http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: another one bites the dust... en Sun, 17 May 2026 14:38:53 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130917 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 18:08:59 +0000 wee folding bike 130917@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I thought all current SA 3 speeds had got rid of the no drive position. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130824 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 12:16:35 +0000 DaveC 130824@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Here's a revolutionary idea - a derailleur system. Reliable and saves knees.</p> <p>^^^ This!!</p> <p>Also you could tell the missus you <em>sold</em> a bike to a mate, who amazingly didn't get on with it and <em>gave</em> it back to you.... [whistles] </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130812 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 11:48:05 +0000 twq 130812@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@kaputnik or should that be shear bad luck? I'll get my hi-viz coat... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130809 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 11:43:49 +0000 kaputnik 130809@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Sounds like a run of sheer bad luck Dave. Either that, or you're just going to need to start making "Ride like your Granny day" every day. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130772 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 10:30:33 +0000 steveo 130772@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>At least all those intersting hubs you've reviewed to destruction will provide interesting fodder for you blog. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130770 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 10:19:02 +0000 Dave 130770@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Well there's budgeting and then there's tactics ...</em></p> <p>Look what I found in a skip dear! Yes, a mint condition frame, just ready to be built up... ;-) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130768 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 10:17:55 +0000 chdot 130768@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Quite cheap too -</p> <p><a href="http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/200903555560" rel="nofollow">http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/200903555560</a></p> <p>Every office should have one? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130766 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 10:02:36 +0000 wingpig 130766@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>If you're serious about sticking with Donkey Lane, the WoL and the NEPN over the winter but dread the toll it woukd exact upon an exposed drivetrain perhaps carry one of those pump-up plant-skooshers for getting rid of builds-up of leaf mulch and path-sludge before you park up at work? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130763 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 09:47:40 +0000 amir 130763@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Well there's budgeting and then there's tactics ... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130762 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 09:42:53 +0000 Dave 130762@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@amir, I could buy a new frame and run a derailleur, sure. I'm some way off getting that past the Finance department though (unless someone wants to pay me a few hundred for my current battered frameset?)</p> <p>I could ride one of the other bikes I guess, but the whole point of a commuter was that I could have a bike that's perfect for commuting and save all the others for joyriding. Time aside, the cost of these hubs is less than fitting a derailleur system anyway (£25 for the Velosteel and £25 for the fixed - the other two were more like £65 IIRC).</p> <p>Nobody add that up and point out that it would have been cheaper to have a vanilla geared bike, now... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130761 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 09:35:53 +0000 Arellcat 130761@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Or eliminate the gears and the chain, and run direct drive! Er, maybe not. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130760 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 09:34:27 +0000 amir 130760@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Here's a revolutionary idea - a derailleur system. Reliable and saves knees. Okay it's not trendy but you could still get away with hipster gear. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130759 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 09:33:36 +0000 Arellcat 130759@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Dave, I suppose you might even try the Sturmey BWR hub which comes on 6spd Bromptons. It has an extra pawl arrangement that eliminates the in-between gear of the 'generic' Sturmey AW. Though being 'WR' means the jumps in ratios are quite big, which is why it's used with two sprockets.</p> <p>Tulyar was measured at over 1000W recently, and runs singlespeed with a coaster brake. I think even he has had occasional problems with bearing life. The fact is that monster power output is beyond the reach of 'most' cyclists - but even so I'm amazed that manufacturers' safety factors in their designs are being run to so close (and indeed, beyond!). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130756 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 09:21:13 +0000 Dave 130756@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>This reminds me that a friend had a Genesis with Alfine which failed so often (including throwing him into a hedge, IIRC) that he managed to get his credit card to refund it. If memory serves, EBC wouldn't honour the (Bike Chain) warranty.</p> <p>That leaves Alfine 11 (low serial numbers), Rohloff (cheaper to hire someone to cycle me to work), and ..? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130747 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 08:19:00 +0000 gembo 130747@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Dave has the maintenance free hub gear idea 'fixed' in his head? When I went for the nexus 8 that was what sold it to me. But again as crow says, they are all really for short flat poodles that will mean they go on for years. Had two nexus 8s (first was replacement within warranty). I then had the SA3 put in, with bodge as too small for space. However, I now use the bike for going to the shops, or if other bike being fixed. That works fine. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130746 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 07:58:03 +0000 Dave 130746@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Perhaps, in which case they should really come with a warning saying they aren't suitable for general use! </p> <p>The S5C is well known for falling apart - I was warned even before I bought it (but would I listen?). The S2C ships (or shipped) with a part missing, SA sent it to me but I suspect the damage had been done, as the hub exploded and locked up in the frame whilst riding (!).</p> <p>The Automatix was great for ages, then stopped engaging low gear. I took it apart last night and a lot of different pieces fell out of the shell - have collected them for an obit.</p> <p>The Velosteel is in a terrible state. It's like a lockring has vanished, allowing the hub's various parts to spread around on the axle, except as far as I can tell, nothing's missing.</p> <p>By removing my rear mudguard I've been able to get a 26" spare wheel on there with a single speed adaptor I used to use on the hardtail. It's QR so not sure if it will stay in place on track ends, and it looks ridiculous, *and* it means I don't have a backup braking system (front or feet...) but it will do for a few days until I build up wheel 5.</p> <p>The bike is just over two years old, so hubs last 6 months on average, ~2600 miles. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130745 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 07:06:30 +0000 crowriver 130745@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Dave, I don't know what it is you do to break these hubs. Other riders seem to get on fine for years. Maybe I mentioned this before, but could it be that your riding style just is not suited to these hubs designed more for pootlers? I mean how is it that Dutch city bikes or Raleigh 20s keep trundling on for decades on single speed coaster hubs or SA 3 speeds?</p> <p>Yes okay, build quality not what it used to be, etc. but still I wonder if it's not the hauling out of the saddle every day up steep hills (and the associated extremes of torque) that destroys these hubs? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130734 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 00:28:40 +0000 Dave 130734@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Happy times, the generic Formula / System X fixed hub will take the same spokes as the Velosteel, so that's all ordered up. Annoying to have to rebuild the damn wheel *again* after such a short period.</p> <p>WRT the hub, I'm really not sure what's happened. The shell can move freely towards either drop out although both the reaction arm and cog seem to be fixed in place (and the axle is bolted solid). I'm wondering if the axle has sheared in half (the frame is spaced a bit wider than the hub so could then have sprung open, creating this illusion of the shell being able to wander about). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130732 Thu, 31 Oct 2013 00:04:47 +0000 Uberuce 130732@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Wee blue floofy's rear hub is needing some TLC, so that's two years of ~60 miles/week and one immersion in the canal without maintenance. </p> <p>@allebong: I don't know how to tell what kind of bearings it has. Halp? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130730 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 23:55:31 +0000 Dave 130730@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Alas, needs to be coaster since I don't have a back brake, although there are disk tabs. I have tried a single speed adaptor from my hardtail but it didn't clear the rear stays (they come very close to a single cog on a SS hub, which is fine, but adaptors seem to have a large profile).</p> <p>That's the Sturmey 5 speed with coaster (destroyed), S2C kickback hub (destroyed), SRAM Automatix (destroyed) and now Velosteel singlespeed (destroyed) making this the least effective "low maintenance" bike I've ever owned. </p> <p>I have a Sturmey 3 speed on the Hinged Wonder and it's really not reliable, it has a fourth 'no gear' in the middle where the pedals aren't connected to the wheel at all. This makes it impractical to ride out of the saddle as I'm quite fond of my remaining teeth.</p> <p>I'm giving serious thought to going back to fixed, even though I promised myself after the Pearson that I would give it up as a bad job. The question is whether I can find a hub that would re-use the existing spokes... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130722 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 22:54:06 +0000 Arellcat 130722@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I was going to suggest that too. I'd buy a NOS Hope XC hub off the 'Bay and add a singlespeed spacer kit. Bombproof. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130718 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 22:30:56 +0000 crowriver 130718@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Aye, get a reliable touring hub, add a single speed conversion kit with good quality sprocket of your choice. Okay the rear wheel is needlessly dished, but it'll still be strong if it's laced to 36 spokes. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130715 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 22:22:15 +0000 allebong 130715@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I thought singlespeeds were supposed to be ultra reliable compared to the artifice of a derailleur? :P</p> <p>What exactly has happened? If it's a cartridge hub you can easily replace the bearings no matter how ruined they are. Or if it's a screw-on freewheel type hub you can get a new freewheel if that's the bit that's gone. If it's a standard cup/cone affair you can usually rebuild it as long as the hub shell isn't seriously damaged.</p> <p>Of course, it may just be <em>gone</em>, beyond the reach of any amount of bodging. In that case I'll +1 the venerable Shimano Deore. Cheap, smooth, well sealed, and dead easy to service when it does come to it. You can get a standard cassette hub and put on a single sprocket with spacers, job done. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130704 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 20:58:35 +0000 crowriver 130704@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Crikey Dave, you've really had no luck there! Are you an out of the saddle drivetrain punisher up hills or something? ;-) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130699 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 20:30:04 +0000 Instography 130699@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Singlespeeds are the only hubs I've had trouble with. Shimano Deore has performed years of trouble-free and maintenance-free service. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130698 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 20:27:41 +0000 gembo 130698@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Sturmey archer do a three speed that has stood the test of time, tho various varieties and variations </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11507#post-130689 Wed, 30 Oct 2013 19:27:19 +0000 Dave 130689@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Currently walking the last mile home as rear hub has exploded somehow... Only a singlespeed too. Looks like bearing collapse.</p> <p>Does anyone make a reliable maintenance free hub? </p>