Comments on: The Agony of Indecision

By: elliott

elliott — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:19:54 +0000

Brian,
I don’t find the default higher gear of the Sturmey Archer hub to be an advantage. First, I find the gearing of the SA hubs to be on the high side in general. Secondly, I live in a hilly city so the idea of the default, broken cable setting being the hardest gear is not a benefit. Instead, it makes the bike mostly not ridable.

Regarding the lube, at least they are easily serviceable. The SA hubs have to essentially be stripped to re-lube, not something the end user is likely going to be able to do.

By: Brian Allen

Brian Allen — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 21:12:19 +0000

Elliot, Shimano roller brakes ( small cooling disc ) were what was standard equipment on my Azor. I’m still using them on the Azor I ride everyday, the nice thing about them is that they work in any kind of weather. Bad thing is they’re filled with a black moly lube that, if over lubed, attracts sand and dirt then they get gritty. I’ve already had to clean them once in a solvent tank. The other thing I wanted to add about Sturmey Archer is that, if for some reason the cable breaks, you get high gear. The Shimano goes into low gear if the cable snaps which makes it easier but slower to get where your going.

By: elliott

elliott — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 23:24:26 +0000

Brian,
Shimano does make a drum brake of sorts- their roller brake. I actually prefer this for serviceability and better brake cooling in the premium version.

Sturmey Archer is much clunkier for sure. The 3 and 5 speeds are an OK budget option but the 8 speed is a mess (even in its newer incarnation) and I would not recommend it. The front Sturmey Archer drum/dynamo hub works great and I spec it on my custom Dutch bikes at Violet Crown Cycles (this is also due to the fact that the Shimamo dymano/roller brake hub is not available in North America for some bizarre reason.)

By: Brian Allen

Brian Allen — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 03:12:16 +0000

Well, here’s the scoop, Henry got it right. Shimano on your Azor is the way to go. I built up 2 spare wheels, the front with a Sturmey Archer drum brake hub/generator and 5 speed rear end with drum brakes. Installed the twist shift also. I must say that the quality of Sturmey Archer is just not up to the way I remember. I do like the drum brakes, but their epicyclic 5 speed is just not as slick or as precise as the Shimano. Now if only Shimano made the Nexus with drum brakes…….

By: elliott

elliott — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 14:28:36 +0000

Michelle,
As long as you get a model with a 7 or 8 speed internal hub, you should be fine. The way these hubs are geared on the Dutch bikes gives you plenty of gearing for most Austin hills and should be overkill for Dallas.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 23:54:07 +0000

I see that you were planning to get the Opa originally. As a former Longhorn I know how hilly it can be in, well, Hill Country! Were you expecting it to be a problem? I really would prefer to get the Oma over the Secret Service but I am worried about the weight of the bike for the DFW Metroplex. I know it’s the “rolling plains of Texas” and not a lot of steep hills, but it’s still not flat like, say, Chicago. After riding the SS would you say it’s better for places that aren’t pancakes than the Oma?

By: Henry

Henry — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:53:04 +0000

Hi Elliot,
How fun; building your own Utility bike from the ground up! My quick (educated) opinion on multispeed rear hubs:

We use the Shimano Nexus 8 speed for its combination of reliability, smooth shifting, gear range and compatibility with the maintenance -free (if not pavement rippling) roller brakes. Fourth gear has always been the weak point as it can feel frictiony and wears faster than the others. The Premium and Alfine versions offer improvements for a price. Tip with all Nexus 8′s: gear the final drive so that 5th gear is your “standard cruising gear”… its the direct drive.

The Sturmey Archer 8 speed has been through a couple generations, each better than the last. For 2009 they’re supposedly introducing a major update, a good thing since even the latest are a ways behind the Shimano hubs in all regards. An oddity of the SA 8sp is that 1s gear is the direct drive, the other gears being successively higher. This makes the hub really cool for bikes with little wheels and essentially useless for cargo carrying bikes that need to be geared low.

Sram makes strong and efficient gear boxes with absolutely horrible shifters attached. It seems like they always run out of budget once the hub is done and just throw some shifter together. All, including the brand new i9 seem to suffer from the same problem. I fitted one to my wife’s bakfiets to test and after only a month its beginning to stiffen up and shift badly.

By: elliott

elliott — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:03:58 +0000

Thanks for the recommendation on the shifter, Henry. I was just thinking about the specing on the Dutch style transportation bike I’m building in Doug Fattic’s class. I’m probably going Shimano Nexus (although I am also interested in the latest Sturmey Archer) l, but it’s good to know what might not work as well.

By: Henry

Henry — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 09:49:59 +0000

At a customer’s request we fitted an Alfine shifter to a Secret Service with the same swept-back handlebar yesterday. Turns out its just not a great fit: No matter what angle you set it vulnerable parts stick out and will break if (rather _when_ the bike falls. Further, even with the shifter pushed as far forward into the curve as possible the push buttons are really too far back and cramp hand space. The Alfine shifter is clearly designed for a mountain bike type handlebar, not one with nearly longitudinal grips.

Verdict: We’ll stick with the durable, effective and much less expensive twist grips. The Alfine shifter would be a negative not a positive on these bikes.

By: Mark in Santa Barbara

Mark in Santa Barbara — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 01:28:09 +0000

Jack,

I Love your Writing. Somehow, I don’t Think it’s Unintentional, and that Fact pleses me No End.

Your English Borther,

Mark