Comments on: Shimano Alfine

By: felsby

felsby — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 21:10:00 +0000

I just got my custom built Alfine bike today. Gear ratios are spot on. Got that ugly chain tensioner (vertical dropouts), disc brakes and spd pedals. Will make a mean winter commuting bike.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:36:00 +0000

Regarding the chain tension and dropouts comments above: Any oem would design this bike around vertical dropouts as needed for rotor/caliper alignment, and an eccentric BB for chain tension. The chain tensioner is for retrofiting the system to a frame that was not designed for it.

By: EVan

EVan — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:46:00 +0000

Anybody selling the 32 hole Alfine hub? To US citizens? I have been using the mother of this hub, the red stripe 8 speed shimano NEXUS on my dirt road/townie/touring bike for hundreds of miles, and I have few operational complaints, except for lack of a better shifter setup. The shifting range is awesome. I just ordered an alfine trigger shifter and vert dropout axle non-turn-washers form Harris Cyclery and I intend to install my NEXUS townie wheel in my elliptical bottom bracket G.Fisher SS 29er. Too bad I don’t have the Alfine hub, I’ll miss my rear disc brake, but low maintenance shifting in Colorado may be worth the sacrifice. Only trails will tell.

By: James D.

James D. — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:47:00 +0000

Regarding the gear ratios, I have used the non-disc hub on a bike with a shaft drive. In that application, the gear spread was about the equivalent of my old twelve speed road bike, as well as a newer 21 speed road bike. I actually found that I would have liked at least one higher gear, as I couldn’t effectively pedal past about 23-24 mph. That was a limitation of the unchangeable shaft drive, but you could modify this with a chain drive, either by increasing the size of the front chainring, or, as another poster suggested, add a second chainring. The only problem I had with the Shimano was a production problem with the shift pulley, but the hub, in combination with the shaft drive, was clean, low maintenance, and quiet, the first two of which were particularly welcome in my year round commuting application.

By: Alastair

Alastair — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 00:34:00 +0000

Getting the correct chain tension is a hassle whichever dropouts are used. The chain tensioner eliminates all that and could also serve those who want to add a second chainwheel up front.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 13:38:00 +0000

Sliding dropouts – tricky to get a disk brake to work on them. Maybe that’s why you might see quite a lot of manufacturers using the tensioner to get around the problem….

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:26:00 +0000

Anyone actually used the group? Are the gears a reasonable spread of ratios able to go up and down hills?

By: James

James — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 16:07:00 +0000

You will get no argument from me about the stylishness of English bikes. Old Raleigh 3 speeds, for example, are both beautiful and functional. I also happen to really like this new Alfine group. I think that the development of this group, along with Coasting, is a great move by Shimano and has potential to get more people riding bikes. Old English bikes may be very nice, but we need more options in the marketplace that appeal to people who are just beginning to consider the idea of riding a bike for transportation.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 21:48:00 +0000

You say clean, I say yuck. I prefer old English working class bikes with the old Sturmey Archer hubs – those bikes are timeless classic with oddles of style.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 22:51:00 +0000

Some of the 2007 Cannondale Bad Boys use this Alfine rear hub.