As above. Is it possible? Are there any issues with the chain length/tensioner? How has it affected the rear suspension/handling? Would you recommend it?
I'm toying with the idea of getting an 11 speed Alfine and putting it on my old Stumpjumper, mainly from a reduced maintenance point of view. This has probably been asked before but does anyone know what the ratios are like on the new 11 speed Alfine (in layman's terms if possible i.e. compared to a 'normal' 27 speed set up). I'm not bothered about losing the 'big ring' gears, but I'd want something low enough to manage steep climbs and high enough to not spin out on fast flowy singletrack...
Go 1x9 Ross. Its mint.
(Yes, I'm still very bored at work)
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/alfine-11spd-set-up
The ratios are here - really up to you how you use them based on what ring/sprocket you choose. Look at what ratios you use now (and what you don't) for you're typical riding and then work out how best to cover that with the available spread.
Yes it's possible but you have to run a sprung tensioner to adjust for chain length change through the travel (unless you have a single pivot round the BB design frame - eg Kona A).
Alfine 11 has a 409% range so if you set it up with an equivalent lowest gear to 22(chainring)x32(rear sprocket) (0.69) the the top gear would be 4.09 times that = 2.82 = 44x15.6 eg somewhere between 15 and 16t sprockets.
There are lots of photos of full-sus alfines in this thread:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=449329
I found these on a google search:
Gear Ratio
11 2.153
10 1.888
9 1.667
8 1.462
7 1.292
6 1.134
5 0.995
4 0.878
3 0.770
2 0.681
1 0.527
key to any suspension is to keep the un-sprung weight as low as possible - using an alfine is going to add a stack of weight exactly where you don't want it
having said that, i don't know how it would actually effect things - some suspension boffin will no-doubt be along to illuminate