Nexus Internal gears - Anyone used them?/ Plans for commuter bike
- Thread starter ejls2
- Start date
No, go to Amazon and search under "Cadillac AV-8". Did that tonight, October 26, and they said "in stock" and were $299.aubinmg said:
Here's an old pic (missing the fenders, and since removed the suspension seat post and fitted a different saddle). It's also got my old wheelset on it (those ones in the pic look flashy and all, but they're actually about 2.3kgaubinmg said:
)I've since moved to using Conti GP 4-seasons 700x28 tyres as they weigh half as much and make it feel a bit sportier on the roads and paths. It's still wide enough for most unpaved trails though (and the wide Mr Tuffys still fit.. somehow!)
Well, I can heartily recommend the 8-speed Sturmey Archer hub. Their conventional drum brakes work great and are lighter than roller brakes. The gears are smooth and my Cadillac seems about as fast as a Deore-equipped slick tire mtb, though I am sure you could measure a small difference in drag. The only awkward part is the fact that first and eighth are twice as widely spaced as the other speeds.
As for the Caddy bike in general: the BB seems to be defective. The forks are threaded and have a short steerer so it wouldn't be easy for a bigger fellow to swap them into a "normal-looking" frame unless you got a new fork. You would have to have an adapter created to use other forks because of the drum brake reaction arm; it is inboard of the fork leg so you can't use a simple strap like a coaster brake does. I plan to keep riding it but it will require modification and improvisation to mount fenders which is a pretty big drawback for a commuter. However, the full suspension makes it great for riding on road shoulders with lots of broken asphalt and peoples' driveways jutting into it.
Edit: Oh, boy. Everyone on this thread is from overseas. They can't get one anyway without being hit with a giant shipping charge. Oh well, at least the report on the Sturmey Archer is pertinent. The Taiwan Sturmeys seem to be pretty tight hubs.
As for the Caddy bike in general: the BB seems to be defective. The forks are threaded and have a short steerer so it wouldn't be easy for a bigger fellow to swap them into a "normal-looking" frame unless you got a new fork. You would have to have an adapter created to use other forks because of the drum brake reaction arm; it is inboard of the fork leg so you can't use a simple strap like a coaster brake does. I plan to keep riding it but it will require modification and improvisation to mount fenders which is a pretty big drawback for a commuter. However, the full suspension makes it great for riding on road shoulders with lots of broken asphalt and peoples' driveways jutting into it.
Edit: Oh, boy. Everyone on this thread is from overseas. They can't get one anyway without being hit with a giant shipping charge. Oh well, at least the report on the Sturmey Archer is pertinent. The Taiwan Sturmeys seem to be pretty tight hubs.
I'm an internal hub junkie. All of my frames are equipped with them.
I've had poor results with SRAM internal hubs, they skip, or in the case of the drum brake version lock up.
With my Sturmey-Archer 8 I've had a problem with it being mounted on an Al frame with worn dropouts. The hub slips at the axle. It's not the fault of the hub, and the hub works fine on another frame.
I've also Rohloff equipped a few frames. The Rohloff works exactly as you would expect, never giving the first problem. More $, but one of the few instances where you get what you pay for.
The Nexus and Sturmey-Archers will have a gear range that is about 60% of a deurailer system. The Rohloff has an equivalent gear range of a 27 speed mountain bike.
Luck,
--E.A.
I've had poor results with SRAM internal hubs, they skip, or in the case of the drum brake version lock up.
With my Sturmey-Archer 8 I've had a problem with it being mounted on an Al frame with worn dropouts. The hub slips at the axle. It's not the fault of the hub, and the hub works fine on another frame.
I've also Rohloff equipped a few frames. The Rohloff works exactly as you would expect, never giving the first problem. More $, but one of the few instances where you get what you pay for.
The Nexus and Sturmey-Archers will have a gear range that is about 60% of a deurailer system. The Rohloff has an equivalent gear range of a 27 speed mountain bike.
Luck,
--E.A.
Amazon still lists them, as of 12/14/2006...$179.99 with "free super saver shipping"
http://www.amazon.com/Cadillac-Adventure-AV-8-Comfort-Bike/dp/B000G18GH2
http://www.amazon.com/Cadillac-Adventure-AV-8-Comfort-Bike/dp/B000G18GH2
The Caddy is not the best choice for a foul weather commuter because there's no place to put the fenders on.
I wanted to buy the bike for the hubs and swap them onto a "normal" frame. However, the drum brake reaction arm needs a special fork and it doesn't just clamp on like a coaster brake, and the steering bracket is an odd oversize threaded type. Therefore the fork may not swap into an ordinary frame and you can't use just any fork. And, there's nowhere to put the fenders on the fork.
Also, the bottom bracket seems to be taking a **** after the first 500 miles.
But for $179.99, buy one and experiment!
I wanted to buy the bike for the hubs and swap them onto a "normal" frame. However, the drum brake reaction arm needs a special fork and it doesn't just clamp on like a coaster brake, and the steering bracket is an odd oversize threaded type. Therefore the fork may not swap into an ordinary frame and you can't use just any fork. And, there's nowhere to put the fenders on the fork.
Also, the bottom bracket seems to be taking a **** after the first 500 miles.
But for $179.99, buy one and experiment!
I reported the bottom bracket was already shot but I was wrong, one of the crank bolts was a bit loose, tightened it and now the bb just clicks a bit like my Raleigh always did, but the Raleigh is still on the original bb bearings after 5 years.
