# How reliable are internal gear hubs?



## bank5 (May 7, 2008)

My wife just got a bike with a Shimano Nexus 3 speed internal gear hub. Internal gear hubs seem pretty reliable based on Internal-Gear Hubs

Is that true for the lower end ones too, like the Nexus?

Should I have any concerns if I put a lot of torque on the hub and coaster brake? If something does break, is it a pain and costly to fix?


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

Keep the cables adjusted properly and they will outlast several sets of derailleur gears.

(I have 80+ year old hub gears on well used bikes that still work perfectly).


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## bank5 (May 7, 2008)

^ Good to hear. I'm loving the hub so far. It shifts very smoothly, has good variance (I think 36% for each gear), super easy to adjust, you can shift while stopped. I'm not sure how much they cost new, but seems very nice considering it came on a $200 bike


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

bank5 said:


> My wife just got a bike with a Shimano Nexus 3 speed internal gear hub. Internal gear hubs seem pretty reliable based on Internal-Gear Hubs
> 
> Is that true for the lower end ones too, like the Nexus?
> 
> Should I have any concerns if I put a lot of torque on the hub and coaster brake? If something does break, is it a pain and costly to fix?


I've used:

- Rohloff x 2
- Alfine 11 x 1
- Afline 8 x 2
- Nexus 8 x 1

For many years now and never had a problem. Any mechanical component can break and if there are enough of them out there some will.

For commuter use or some other application where you are close to home I wouldn't hesitate to use a lower cost Shimano IGH. As you start to get further and further from home with higher impacts should a part fail I'd start to think about a Rohloff.


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## Drew Diller (Jan 4, 2010)

I've had three Alfine 8s so far, one broke after several years (and I was the second owner, previous put four years into it).

Most reliable internal anything on a bike I've seen is an FSA Patterson crank... which only has two speeds and is built like a brick.


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## lukeNZ (Dec 13, 2012)

Drew Diller said:


> I've had three Alfine 8s so far, one broke after several years (and I was the second owner, previous put four years into it).
> 
> Most reliable internal anything on a bike I've seen is an FSA Patterson crank... which only has two speeds and is built like a brick.


the price of the Patterson is pretty good too, only problems being the 68mm only BB suitability and not being supported for mtb riding (but then neither was the alfine8 and many people have had plenty of success)


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## Drew Diller (Jan 4, 2010)

lukeNZ said:


> the price of the Patterson is pretty good too, only problems being the 68mm only BB suitability and not being supported for mtb riding (but then neither was the alfine8 and many people have had plenty of success)


Yep. I believe the thinking on the not-suitable-for-MTB is protecting themselves from some guy trying to take some gear not meant for hucking... and then the dude hucks it.

A Patterson would *probably* survive off road to some extent.


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