LandRider/AutoShift bikes

[Bookdude2003]

I don't know if this topic has been debated here before but....

I was flipping thru the tv a while ago, and came across an infomercial about the LandRider autoshift
bike. They made it out to be the best thing to the bike since rubber tires were invented.

My question is...is this bike as good as they claim? Does anyone have any experience with this bike?

Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

AJC

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
(BookDude2003) wrote:

> I don't know if this topic has been debated here before but....
>
> I was flipping thru the tv a while ago, and came across an infomercial about the LandRider
> autoshift bike. They made it out to be the best thing to the bike since rubber tires were
> invented.
>
> My question is...is this bike as good as they claim? Does anyone have any experience with
> this bike?
>
> Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

The consensus is that these things are terrible. Apparently, they are not very well-made, which is
strike one against them. The other thing you have to understand is that an autoshifting bicycle
equates to unexpected shifting, and unexpected shifting on a bike is a real pain.

More importantly, bike shifting is no longer hard, even if it might have qualified as that 20 years
ago in the era of non-indexed downtube shifters. Indexing and a wide variety of excellent shifter
mechanisms make shifting about the easiest thing to do on a bike.

If you want really easy shifting, probably the best bet is something like a Shimano Nexus 7-speed
hub shifter. Easy action, lots of gears, and you can shift even when stopped.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

[Mike Kruger]

"BookDude2003" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I don't know if this topic has been debated here before but....

Very often, in fact.

General consensus: there's a reason why you don't get to look at the bike until you've already
paid for it.

 

[Tom Sherman]

Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> ... If you want really easy shifting, probably the best bet is something like a Shimano Nexus
> 7-speed hub shifter. Easy action, lots of gears, and you can shift even when stopped.

I have been informed by a LBS owner that the SRAM Spectro 7 is better than the Shimano Nexus 7 in
both durability and gear ratio selection.

Any other opinions?

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>,
Tom Sherman <[email protected]> wrote:

> Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> > ... If you want really easy shifting, probably the best bet is something like a Shimano Nexus
> > 7-speed hub shifter. Easy action, lots of gears, and you can shift even when stopped.
>
> I have been informed by a LBS owner that the SRAM Spectro 7 is better than the Shimano Nexus 7 in
> both durability and gear ratio selection.
>
> Any other opinions?
>
> Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

That may well be true. I have no first-hand experience of hub gearing, but threw out the Nexus as a
widely-available option. The top of the heap, both in function and price, is probably the 14-speed
Rohloff hub. Very cool, verrry expensive.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/rohloff.html

Prices start at a heart-stopping US$800.

Admittedly, this equates to purchasing a rear hub and entire drivetrain (except the cranks and front
ring), and the price includes a shifter.

But it's still US$800! You can get a pretty nice bike for that kind of coin. Like maybe a
Tiagra-equipped road machine if you shop around.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

[Gregr]

On 20 Apr 2003 16:44:55 GMT, [email protected] (BookDude2003) wrote:

>I don't know if this topic has been debated here before but....
>
>I was flipping thru the tv a while ago, and came across an infomercial about the LandRider
>autoshift bike. They made it out to be the best thing to the bike since rubber tires were invented.
>
>My question is...is this bike as good as they claim? Does anyone have any experience with
>this bike?
>
>Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I would hate to be standing on the pedals when this thing decides to shift.....

G

 

[Marlene Blansha]

In article <[email protected]>, Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
> (BookDude2003) wrote:
>
> > I don't know if this topic has been debated here before but....
> >
> > I was flipping thru the tv a while ago, and came across an infomercial about the LandRider
> > autoshift bike. They made it out to be the best thing to the bike since rubber tires were
> > invented.
> >
> > My question is...is this bike as good as they claim? Does anyone have any experience with
> > this bike?
> >
> > Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
>
> The consensus is that these things are terrible. Apparently, they are not very well-made, which is
> strike one against them. The other thing you have to understand is that an autoshifting bicycle
> equates to unexpected shifting, and unexpected shifting on a bike is a real pain.
>

I've heard the same thing. These bikes are made like total ****, weigh a ton and when they break,
it's nearly impossible to find parts for them. Also, for that price, you can actually get a decent
mountain bike or hybrid (not top of the line, natch). You may as well get an exercycle. You'll get a
better workout!

 

[David L. Johnso]

On Sun, 20 Apr 2003 14:15:33 +0000, Tom Sherman wrote:

>
> Ryan Cousineau wrote:
>> ... If you want really easy shifting, probably the best bet is something like a Shimano Nexus
>> 7-speed hub shifter. Easy action, lots of gears, and you can shift even when stopped.
>
> I have been informed by a LBS owner that the SRAM Spectro 7 is better than the Shimano Nexus 7 in
> both durability and gear ratio selection.
>
> Any other opinions?

I have no opinion on the relative merits of one system over another. But, a few years ago at a bike
repair clinic, this one "student" came up to me to ask me to show her how to change a flat on her
bike. It had one of these internal-geared hubs. Very messy operation just to remove the wheel, and
it was not clear whether the shifter adjustment could be easily restored. I suggested she carry a
patch kit and patch the tube with the wheel on the bike.

Maybe removing/replacing the wheel was easier than it looked? If not, that is a serious downside.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | What is objectionable, and what is dangerous about extremists is _`\(,_ | not that they are
extreme, but that they are intolerant. (_)/ (_) | --Robert F. Kennedy

 

[Jon Isaacs]

>I don't know if this topic has been debated here before but....
>

This topic has been discussed here several times but never debated. Everyone seems in agreement that
these bikes are POJs and that with advent of index shifting nearly 20 years ago, the concerns that
these bikes purport to address have long been resolved.

Jon Isaacs

 

[Tom Sherman]

"David L. Johnson" wrote:
>
> I have no opinion on the relative merits of one system over another. But, a few years ago at a
> bike repair clinic, this one "student" came up to me to ask me to show her how to change a flat on
> her bike. It had one of these internal-geared hubs. Very messy operation just to remove the wheel,
> and it was not clear whether the shifter adjustment could be easily restored. I suggested she
> carry a patch kit and patch the tube with the wheel on the bike.
>
> Maybe removing/replacing the wheel was easier than it looked? If not, that is a serious downside.

I have a bike with a SRAM (nee Sachs) Spectro 3x7 hub and it is not that much more difficult to
remove the wheel than with a regular QR rear hub. It is more time consuming and requires a wrench
for the hub nuts (I use a Park "Peanut Butter" wrench).

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

 

[Mike Kruger]

"Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> "David L. Johnson" wrote:
> >
> > I have no opinion on the relative merits of one system over another.
But,
> > a few years ago at a bike repair clinic, this one "student" came up to
me
> > to ask me to show her how to change a flat on her bike. It had one of these internal-geared
> > hubs. Very messy operation just to remove the wheel, and it was not clear whether the shifter
> > adjustment could be
easily
> > restored. I suggested she carry a patch kit and patch the tube with the wheel on the bike.
> >
> > Maybe removing/replacing the wheel was easier than it looked? If not, that is a serious
> > downside.
>
> I have a bike with a SRAM (nee Sachs) Spectro 3x7 hub and it is not that much more difficult to
> remove the wheel than with a regular QR rear hub. It is more time consuming and requires a wrench
> for the hub nuts (I use a Park "Peanut Butter" wrench).

I'm on both sides of this issue. I have a Sachs 3x7 hub, and agree with Tom. On the other hand, I
recently fixed up a bike for my daughter that had a 3-speed S-A hub and a coaster brake, so there's
a lot going on around the rear axle. I decided that if she ever got a flat, she was unlikely to
remember how to fix it, or to be carrying the right tools. So, I put both a
Mr. Tuffy liner and a thorn proof tube in there.