I'm trying to build a winter bike that requires little to no maintenance SS isn't an option for my knees so i thought a hub gear would be the next best thing but rohloffs are to expensive.
I can get the alfine 8 speed for £150 or the 11 speed for £300. Is the 11 speed worth twice the price?
no, in many ways the 8 is all you need
The 11 speed runs in an oil bath like the Rohloff so servicing should be much easier than the 8 speed. It takes me 20 minutes once a year to service the Rohloff so I'd be inclined to go with the 11 speed.
Top tip - look into 11 reliability before committing...
The alfine 8 has been perfectly good for my commute through the winters with the only maintenance being the occassional chain clean ... thats it.
the gear ratio steps are a little large sometimes depending on the conditions, but i certainly dont feel that its worth another £150 foranything more.
I have the alfine 8, ridden about 1000 miles on it and never had to touch it other than gt85 the chain after every ride.
Works perfectly.
On the road i cant really see any need for more than the 8 speed. If i was building a mountain bike then it would have to be the 11 speed to gain a lower ratio.
If you have very hilly terrain and are not mega fit then maybe the 11 speed.
I have done 50 mile rides on mine and it runs perfectly, in fact i was out dragging(freewheel) a mate on a race bike on the down hill and i have a 26"x1.5 tyres and disk brakes!!!
Search the forum - lots of good and bad stories on the 11-spd. Have an 11-spd on my road commuter and it's been absolutely fine over the first ~1000 miles. A little draggy (some say it isn't, but I do think it is), little heavy at the back, the gear jumps take a little getting used to and tyre changes can be a chore, but other than that, it just works.
