New Hub Gears
- Thread starter JohnInStockie
- Start date
My advice with new hub gear types is to wait until others experience problems and then see the upgrades that follow John. This release is SRAM playing catchup with the rivals. Last year's new Sturmey 8 speed hit problems and was upgraded to a stronger design, but I know of one of those that failed since. The new Nexus 8 speed has also hit problems in it's early days in the hands of a highly experienced hub gear user while it was on test, so caution is advisable.
Once a year has passed without news of trouble it could be a good choice, but that said, e-bikes don't really need so many gears due to the power gap bridging that the motor gives, smoothing out the steps. SRAM's very tough and long established 7 speed has an almost 300% range, though it is slow changing.
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Once a year has passed without news of trouble it could be a good choice, but that said, e-bikes don't really need so many gears due to the power gap bridging that the motor gives, smoothing out the steps. SRAM's very tough and long established 7 speed has an almost 300% range, though it is slow changing.
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Good advice Flecc (as usual). I am impressed by the 340% range and the fact that it can change gear under load, something that really annoys me on the Twist.
Additionally I am having some trouble with the SRAM P5, often when I move into 4th gear, I actually end up in 5th. I have tried twisting that adjuster on it when in 3rd so that the lines meet up, but it doesnt seem to make any difference. I hear the constant 'tick-tick' from the gears when in any gear above 2nd.
I dont know what it is, maybe I need to give more time to the gear change (I always stop pedlling - change gear - start pedaling, but unless I stop pedaling - change gear - back pedal - start pedaling I get this problem 5 times out of 10 gear changes.
Very frustrating
John
Additionally I am having some trouble with the SRAM P5, often when I move into 4th gear, I actually end up in 5th. I have tried twisting that adjuster on it when in 3rd so that the lines meet up, but it doesnt seem to make any difference. I hear the constant 'tick-tick' from the gears when in any gear above 2nd.
I dont know what it is, maybe I need to give more time to the gear change (I always stop pedlling - change gear - start pedaling, but unless I stop pedaling - change gear - back pedal - start pedaling I get this problem 5 times out of 10 gear changes.
Very frustrating
John
That P5 is definitely slightly out of adjustment John. Try setting it a bit either side of correct to find the point where the clicking disappears. The change is slow though.
I'd treat the claims of changing under load with great suspicion if I were you. It's mainly Shimano with their Nexus hubs who make these claims, but in practice they aren't reliable changers if the pedalling pressure isn't eased off, though Shimano's hubs are the slickest changing.
The US SRAM marketing people may feel it necessary to claim this when up against Shimano, especially when the latter are introducing an automatic change 8 speed version.
It's just a fact of hub gear life that changes have to be done by pausing or pressure easing, in exactly the same way as with cars, and for exactly the same reasons. Gear teeth or engagement dog edges chip and break if they are engaged with drive power on them at the time.
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I'd treat the claims of changing under load with great suspicion if I were you. It's mainly Shimano with their Nexus hubs who make these claims, but in practice they aren't reliable changers if the pedalling pressure isn't eased off, though Shimano's hubs are the slickest changing.
The US SRAM marketing people may feel it necessary to claim this when up against Shimano, especially when the latter are introducing an automatic change 8 speed version.
It's just a fact of hub gear life that changes have to be done by pausing or pressure easing, in exactly the same way as with cars, and for exactly the same reasons. Gear teeth or engagement dog edges chip and break if they are engaged with drive power on them at the time.
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Oh so I shouldnt hear the clicking!!! Right, I didnt know that (never had hub gears before). Thanks Flecc.
I might have misunderstood you there though John. I took your mention as meaning the catching sound of it attempting two gears at once, but a regular faint ticking from the internal freewheel pawls is an SRAM feature and is ok.
Trying a fine intermediate adjustment still applies though to get reliable changing. The changing generally improves over time on the P5, but I think your's should have largely settled by now.
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Trying a fine intermediate adjustment still applies though to get reliable changing. The changing generally improves over time on the P5, but I think your's should have largely settled by now.
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Ok I'll give it a go. Ive noticed a couple of things which seem odd. The needle on the handlebars is always too close to the next gear up instead of the centre, and also the twisty adjuster at the back - it wont tighten any further and the lines just make it.
John
John
The handlebar control does often appear that way John, the indicator not tracking exactly the markings, but not faulty as such.
The adjustment can be reset as that on brakes can, by shortening the inner cable a bit. It's a fiddly job though. You have to undo the adjuster completely so that it comes free of the thread first. Then undo the tiny screw in the center of the transparent changer cover and lift off the cover. You then see where the inner cable winds round the pulley wheel inside, finally turning into the centre where it's locked into a brass boss by a clamping screw.
If you tackle this adjustment, before doing anything else be prepared for it all to spring apart as you pull up the cable and pulley, so note carefully the direction that the wire is wound round the pulley, the amount of the turn around it, and the way the brass boss is inserted.
Once you've released the inner cable from that pulley and withdrawn the brass boss, you can undo the lock screw and push the cable a little further through by the amount that your need to reset it for the adjuster to have a two way range. Then lock the screw and cut off the protuding inner cable end bit. Then after re-assembling in the way it came apart you'll have more adjustment available.
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The adjustment can be reset as that on brakes can, by shortening the inner cable a bit. It's a fiddly job though. You have to undo the adjuster completely so that it comes free of the thread first. Then undo the tiny screw in the center of the transparent changer cover and lift off the cover. You then see where the inner cable winds round the pulley wheel inside, finally turning into the centre where it's locked into a brass boss by a clamping screw.
If you tackle this adjustment, before doing anything else be prepared for it all to spring apart as you pull up the cable and pulley, so note carefully the direction that the wire is wound round the pulley, the amount of the turn around it, and the way the brass boss is inserted.
Once you've released the inner cable from that pulley and withdrawn the brass boss, you can undo the lock screw and push the cable a little further through by the amount that your need to reset it for the adjuster to have a two way range. Then lock the screw and cut off the protuding inner cable end bit. Then after re-assembling in the way it came apart you'll have more adjustment available.
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