# NuVinci in Chapter 11



## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

Don't know how this will work out. Fallbrook - NuVinci Announces Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Proceedings

Let's hope they make it. I've been hoping for a suitably light version for quite a few years.


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## Rob_E (Nov 22, 2010)

I was hoping, too, but then they seemed to focus their efforts on the ebike market where weight wasn't as much of an issue.

I've had a few Nuvinci hubs. I loved it at first, but I had one too many warranty issues, and eventually switched to the Alfine 8. The Nuvinci was improving in weight and gear range, but I still successfully broke a couple, and I decided to switch. I haven't regretted it, but I had been considering putting together an e-bike with one.


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## Whazzat (Jul 17, 2015)

They appear to have sold the bike division to a dutch company, though it is listed as a division.
out of bankruptcy/"reorganization" as of 6/28
Parts have gotten hard to find.
Listed but "Out of stock" everywhere online save for gears
They have announced a new line, but what that will do for parts/service/warrantee of older stuff remains to be seen. Big issue may be cables and their proprietary internal fluid and seals.


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## Rob_E (Nov 22, 2010)

Whazzat said:


> They have announced a new line, but what that will do for parts/service/warrantee of older stuff remains to be seen. Big issue may be cables and their proprietary internal fluid and seals.


Unless there's been a change in later models, cables have been standard cables, nothing you need to go through Nuvinci for. And I don't think they ever sold their fluid or seals. They just serviced the hubs themselves if needed. Not that that's a better situation. It still means that unless the new company steps up, all existing hubs are going to become junk if they fail. Fortunately a lot of people have found them to be reliable and maintenance-free.


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## Whazzat (Jul 17, 2015)

*IGHnoramus*

cables have been standard cables... They just serviced the hubs themselves if needed.

Yep found this out when trolling Google for service info, and trying to service an older model. Good to know.

? Do the new C3 controllers/shifter and the Rohloff stuff work with the 360?

They appear to be trying , but all the ifo seems to be oriented towards new sales and little other service/tech info seems available. Nothing like CycleMonkey appears to be around in the aftermarket world, and IGH bike forums are pretty scattered

LBS just laughs at me , but I am a triker and foldy rider and have a good sense of humor
Sort of like asking them about working on an ebike

IGHnoramus


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## JonathanGennick (Sep 15, 2006)

Rob_E said:


> It still means that unless the new company steps up, all existing hubs are going to become junk if they fail.


Why would that be the case? Warranties possibly could be at risk, but I'd expect paid-for service to still be available. I'll be surprised if they don't cover warranties too, because to do otherwise would damage their brand.


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## Rob_E (Nov 22, 2010)

JonathanGennick said:


> Why would that be the case? Warranties possibly could be at risk, but I'd expect paid-for service to still be available. I'll be surprised if they don't cover warranties too, because to do otherwise would damage their brand.


It's not necessarily the case. We'll have to wait and see. But if the new company, Enviolo, is completely separate from Fallbrook, then I wouldn't expect warrantees to be honored. But upon reading, I'm not sure that's entirely the case. They may still be associated enough to honor warrantees, I don't know. But it doesn't look like they are too worried about maintaining brand recognition, because the newest hubs use the new name. They also seem to be focusing efforts in Europe, and possibly starting with a whole, new line of hubs.

I don't know if the new hubs will just be the old hubs rebranded or if the will be significantly different. If different, will a brand new company have the parts on hand to service older hubs? I don't know. I do know that my Nuvinci hubs needed servicing 4 times when I had them. One time the just sent me the necessary part (some screws had worked loose), and I replaced them. One time I sent my hub in for service (to Texas) and they sent it back. The other two times they just sent me a new hub. If a complete hub replacement is the norm for a failed hub, is Enviolo going to give you a free hub if your Nuvinci fails? I have no idea. But I do expect that shipping and turn-around times are not going to be great if you have to send a hub to the Netherlands, assuming you're a U.S.-based Nuvinci customer.

So, yeah, a lot remains to be seen. And I certainly don't have any special insight. I just see some reasons to be concerned, like it being a whole new company on a new continent with a new name, and I can't even find a way to buy a hub from them on their website: Home - enviolo
The best I can find is a handful of European shops where I can see one of their bikes, a webform where I can try and get special parts, and a message that says:



> If you are a consumer and need help with your NuVinci Optimized bicycle, please get in touch with your local bike dealer. He can assist you with any technical needs.


Not encouraging since I've built all my Nuvinci wheels at home, and haven't seen a local shop that deals with them.

So maybe it'll be possible to get service. They may even honor warrantees, but I wouldn't be installing a Nuvinci hub on my daily driver today.


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## Redlands R&C (Dec 14, 2013)

a few weeks ago, I picked up a Yuba Mundo with random bits and pieces including an original (pre N360 by a long shot!!) Nuvinci hub. Still fully functional. I knew about the problems with Nuv/Fallbrook, but sent an email inquiring about the age/setup of the hub anyway and within a day I had a very good response from someone within Enviolo. They actually answered my question, gave me a link to a .pdf manual and emailed the manual too me as well. I was quite impressed!

I used to be the senior mechanic at an eBike shop that did quite a few Nuvinci conversions, I only recall one that had an issue, but we were able to "re-time" for lack of a better word the hub and get the customer rolling within a couple days. Other than cables/housing and that one instance - never saw a problem with them. There are still 20-30 around the Boulder/Longmont area that I see on the road, and that was 5 years ago when I left that shop...


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## Whazzat (Jul 17, 2015)

*Do you know if the hub and shifter are compatible from the N170 though the N380?*

The N170's have a slightly smaller range, but have a reputation for ruggedness and are like by the ebikers who find them durable.

The cabling uses standard cables and the hub and shifter are available for the N360. Do you know if they are compatible from the N170 though the N380?


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## Rob_E (Nov 22, 2010)

Whazzat said:


> The N170's have a slightly smaller range, but have a reputation for ruggedness and are like by the ebikers who find them durable.
> 
> The cabling uses standard cables and the hub and shifter are available for the N360. Do you know if they are compatible from the N170 though the N380?


That is definitely a question you want to ask support, but my feeling is that the N360 shifter is the least likely to be cross compatible.

The shifter has a 2-cable system. Twisting the shifter winds up one cable while feeding out the other. If memory serves, when they went from from the N171 to N360, there were two changes to shifting: 1) it had a wider range, and 2) it went through the wider range with less twisting -- If I remember correctly, that was the 360 part, 360 degrees, as in: one full revolution of the shifter would take you through the entire gear range. This was a change from the N171 which took more than full turn to move through the full range. What this means is that the N360 shifter will probably not turn more than 360 degrees, which means it won't rotate through the entire range of the N171. And since the N171 already had less range than the N360, it will have significantly less range when used with the N360 shifter.

Assuming that the N380 provides access to its expanded gear range by allowing the shifter to turn more than one full revolution, you may also find that the N360 shifter does not give you the full range of the N380 hub.


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## JonathanGennick (Sep 15, 2006)

Rob_E said:


> ... and 2) it went through the wider range with less twisting ... This was a change from the N171 which took more than full turn to move through the full range.


The above is my memory as well. My N330 shifter has limited rotation, and I'm sure it won't handle the older, N171 hub. The little orange man would be torn apart .


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