14 SPEED HUB GEARS.

[mz]

[:I]MAY A ASK THE UNFORGIVABLE, SHIMANO HAVE JUST UPGRADED THE NEXUS 7 SPEED HUB INTO 8 SPEED TO AN ALLEGED PREMIUM QUALITY, ? WHAT ADDITIONAL  ADVANTAGES WOULD I GET WITH A ROLHOFF,ALSO ANYBODY GOT A RAVEN THAT DOES CYCLE CLUB, RUNS AND CAN HOLD THERE OWN.  CHEERS JIM.[?]

[ahconway]

Jim, your question itself is not unforgivable, but you really must become a master of your CAPS LOCK KEY, since is bad form to shout like that!

As for the Shimano vs Rohloff, there really is no comparison. I've got the 7-speed Nexus on my city bike and the Rohloff on my Raven. The Shimano is fine for piddling round the city, but it's bad news if you want to do any serious hills, and the range between gears is too wide for serious riding. And unless there have been major engineering changes, the Shimano is also much more fragile... changing the back tyre is a serious ordeal just because the external mechanism is so fiddly.

I have to admit that I'm no speed demon, but I'm happy with my normal pace on the Raven. I do feel the overall weight of the bike when I'm out of the saddle on a hill - but I'm quite sure that a lighter bike (maybe the Sport or the secretive Mercury?) would be perfect for fast club rides.

Andrew

[Wingnut]

Jim,
Just got the Catalyst with carbon rc31 forks, fitted an avid bb front disc, have thudbuster and brooks pro saddle....so not a light setup. I don't know what speed you go on club runs, but we average 18+ over 50+ miles on a sunday spin and I have no problem keeping up even tho I am the wrong side of 40...the gaps between the gears are a bit on the big side when the pace hots up, some times finding I am just between gears, one to high the other to low...a minor quible, 99% of the time it is just dandy. Oh btw I'm using flat bars as well, so there's another myth gone pop []
Regards David
Mullingar
Rep of Ireland
ps here is a pic of the bike it replaced (might take a time to load)
http://community.mobhaile.ie/westmeath/LakesideWheelers/Gallery/P1010017.JPGhttp://

[ahconway]

Great photo, David - but aren't those drops, not flat bars?

[Wingnut]

That was a photo of Sherman the go any where do anything at speed converted MTB, it now has flat bars, I put flat bars back on shortly after that photo (majorca []) to see if I could do the long miles on flat bars in anticipation of buying  my beautiful Catalyst (Matilda [])....no probs, am up to 100 milers now with no ill effects...this is one bike Robin will not be getting back []
Regards, David.