Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Internally Geared Hub Daydream


Looks tempting, doesn't it?
Why are cars so good in bad weather? Their drivetrains are shielded from all the gritty muck on the streets. Most bike drivetrains are fully exposed, so one winter ride can make a mess of the whole thing. And gritty, rusty chains make for slow riding and high wear. Putting the gears inside the hub solves part of the problem. More important is shielding the brake, in the foreground of this picture. I'm still toying with the idea of converting SlushBike to use one of these.
[The picture is probably a Shimano Nexus 7 with standard brake. I'm really looking at the Nexus 8 with the upgraded brake. The roller brakes apparently burn their grease if overloaded, and for a small cost increase you can get a big heat sink on the thing.]

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