but on the up side you can shift whilst stationary, unmounted or with pedals flat going through corners so its not all bad.

New one is meant to be on its way and I'll probably buy one when they are plentiful and shown to be reliable as I wouldn't mind the bigger range.

Posted 1 year ago #
giantjason - Member

i had an 8spd Alfine prior to my Rohloff and used them both for commuting duties and winter riding.

both hubs have been great and wont be going back to using gears in the near future. In fact i am going to be using the Rohloff on both commuter and FS.

yes they are slightly heavier and concentrate the weight in one place but that doesnt matter the way i ride and the e advantages far out weight the disadvantages.

Posted 1 year ago #
garybuckham - Member

I've been running with an Alfine for about 8 months now with many of my rides taking in sandy beaches and saltwater. No problems at all with the Alfine despite these conditions. Here's an example Pugsley on Patrol 29 - Aberlady Bay

Gary
http://www.pugsley-on-patrol.org.uk

Posted 1 year ago #
epicyclo - Member

Whatever you do, don't buy an Alfine.

Bike shops rely on selling new cassettes and derailing thingies at frequent intervals. They now have a new special gearset with sprockets thinner than a sheet of bog paper. Yup, they're going to last through a winter of mud and big miles, ain't they?

Then there's the money they'll lose from all those adjustments, bent hangers and stuff.

And you'll miss all those happy moments kicking it straight when you misjudge your line in a rock garden, or peeing on it to remove the ice at 3am in the 'Puffer.

Yup, don't send your bike shop broke, stick to them chain whipping off thingies.

So don't buy an Alfine.

Posted 1 year ago #
Frankenstein - Member

More gears, lighter and bomb proof would cause a storm in the cycling world?

I hope the industry is reading this

Posted 1 year ago #
avdave2 - Member

I can't comment on the Alfine but I've run a Rohloff for over 4 years now and it's on it's 3rd winter of off road commuting. Hub gears are fantastic for such a use and the advantages far out weigh any disadvantages if you ride that regularly in wet and muddy conditions. All I do is wipe the chain over if it's got very wet and muddy and squirt some GT85 on. I never wash the bike and the only other thing I clean are the stanchions. The last chain lasted 3 years and I only changed it as a precaution. I think the 11 speed Alfine with the oil bath and easier servicing will be a big improvement.
I'm not of the evangelical branch of the the hub gear movement who will never consider a derailleur again but it would always be in addition to a hub geared bike for me.

Posted 1 year ago #
Stu McGroo - Member

cynic-al - +350gm according to this

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=520896

in comparing weights it's not fair to play xt/x9 off against alfine.

pricewise, alfine is comparable to deore, then i think you'll find the total increase in weight is less that 100g.

Posted 1 year ago #
_tom_ - Member

Had my first go on an Alfine bike couple of weeks ago. Really liked it but the cost is a bit too much for me. Plus my bike doesn't have sliding dropouts and I don't really like tensioners.

Posted 1 year ago #
StefMcDef - Member

I've recently bought a Haro Mary XC 29er and had an Alfine hub wheelset put on it by my LBS.

First big ride on it will be on Saturday so it remains to be seen how it goes, but my initial impressions on riding it home from the the LBS, and round the block/through the woods a couple of times, are that it's very heavy. S'pose that might be to do with it being my first shot at a 29er as well.

If, statistically, it's no heavier than a geared set up once you total all the weight up, then fine, but the bike certainly feels heavier for having a concentration of the weight in one place. But there are a few reasons why mountain biking in winter is heavier - more clothes, lights, mud clagging up tyres, drivetrain, frame, etc.

Looking forward to a proper work out on it at the weekend though.

Posted 1 year ago #
coastkid - Member

Think i could live with Alfine hubs on all 4 bikes now,
fitted one to a pugsley and gone are clogged mechs and reliability ok
as with Gary riding one on the beach,about 600 miles done with it now often in wet sand and Al-fine
Pick up is a bit strange but i like the other benefits,
for me wheel removal is no probs,
lovely simple (longer lasting chain line),
great in long summer grass too,one cable etc...
can still bunny hop despite a little more wieght at the rear!.
An 11 speed will no doubt be alot better, with a better range from low to high.
Give them a few years and there price should come down a bit

Posted 1 year ago #
cynic-al - Member

I see your point stu but in realization many folk who are concerned about weight and thinking of an alfine will be running decent kit eg XT

Posted 1 year ago #
fourbanger - Member

I used one ridding across to Hungary in the summer, which was built specially for the trip. I was a bit concerned as it was untested but it coped with the whole 2500Km without a hitch. It didn't give me the ratios to lug a loaded tourer up a 25% incline after a days ridding, but would handle everything else, including an hour of spinning at 40Km/h with a monster tailwind!
Although I didn't encounter any problems with the mechanics of the hub itself, I did with the spokes and the hub played a part. Every so often, and for no particular reason, a spoke would break at the flange end on the elbow. I ended up breaking 8 in the end, but got pretty good at replacing spokes and truing wheels, so not all bad. Talking to a few serious cycle tourists on route, I discovered the cause of the problem was the spoke holes in the Flange were bigger than standard. This combined with standard gauge spokes, caused them to vibrate and cause stress fractures on the elbow.
So that's something to consider if you're going to put some serious miles on it, especially if it's coping with a reasonable load! (and don't forget the weight difference of the single butted 13/14 spokes over your double butted lightweights!)
I have to give a shout out to my LBS, Stonehenge Cycles in Salisbury for rebuilding it for me with beefcake spokes.
Top service, I'm extremely grateful.

Posted 1 year ago #
Del - Member

the spoke thing is a very valid point. spoke gauge should be close to the flange hole size otherwise this is a weak point. when i built my alfine wheel i used dt swiss tandem spokes ( bought from sjs cycles ), that were triple butted, that were a better match for flange hole size. look into my profile for other posts about the hub in use for mtb.

Posted 1 year ago #
epicsteve - Member

It didn't give me the ratios to lug a loaded tourer up a 25% incline after a days ridding, but would handle everything else,

What gearing where you running?

Posted 1 year ago #