Hey,
The geared hub is a collaborative project between Schlumpf and KHU and
will be sold in the KH lineup, starting later this year. No fixed date
yet but probably towards mid/late summer. Basically it builds on the
existing Schlumpf design in ways that I think will be an improvement
for Muni and a design improvement in general. It will be available in
any size of KH frame.
Some of the differences between it and the existing hub are:
-wider flange-flange spacing (standard 100mm bearing width)
-ISIS spline
-stronger internals
-lever arm located as a sleeve within a standard 42mm bearing housing
-extra wide bearings, actually two 37mm bearings on each side inside a
standard 12mm x 42mm casing. This increases frame stiffness by
reducing bearing flex.
So far I've tested it for about 4 months on the Vancouver North Shore
and now at Moab. It has stood up really well, with lots of aggressive
riding and drops up to 2 metres (with good transitions), and it feels
the same as when I initially installed it. It doesn't feel
discernibly heavier when riding compared to the existing KH24. I
haven't weight the proto but I think it's probably less than 1/2 lb.
heavier than a normal hub- not too much.
The shifter button broke but it was completely my fault- I packed it
terribly heading to Moab and a spoke from another unicycle jammed
between the shifter button and the frame, bending it in the baggage
handling process. I tried to bend it back and broke it. I might still
look at some minor changes to strengthen it though.
Shifting is easy and quick on paved terrain (once you are used to it),
and quite difficult on bumpy terrain. The 1.5:1 gear ratio is quite
high and is mostly useful for fast riding on really easy singletrack or
fire roads or on pavement. We could make it less (perhaps 1.3:1) but
I think it's best to keep it high, because many riders will want it for
road touring and commutes to/from the trailhead. Riding in high gear
feels like a Coker with the manouverability of a KH24- pretty cool.
It will be a bit more expensive than the existing Schlumpf, which
remains a very good choice for on-road riding. No fixed price yet
but the goal is to have it around US$1600 to US$1700 including the uni.
Sounds expensive but a few years ago a regular KH24 was almost this
much =).
Kris
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danger_uni
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