I’m going to put my money on terrible, and by “put my money on” I mean not buy one.
WhiskyIsMyYoga on
I’ll offer my answer: I run a rohloff.
_Sauer_ on
I’ve been side-eyeing a Priority Continuum as my next commuter bike once winter finally does my Trek FX in and they use an Enviolo CVT hub which seems like it would be a perfect match for the sort of terrain found around Montreal. Going to reconsider if they’re dogdirt. I’m tired of mucking with a derailer and chain in the sea of slush my town turns into half the year but a Rohloff is a bit out there cost wise. I guess Shimano has a decent lower cost hub as well.
pavel_vishnyakov on
I still have a bike (actively trying to get rid of it for, basically, nothing, as the hub broke) with the old version of Enviolo hub (named NuVinci back then) and I don’t recommend it. My opinions based on that hub:
* it’s heavy. I’m almost certain it’s the heaviest hub there is.
* the interface (the part that connect the cables to the hub itself) is fragile and unique – after 5 years I can’t even source this part to fix my broken hub
* only grip shift due to the lack of gears which limits the handlebar types
* range is minimal (360-380% geared towards the lower end – as a speedy commuter, I’m spinning out)
ubrlichter on
The Shimano Alfine is a very reliable option. I’ve been on one for about 8 years now, with minimal maintenance. It’s a good commuter hub to be sure, but it’s not meant to be ridden hard. You have to not really be standing up and hammering on the pedals, as the tiny planetary gears are not up for such action.
Standard-Kangaroo-11 on
Buy well. Buy once!
Lentamentalisk on
Me: damn, I never use my gears. I could get away with a 3spd or single speed for reduced complexity
Bike companies: but what about *iNfInItE* gears???
Patricio_Guapo on
I’ve been daily commuting on a Priority Continuum Onyx with a CVT for almost two years now. 10 miles a day, round trip. Adding in the weekend rides and I’ve got almost 7500 miles on it.
I’ve ridden it through mid-shin deep water more than once. It has been absolutely bullet-proof and I absolutely love it.
Aside from never having to think about maintenance, my favorite feature is being able to dial in my preferred spin cadence so perfectly on any terrain or grade. The twist-to-shift makes it mindless. I love being able to ’shift’ while stopped. The gearing ratio is perfectly fine for how and where I ride.
What they don’t tell you up front though, is that there is about a 100 mile break-in period where it has a noticeable amount of drag/resistance. After that, I’ve never felt any noticeable difference with an external geared bike. Learning how to change a flat takes a minute, but once you get it down, it’s super easy.
8 Comments
I’m going to put my money on terrible, and by “put my money on” I mean not buy one.
I’ll offer my answer: I run a rohloff.
I’ve been side-eyeing a Priority Continuum as my next commuter bike once winter finally does my Trek FX in and they use an Enviolo CVT hub which seems like it would be a perfect match for the sort of terrain found around Montreal. Going to reconsider if they’re dogdirt. I’m tired of mucking with a derailer and chain in the sea of slush my town turns into half the year but a Rohloff is a bit out there cost wise. I guess Shimano has a decent lower cost hub as well.
I still have a bike (actively trying to get rid of it for, basically, nothing, as the hub broke) with the old version of Enviolo hub (named NuVinci back then) and I don’t recommend it. My opinions based on that hub:
* it’s heavy. I’m almost certain it’s the heaviest hub there is.
* the interface (the part that connect the cables to the hub itself) is fragile and unique – after 5 years I can’t even source this part to fix my broken hub
* only grip shift due to the lack of gears which limits the handlebar types
* range is minimal (360-380% geared towards the lower end – as a speedy commuter, I’m spinning out)
The Shimano Alfine is a very reliable option. I’ve been on one for about 8 years now, with minimal maintenance. It’s a good commuter hub to be sure, but it’s not meant to be ridden hard. You have to not really be standing up and hammering on the pedals, as the tiny planetary gears are not up for such action.
Buy well. Buy once!
Me: damn, I never use my gears. I could get away with a 3spd or single speed for reduced complexity
Bike companies: but what about *iNfInItE* gears???
I’ve been daily commuting on a Priority Continuum Onyx with a CVT for almost two years now. 10 miles a day, round trip. Adding in the weekend rides and I’ve got almost 7500 miles on it.
I’ve ridden it through mid-shin deep water more than once. It has been absolutely bullet-proof and I absolutely love it.
Aside from never having to think about maintenance, my favorite feature is being able to dial in my preferred spin cadence so perfectly on any terrain or grade. The twist-to-shift makes it mindless. I love being able to ’shift’ while stopped. The gearing ratio is perfectly fine for how and where I ride.
What they don’t tell you up front though, is that there is about a 100 mile break-in period where it has a noticeable amount of drag/resistance. After that, I’ve never felt any noticeable difference with an external geared bike. Learning how to change a flat takes a minute, but once you get it down, it’s super easy.