[Closed] which Alfine for minimum maintenance , reliability, ease of puncture repair etc

My advice is to run with a normal rear mech.

IME Alfines are very particular about cable tension and as soon as that changes they skip. If you can teach him how to keep it right, he may be fine.

Wheel removal is the same on both types. You need a spanner and to be able to remove/refit the cable (and see my last point about how temperamental that can be).

The 11 speed has/had a reputation as being a bit troublesome. Note also that the additional gears are at the higher/faster end of the spread (although this can be partially mitigated by the changing the chainring).

Sounds like a job for an automatic 2 speed coaster hub to me. 🙂

Thanks Scots...useful info.
Epi. Unfortunately he needs a fair spread of gears but open to any suggestions!

1 x with a big cassette would at least rule out maintaining a front mech/cable etc.

Yes .starting to consider that option

what would be the cheapest wide range cassette ...9sp 11 to 40 ?

Tubeless rear wheel would cut the need for removal to rarely.

yes ..another good point . he has already purchased super heavy marathon plus mtb tyres so fairly unlikely to puncture regularly .

What size wheels? You can get puncture proof tyres, ie not pneumatic. A wee bit more rolling resistance, but not excessive. Not the sort of thing you'd fit to your own bike, but ideal for a non-enthusiast who can't/won't look after their bike.

On-One have a bargain Nexus 8 speed for roller brakes. It's the recent model with needle bearings, and can withstand gear changes made without lightening the pedal pressure. You'd need to use a roller brake on it though, but again ideal for no maintenance - just add grease every year - or alternatively use rim brakes.

EDIT: don't need to run a roller brake if you use this adapter

I ran a 8sp alfine for years on my commuter bike with 0 issues. It inspired me to get an 11sp for the mtb, unfortunately although it had many benefits, it also had more issues and relatively regularly required attention (although not as much as normal gears).

I'm going to run 26" as that's what he's used to .he doesn't care about latest trends + used forks etc will be cheaper. I know nothing about roller brakes so will research

Oh actually yes ..I did have a nexus hub geared bike many moons ago with a roller brake. Presume the adaptor allows one to run discs?

Is he using the bike off-road then?

How does the Alfine cope off-road guys?

yes off road use .

Alpine 8 owner here. Ime once cable tension is set it's no problem and there is a very simple way of disconnecting the cable to get the wheel out that doesn't effect tension. I haven't adjusted the cable in thousands of miles despite swapping it between frames

I think they are great

Fine off road. Mine came on an mtb

Cool, good to know for future reference.👍

I've been commuting an old 8spd Alfine for 6 months - seems fine. Mrs used it previously and has had the gear shift bits freeze up in very cold.
How will you be tensioning the chain? Vertical dropouts are easier for wheel removal but need ebb, sliders or tensioner.

Had a 7spd Nexus which felt draggy in comparison. Roller brakes are very reliable but rattle which is annoying if you regularly use a bumpy route. My sister in law has been using it for a flat 3 mile commute with total neglect for 4 years. She loves it compared to derailleur and wouldn't go back.

Tried a Sturmey - gear steps are a bit big for road - actually better off road as "singlespeed plus" (uphill, flat and downhill gears).

"Alpine 8" TJ ..is that a special low geared version?!!!!

it'll probably go on a Dialled bikes love hate frame which has an ebb .

I did run it with a 26 chainring and a 22 sprocket for the 'puffer 😉 stupidly low gearing!

Its no trickier to get the wheel out when changing tyres than any other bike with a nutted axle. It would go nicely in that frame. they are a bit draggy when new but improve once run in and serviced with oil rather than grease - once a year strip and dunk in ATF. Its the main mistake folk do with them IMO - run them for years without doing this. Takes about an hour to do and is very simple.

My Alfine 11 is it’s about to roll
over 25k km. it’s been serviced 3 times at a cost of £30. Still on the same chain and chainrings too.

No cables - it’s Di2.

If you don't want the faff of having to get/keep the cable tension absolutely bob on there is a D12 option, just plug and play.
I'm selling this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/332937880341?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 Free post at that proce to anyone off here

Poopscoop
How does the Alfine cope off-road guys?

Nothing dangling to get clogged up with mud or caught in heather or rubbed off on a rock, so good.

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EDIT: don’t need to run a roller brake if you use this adapter

epicyclo, where did you find that? Any chance of a link please?

used an Alfine 8 as my winter off-road bike for a few years. It was generally very, very good. Did 1 service on the hub in 4 years, and the grease was still fresh in patches inside the hub after all that time.

I used to roll the bike into the shed covered in mud, with no cleaning at all. Then, roll it out the next week and ride again. Occasional oil on the chain but that was it.

I didn't find the cable particularly tricky, or have stretch issues.

The main reason for getting rid of it, was selling the bike that had horizontal drop-outs, as it was very old and out-of-date (read, 1-1/8th straight steerer and 26" wheels....). also the gaps between gears were big enough that i couldn't really use it for a general winter/summer hardtail. In the dry i just couldn't get used to not finding 'just the right gear' .

Overall, i think i'll be getting another one pretty soon. When i have space for another hardtail, i'll have a dedicated mud bike, with shorty's and an Alfine hub.

I wouldn't want to run an Alfine with a rear mech, as that really defeats the purpose of 'nothing to bend, snag, wear out or block up'

Alfine 8 on my winter MTB for about 5 years now.
Just swapped it out recently for a new one as one of the roller bearings disintegrated.
To be fair to it I ran a commuter hub on a 140mm full suspension bike for 2 of those years and sent it down DH tracks as well as running it way above the max recommended torque for the steep hills that I ride up. But I only discovered the issue when I took it apart for its first service in 5 years and lots of bits fell out. The hub itself was still working fine!

Also the new version is better as the gears shift the correct way around now instead of backwards. before you had to back off the power to shift up when climbing - not anymore.

Cant rate them enough

before you had to back off the power to shift up when climbing

...don't you mean shift down?

It seems there's little agreement on whether 8 or 11 speed is a better choice . Looks like I'm going to have to research further but appreciate all the advice.

Paul@RTW
epicyclo, where did you find that? Any chance of a link please?

Sorry, thought I'd stuck one in that post. Must have somehow lost it when I edited it to post the pic

tjagain
I did run it with a 26 chainring and a 22 sprocket for the ‘puffer 😉 stupidly low gearing!

Did that expose any weaknesses? I was thinking of running gears for the 'Puffer this year (getting old & frail - it'll be suspension next 🙂 )

Kaiser, the 11 speed benefits are in the higher range. It has a limit on the ratio for direct gear that means you are not supposed to gear it lower than the 8 speed. That may have changed since I last looked at the 11 speed, but I don't see any advantage in it for a knockabout mtb over the 8 speed, and it's much more expensive.

Did that expose any weaknesses?

Yeah. He only managed 4 laps....

I’ve got an Alfine 11 on my commuter (Genesis Day 1 Alfine).
I have a bit of a love/hate with it…
Love: low maintenance, being able to change gears at traffic lights
Hate: Unreliable, heavy, leaks oil regularly, total PITA to remove rear wheel.

It’s probably done around 10,000 Km over the last 3 years with a couple of services in that time.
It needs adjusting constantly, the slips can vary from a slight crunching to giving way under load completely which is pretty awful say on a roundabout surrounded by traffic. MY LBS reckons some of this is down to the versa shifter which is built into the break levers.
I keep thinking I would love to get rid of it and replace with a 1x11 mech set up but I don’t think that would hold up to a year round lengthy commute as well, and the frame won’t take a mech. I might just go SS.
I have never tried an 8 but I wouldn’t have an 11 on MTB.

before you had to back off the power to shift up when climbing

…don’t you mean shift down?

It seems there’s little agreement on whether 8 or 11 speed is a better choice . Looks like I’m going to have to research further but appreciate all the advice.

Up / Down - I never know which is which. Lets just say easier. Going to an easier gear can now be done under power.

I think if you read enough threads you will find 8 speed is more reliable - and its definitely half the price. 8 for me as the extra gears of 11 speed are at the harder end of the range and id rarely use them. Keep the grease in there so there is no oil to leak on your discs (seems to be a regular issue with 11sp owners and 8sp oil conversions).

Ok good stuff.... Decision now narrowed to either 8sp alfine or 1 X 9/10sp with a massive cassette.

I used the Alfine 8 on a Genesis Day 1 for a long distance tour down the pacific coast highway (Vancouver - San Diego) no issues, bit more hassle removing the rear wheel for punctures but not much , cable tension really straightforward to adjust and doesn’t need doing very often. I really liked the ‘feel’ the alfine gave thé drivetrain too.

This id my last post on this shit website, sick of struggling with it.

Used a sg501 for 23k km to commute - still running now with a new owner with no bother.

Got 7 years out of my sg500 on the mtb, cup and cones are the only reason I replaced with a sg501 I got dirt cheap, now on winter #2. I washed that bike/hub combo 5 times and it just kept going.

Go through my post history for loads of alfine stuff.

The only hassle removing the rear wheel is getting the nipple out of the cable groove on the hub.

That is easily fixed. There is a small hole near the nipple into which you can insert a narrow rod and use that to turn the mechanism and relieve the pressure on the nipple. It then comes out very easily. (BTW assuming everyone knows to have changed into the gear where the cable is slackest)

Here's an example of it in use - it's made out of an old coat hanger. When it gets rusty, I'll make a new one out of a spare spoke.
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And I can't lose it because it lives on the bike.

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I just use the smallest allen key on my multitool - or would if I had ever had a puncture when out on the bike ( conti protection tyres)

handy tip ,useful to know and I presume removes the problem of disturbing the correct cable tension which I believe is crucial for smooth shifting?

or would if I had ever had a puncture when out on the bike ( conti protection tyres)

She can hear you tj

anyone know which of the 8 speed models are better and the main differences ..seems to be a few different models 500/501 7000 series etc ?

anyone know which of the 8 speed models are better and the main differences ..seems to be a few different models 500/501 7000/8 etc ?

seems the 7000/8 reverses the way the original shifter worked?

I have run S700 11 & S7000 8 speed on my MTB for off road commute & general winter bashing thorough the woods in the mud. The 8 speed is considerably more robust & I like the simplicity & ease of maintenance. However, if you have little mechanical sympathy, my recommendation is go derailleur as Alfines will not last if you abuse them - especially the 11.

cheers for that ..my brother doesn't ride hard he just doesn't look after stuff and is a bit clumsy with gear changing etc . He'll hose a bike down but well ..lubrication doesn't seem to be understood. Just picked up an sg501 + accessories so we'll see how that goes ..if the range isn't enough or he doesn't like it I'll change to 1x9 .

The 8 is generally considered more reliable. One tip would be to repack the NDS bearing with extra grease from new. The one vulnerability they seem to have is water ingress via the NDS bearings.

I've been using mine for the past year commuting. It's done about 6k miles and all I've done it strip it and dip it in ATF about a month ago. I've never had a puncture either.

My advice would be if you're gonna get a bikeshop to service it, make sure it is a shop that knows about servicing Alfines. My second bit of advice would be don't bother and service it yourself, it is v easy.

epicyclo's tip about unhooking the cable is good, but the newer hubs have thumblevers on the sprung carousel, so you can just push it round with a finger, unclip the cable from the clip, and the nut/cable just springs out. Easy peasy.

good advice ..cheers ADH