You may have noticed that internally geared hubs are becoming more and more popular on bicycles nowadays. Even the newest addition to our line of folding bikes, the Boston 8 uses a Shimano Nexus internal 8 speed hub. Internal gears have been around since the early 20th century and became hugely popular in the 1930’s. So why did everyone switch to derailleurs? And why should you reconsider an internal hub all these years later?
The derailleur and the internal gear hub were actually invented around the same time. A 2-speed hub was patented by William Reilly of Salford, England in 1896 and French bicyclist Paul De Vivie invented a 2-speed derailleur in 1905 which he used on his rides in the Alps. The initial designs were both a bit clumsy and difficult to shift (no cables or handlebar mounted levers for on-the-fly shifting) but the two technologies yielded essentially the same result. While advancements in derailleur technology meant bikes could have more gears, for years internal hubs were limited to about 3 gears, and could offer only a few speeds. They were still quite popular on utility and urban bikes and remained the gearing system of choice in European countries where bikes were used mainly for transportation rather than sport or leisure. They were reliable, almost maintenance free and practically bomb-proof. But at the time they couldn’t provide a wide range of gears.
While the derailleur and cassette still dominate today’s bike market, there has been consistent advancement in internal gear hub technology. Once limited to 3 gears, internally geared hubs are now offered in 8, 11 and 14 speed models. These new internals can even cover the same gear range as a 24 speed cassette and derailleur system. Now that internal gear hubs have broken free from the limitations of yesteryear there are many reasons to consider using one on your bike.
Reliability
One of the biggest advantages of the internal gear hub is that all the moving parts responsible for shifting are completely contained in a sealed unit – the hub. This means they’re completely protected from water, dirt, road salt and grime. With no outside contaminants to possibly muck up your shifting mechanism, you can always count on your internal hub to shift smoothly from one gear to the next. An exposed derailleur also runs the risk of being bent or broken, and a derailleur hanging down from your dropouts is fairly prone to being knocked out of adjustment. An internal hub, on the other hand, is pretty difficult to damage.
Maintenance and Longevity
Internal gear hubs are easier to maintain than standard derailleur systems. The main thing you need to do is keep the proper tension on your chain and lubricate it periodically. With a derailleur and cassette system you have to regularly clean your rear cogs and derailleur to keep them shifting smoothly. It’s not uncommon to have to adjust the limit screws on your derailleur from time to time either. And while keeping the chain and single cog on an internally geared hub clean is important, it isn’t nearly as much work.
Since the chain on an internal hub is always in a straight line and doesn’t have multiple gear wheels and pulleys to pass over, it also takes less wear and tear. Every time you shift from one cog the next with a traditional derailleur, the chain actually flexes and twists a bit. You’ll find you need to replace your chain much more often with this system and may even need to replace your rear cogs at some point. With your internal hub, even if you do need to replace the chain or single cog, it’s a lot simpler without the derailleur getting in your way.
Shifting
I may have saved the best for last here. Have you ever come to a stop on your bike and realized you’re still in much too high of a gear to start in? With an internally geared hub you can actually shift gears while stationary! Unlike a traditional derailleur system, you don’t need to be pedaling to change gears. This can be great for riding in stop and go city traffic and can also make it a lot easier to down shift on a steep uphill.
Now that you know all the advantages of the internal gear hub, you may be temped to start riding one for yourself. The good news for you is that we now have a full size folding bike with a Shimano Nexus 8 speed hub built right in. That’s 8 glorious gears all contained and protected in your rear hub.
Tell us What you Think
What kind of shifting does your bike have? Do you prefer an external derailleur or an internally geared hub? Have you tried out the Boston 8?
One thing that should be noted is that external gears can be shifted while some force is applied to the pedals (though it’s best for the system to reduce force), whereas (at least some) internal hubs wont shift until you stop applying forward force to the pedals. Am I right on this?
Certainly old internal hubs did require you to stop pedaling for at least a second to shift. Most of the newer ones are now designed to shift under load but just as you mentioned with external gears, they perform a bit better when you ease off.
What about the CVT hub called the nuvinci (the latest being the 360n)? I understand it operates differently than the other hubs besides the infinite number of “gears”. How is it different from other hubs and would you consider offering more options such as this hub in the future. I love the Montague bikes, especially the military pedigree and ruggedness. More options direct from the manufacturer (other than just the pedals, bag, case and stand) would be welcome..::)))
The Nuvinci is an exciting new design that is just starting to become available. Although not readily available for bicycles in the past, other designs of CVTs (continuously variable transmissions) have been around for several years. The idea is to allow for infinite variation between the high and low range rather than being limited by the number of gears you have. You can smoothly increase or decrease your gear ratio by any increment you want. Original designs for CVTs had some problems with efficiency, shifting control and available gear range (and they were kind of expensive to make). The Nuvinci design is actually a simpler but more efficient version that is said to improve on the problems of earlier CVTs. It hasnt been on the market for long but we have been hearing good things. We’re always looking to bring new technology to our bikes and expand our line so we appreciate your feedback. We definitely like to hear what you guys want on our bikes. The Boston 8 with the Shimano Nexus hub is new for us this year so who knows what could come next!
I have a wonderful city bike with hubs that power the lights made for my by Dan Sorger of DB city bikes. Unfortunately he has closed his shop and my poor bike needs some serious attention! the lowest of the five gears slips without warning and my brass fenders are now too close to the wheels- any thoughts?
Is this Cam Sawzin cellist??!! You taught my daughters YEARS ago, in NH, Pine Hill. Completely lost track… and now here you are, I think. I hope. I trust you’re still playing gorgeous music! We’re now in coastal Maine, loving it, enjoying grown up daughters and grandchildren 😉 — and I’m looking for recommendations for internal hub fun bike.
Where can i find information on the the gearing range of the- with the Shimano Nexus hub as used on the Boston. What would be a suitable make for Montague mountain bikes.
The Shimano website has a wealth of information about their hubs at:
http://www.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/0/nexus.html
You can also send us an email or if you have very technical questions you may want to email Shimano directly.
All of our mountain bikes use vertical drop outs so if an internal gear hub was fitted, a chain tensioner would be needed. All models have standard 135mm rear dropout spacing so any hub that is the proper width could be used.
Having moved from Denmark to the US one of the most irritating things is that no local bike stores carry bikes with gear. I dont understand this. Hub gears are vastly superior when using your bike for commuting.
They certainly are nice for commuting, especially in the winter. Hopefully more cyclists/stores will realize the benefits, and keep more in stock.
I’ve had a Rohloff and Shimano 8 and 11 speeds. The Rohloff has a superior gear spread and an ultra low granny gear. This is important to me as I’ve got to ride over steep hills daily. It is a serious tool, the only gripe being that it can get a little clunky in some low gears. The new Shimano 11 speed is pretty good but not even close to the Rohloff. The 8 speed Shimano shifts more smothly than the 11 speed, but it doesn’t have a low enough first gear to suit me.
So which one would you suggest/recommend or favor for?
I am looking for a city/urban commute with occasional slopes when crossing freeways over the top. I simply hate the derailleur system (Sucks away my energy and the bike’s efficiency). Yuck!!
Also I read somewhere that Rohloff requires a 1000 mile break-in period. Until then it clicks and makes noises.
Stick with the 8 speed. Change the rear hub to get the low gear response you require. You probably won’t even notice the change in your high end.
Sorry, it’s early… rear ‘cog’
Can my 2011 Crosstown can be retrofited with an internal gear hub like the Nexus 8 or Alphine 11? if so can you give me some guidelines?
Thanks for the opportunity of asking this questions, I love my tow Montague folding bikes!
Hi Fernando,
It is possible to fit an internal gear hub on a Crosstown. However, like most bikes that use a traditional derailleur, the Crosstown has vertical rear dropouts. Internal gear hub and single speed bikes usually have horizontal or semi-horizontal dropouts which allow you to slide the rear wheel back to put tension on the chain. With vertical dropouts, the derailleur maintains the chain tension. So, you can use an internal gear hub but you will likely need a chain tensioner. The Crosstown has standard 135mm rear dropout spacing so there are a lot of different gear hubs that would fit.
Please tell me…
I want to buy an X-RF8 Sturney Archer internal hub..
Will I able to change gears while I pedal?
Will it damage the parts inside the hub if I change gears under load? I wonder about that?
gk
Hey Gabor,
Most modern internal hubs are built so they can be shifted under load. I don’t believe it will cause any damage to the parts but I would recommend contacting Sturmey Archer directly with questions about their hub.
I’ve been looking for a really low maintenance rugged bike for ages. Preferably one that folds. I use it for commuting in a town but the bike still takes almost as much of a beating as a mountain bike should. I find I could easily work with just 5 or 8 gears but just don’t seem to get anything that simple.
Ideally I’d love something like the paratrooper as a ruggedized urban bike that I can stash under my desk at work (in the bag). Considering so many of us live in small flats where a normal bike would be a problem this would ultimately be a great all round solution. I’m not sure many of these commuter bikes are tough enough.
So an internal hub bike but a tough one would be ideal.
When will we see the Paratrooper with an internally geared hub? Also will we ever see a 29er Paratrooper? It seems you have the geometry covered with your commuter bikes. Are there any plans to expand the options and capabilities of the all terrain bikes?
Does anyone know what would be the comparison gears if you had a 8i and compared it to say a 21D would be? How does the range of power compare?
Thanks for writing, by 21D are you meaning derailleur?
I’ve got a Triumph bike with a Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub from 1964. It works great. My other bike, I hauled on my bike rack one day, and I guess I bent the derailleur, because I only got about 5 feet away before the chain jammed and the cog on the pivot part fell off. It’s kind of fixed now. My 3 speed is reliable. The low gear isn’t real low though, I was thinking of looking at a beach cruiser style bike, and putting an internal hub into it… Anyways, I enjoyed this article, thanks.
Thanks for writing in! Internally geared hubs are great for that assurance of knowing you won’t need to perform much maintenance on it for years and years. Those early Sturmey Archer hubs really are hard to find, and still incredibly dependable even after many years of use.
Hi,
I have a similar question to Lucy.
What would be the comparison of gears between say a 5-speed internal hub and a derailleur with 15 gears (I know there aren’t technically 15 true gears). What is the range of power?
Are there any tables on the internet?
I live on the Yorkshire moors and it is really hilly. I have a 15 gear derailleur but need a new bike. I like the old fashioned styles but am not sure what number of gears would be enough to get up the hills!
I guess it depends on my leg strength but I probably use all or almost all of the derailleur gears for the hills round here.
Thank you
Anna
Hey Anna,
It would be hard to answer your question without more information about the two setups. For example, which 5 speed hub it is, the size of the front chainring and rear cog, the size of the chainrings and cogs on the derailleur bike. Sheldon Brown’s website is a great resource for reading about internal gear hubs. You could use his gear calculator to compare the gear ratios of certain hubs to derailleur setups (http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/). You just need to enter the relevant info and you can get gain ratios, gear inches, speeds at certain RPMs.
I used to commute by electric assisted 20” Yamaha PAS with 3-speed hub. The routine is 20km roundtrip with no uphill, however I have found out the 3-speed is not enough. So a month ago I shifted to Shimano 8-speed on a Centurion Siena and the pedaling is so pleasant. I love internal hubs not only because of above listed advantages but also the technology inside. Really really admire the idea and structure.
Hub-gears are So relaxing; excepting old Raleigh 5-speeds. If the bottom gear is too high or low, change the size of yr drive sprocket. 3-speeds allow u to use more leg-muscles per gear, so u get fitter. A 4-speed lets age know it’s there, so you can be more sedate in yr pedalling. The weight of an 8-speed keeps yr back end down when u brake.
As for shifting under load, I don’t do it from respect for the cogs inside the rear hub. I think of it as like a manual gear-box: momentary loss of power as the gear-changer works instantly, then u continue powering on. Compared to locking a derailleur chain across 3 or 4 chain-rings, at the slightest provocation; there’s no comparison.
Derailleur gears and chains last days, weeks, months. Hub gears last years, decades, a century. So green.
A total chain-case and a drum brake at the front complete the comfort.
I was in the market for a 2013 Montague fit until a few day ago when I went to the bike shop to purchase the bike, I found out that derailleur on the bike had some switching issues. The sales person let me take the Boston 8 for a ride. I liked the ride of the bike, but I found that the range of the gears was not spaced the same as my Dahon Matrix 2007. It seems like there was a gap on the high end between gears 7 and 8 and it seemed like there was a gap on the low end. I have been riding a Dahon Matrix 2007 for the past couple years, and mostly use the middle sprocket on the derailleur with the 8 gears at that level. Is it possible to fit the Shimano Nexus internal 8 or 11 speed hub on the Montague fit? And can the ranges on the hub be adjusted?
Agree with all the positive comments on IGH bikes. Recently test rode a bike with Nuvinci hub; in a word, “wonderful”. Doesn’t have the range of a Rohloff of course, but then nothing else does either. I also tested your Boston 8 and really liked it. Mostly, I sure wished it had an Octagon adjustable stem.
I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and really need to get a more upright riding position to take pressure off my hands / shoulders. Some of your other models, even the less expensive Crosstown, have the nicely adjustable Octagon Stem. Why was this not included on such an obvious city/commuter bike like the Boston 8? The B-8 already carries quite a heavier price over the Crosstown just to get the IGH. I assume one could fit the Octagon stem as an option? Still, I think it would be nice if it were standard on the B-8. Ideally, I’d love a Boston Nuvinci with the Octagon Stem and wider, flat-resistant tires, fenders, chain guard and a kickstand & rack. Or a similar city / utility bike on the Paratrooper frame.
Love your bikes though. Thanks for listening.
For fear of obesity complications, I tried to put additional features to my 10 year old sons’ bike like the derailleur system for him to continue on his biking interest. The derailleur system one day got tangled up due to a bad adjustment and got his knees bruised by that. To avoid another incident like this, which might extinguish any further interest in biking, I replaced it with the Internal Gear Hub and things really went on smoothly. Thankfully, he wasn’t traumatized by the derailleur fail. I believe derailleurs have their own advantages, but for me, its gonna be IGH for the time being.
In 2002, I bought a 1970’s Shimano 3-speed hub (the version without the oil filler) brand new in its box and had it fitted to a 26-inch wheel. With the hub came the original Shimano ‘floor’ console and gear stick (with the round black gear knob). I then bought a second-hand bike and fitted the system. I ride about once a month and it is a lovely gearbox on a smooth, level bicycle path. I have to stand on the pedals to climb some hills, but that’s probably because my 46-year-old legs aren’t as strong as they used to be (that will change soon—I have a Downtown 8 on the way, which I intend to ride several times a week).
Being an older gearbox, it requires a pedal-pause for gear shifting; and if I need to change gear while the bike is stationary, I always give the right pedal a kick-back. I can understand the devotion to simple, lightweight deraileurs; but wow, they sound like a rock concert during gear shifts!
After my Downtown arrives (hopefully less than a week from now), I’ll probably share some thoughts on the new bike and gearbox.
Can I know what is the tension in pulling the wire to change gear from gear 1 to gear 2 to gear 3?
I want to purchase Hubgear bicycle for me.My height is 6ft.I live in Gujarat-India.What will be the price? From where I can buy in India? My age is 48 yrs.I want to buy for long cycling.Please guide me.
Great feature, this Q & A corner! I have a Montague Boston and would like to convert it to a hub-based system. Any insights on which Shimano Nexus to use? Also, is it just a matter of switching the hubs, changing spokes and adding a shifter or would such a conversion be significantly more complex?
Like most single speed bikes the Boston has 120mm rear dropout spacing, which is narrower geared bikes and most internal gear hubs. There are a few gear hubs on the market with 120mm spacing although most are only 3 speeds. Sturmey Archer does make a 120mm 8 speed hub, the XRF-8.
I have purchased a Sturmey Archer XRF-8 and am wondering what length of spokes I’ll have to use in order to convert the wheel that came with the bike. Anyone know offhand?
That depends on the profile of the rim. What bike is it?
As mentioned in the initial post, it’s a Montague Boston, stock rim.
Somehow, you seem to have missed my question in the context of a longer discussion so I’ll ask it again on its own:
I have purchased a Sturmey Archer XRF-8 and am wondering what length of spokes I’ll have to use in order to convert the wheel that came with the bike which is a Montague Boston with a stock rim.
Incidentally, I’m in the outback of South Korea where I can’t just pop down to the local high performance bike shop to ask questions. Nor can I trust the quality of parts I order hereabouts so I have to order online to get what I want: hence the question here.
I have a city bike with 6 derailer gears and can’t get on with it. I have always had 3 speed sturmeyarcher gears on all my bikes. What I want to do if possible is change the gears on my bike to the 3 speed sturmeyarcher. Is that possible? Thanks.
Is this a Montague bike? Usually it is possible to put an internal gear hub on a bike with a traditional derailleur, but you do need to get a hub with the correct width for the frame. Also, depending on the style of dropouts the frame has, you might need a chain tensioner as well.
is the internal gear hub fitted on ordinary bicycle ?
It’s best when the bike frame is designed for an internal gear hub so the chain can be easily tensioned with a horizontal dropout or eccentric bottom bracket (like on our Allston model), but they gear hubs can be installed on most frames with the use of a chain tensioner.
Are there any modern wide range hubs which combine gears, coasting brake or an internal drum brake AND a dynamo? Barring that are there any 7 gear or so hubs that have disc brakes with or without a dynamo? What about drum or disc front hubs with dynamos? What I’m after is maximum utility with a minimum of external parts. Last but not least are there any hubs that use a toothed belt in lieu of a chain?
My Shimano Nexus 8 IGH broke this summer. Indeed my Montague Boston 8 didn’t ride until this summer (it’s a long story). In Spain most bike dealers don’t want to know anything about IGH’s. Fortunately I found an small urban bikes store and its owner was very fond of the IGH, particularly of old Sturmey Archer’s. He didn’t found the original Nexus 8 and he recommended me to switch to the Sturmey Archer 3-speed. I followed his advise.
Now the Montague Boston 8 has become a Boston 3. Indeed it’s lighter and faster. Its speed ratios are very suitable for my city tracks. I mostly ride with the 2nd speed (1:1) and I only switch to 1st and 3rd for the up-hills and down-hills.
These are my Montague Boston photos with the Sturmey Archer hub: http://pin.it/SaveLMY
Thanks for sharing these brilliant ideas about internal gear hub. Sports is such a genre which needs informative as well as stimulating facts and information – keep sharing!
Enjoyed this article. As a kid I had access to a British Raleigh with a 3sp hub and a 10sp racer from a police auction. I immediately wanted the advantages of both gearings. I welded up parts to extend the hub axle and was able to thread a 5 cog cluster on a 3sp SA to give a 30sp bike. It was a tail heavy bomb with chain angle issues, but could shift almost instantly and had a tremendous range. If hubs have range now, they are the way to go.
LOL.
i understand there once existed in the past a two speed internal where the low indirect gear was fixed where the other higher was freewheel. id like to have that. a fixed low would be great to shift to in downtown traffic. much safer than fw. also good for going uphill.
I recently purchased a bike with internal hub gear system and noticed a constant faint clicking in all the gears except gear 4 ( there are 7 gears). Is this normal? The bike shop I purchased it from said that noise is to be expected.
I’m not sure exactly what model hub you have there, and having not heard the sounds it’s hard to diagnose. Most internal gear hubs can be adjusted by changing the shift cable tension., and if that cable tension isn’t right then it might cause some noise. However, if the noise is really faint and it still shifts without issue, then it may not be anything to worry about. You could have a different bike shop take a look to provide their opinion.
I’ve read this article a few times and end up with the same question: How do I convert my Paratrooper to IGH?
Like most traditionally geared bikes, the Paratrooper frame has a vertical dropout. A horizontal dropout like those used on single speeds is preferred for an internal gear hub as it allows you to slide the rear wheel back in order to tension the chain. However, you can still use an IGH with a vertical dropout, you just need to add a chain tensioner.
The rear hub spacing on the Paratrooper is 135mm, so any gear hub with the same O.L.D. (Over Locknut Dimension) can be used.
IGH is something I’ve been thinking about for the Paratrooper I bought last year.
Seems like Rohloff SPEEDHUB and the Veer split belt would give the best of off and on road.
Does that sound right?
Would it even fit?
This article praised gear hubs and mentioned a Boston 8 bike with a gear hub. Yet, when I look at the Montague website, Boston is only available as a single speed anymore and the only bike left with a gear hub is the Alston. Why is that? It would be nice to have something like the Navigator available with internal gearing!
The Boston 8 was discontinued a few years ago, and essentially replaced with the Allston as our internal gear hub model: https://www.montaguebikes.com/product/allston/
I have a Rohloff hub on my Paratrooper, and it is powered by a 1300 watt BBSHD, and besides trail and city riding, I often pull a Travoy 2 wheeled bike trailer, with up to 60 pounds of gear. It’s performance has been flawless for 4 years.
Boston 8 was advertised with a Nexus 8 hub. Did the Boston 8 have a different frame vs the Boston(120mm OLD)? Sheldon Brown said you can fit the Nexus in 120mm by replacing the non-drive side nut.
It did have different spacing and a different dropout design. The Boston 8 was 132.5mm and it had a semi-horizontal dropout, rather a full horizontal “track style” dropout like the Boston.