The "Best" Internally Geared Hub?

[safe]

Sturmey Archer, Shimano Nexus, Rohloff, SRAM, they all make some really nice Internally Geared Hubs:

Which is the best?

At the best price?

Links?

 

[safe]

I've recently "discovered" the value of the SRAM Spectro P5 and I'm wondering if anyone has experience with it because I'm thinking of buying one.

http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30&action=details&sku=HU2507

SRAM Spectro P5 5spd drum brake hub $131.99

The gears seem to be "perfectly spaced" and since the first and second gears are at a lower ratio it makes high rpm electric motors easier to get geared correctly. This seems like about the "ideal" number of gears for my 1200 Watt project. (except a disk brake version would be better over the drum brake) The gear ratios have a range of 303% which is equal to the 8-Speed of the Sturmer Archer, so you cover the same range, but have wider gear spacing. The gear ratios are:

0.63
0.78
1.00
1.28
1.58

 

[Reid Welch]

You are looking for the best practical value, right.

I'm reading on these things now too.

Here's a screenshot below from an archive page replete with anecdotal information on various hubs,
including the then-new Rohloff.




Sach's hub went on to become made by SRAM

 

[safe]

96% efficiency is basically the same as no gears at all... just a direct drive chain. So in the "extreme" high and low gears you lose as much as 8% over not having gears. That's a lot worse than the Rohloff which is supposed to be in the high 90's for most all of their gears. Given that NOT having gears is impractical for small motored bikes (for a variety of reasons already mentioned in the"Great Debate") it again comes down to price. If you want the "ideal" hub you go with the Rohloff and spend a thousand dollars. If you are using something like a 1200 Watt Unite motor that is already not the most efficient thing in the world then you are more focused on "extremes" like top speed or steepest hill that you can get up. You sometimes (for price reasons) have to settle for less than the "Best" hub motor.

If one's goal is to have the longest range then you cruise along at under 20 mph with a small and efficient brushless hub motor. But if you want a "thrill" when you ride and you want to get to 50 mph with a little (2hp) motor but don't want to pay very much then you get the SRAM 5-speed and the 1200 Watt Unite motor. At least that's how I'm seeing it right now.

Unite 1200 Watt Motor - $90

SRAM Spectro P5 - $132 + shifter $40 (don't even know where to get it)

Being able to then buy NiMh batteries:

80 NiMh @ $5 = $400 (48Volt - 20Ah)

So for about $700 you get to 50 mph as far as "core" drivetrain components. (not counting the rest of the bike)

On my old SLA bike it cost:

Battery - $138
Gears essentially free
750 Watt motor - $50

...and I managed to get to 41 mph in a quarter mile.

So it seems to just get more and more expensive!

 

[safe]

As an additional note:

With the SRAM Spectro P5 I can run a gear like 15 - 114 for the drivetrain and that allows me to run at ONLY 40 amps to achive the 50 mph number. With the Sturmey Archer the gearing is so tall that even with a 12 - 114 gearing I have to run 60 amps to "cover" the full range from steep hills to 50 mph.

So I end up getting a 43% improvement in range AUTOMATICALLY when I switch hubs because of this issue of high rpms in the motor. It goes from 20 minutes (min) runtime and 18 mile (min) range to 30 minutes (min) runtime and 26 mile (min) range.

Also, as an added bonus the lower amps mean less torque and even with the "harshness" of PWM the torque never rises above 70 Nm. That's actually very conservative and means the hub will never break based on power alone. (more likely it would break from trying to "speed shift" too many times)

Does anyone know of any other good hub options?

 

[safe]

This is the offering from Sturmey Archer in the 5-Speed category. Similiar gear ratios. $168

http://www.permaco.com/en-us/dept_15.html

 

[Geebee]

Rohloff, the best bar none, google for reviews.
Manufacturer claims there has never been a failure.
Their nm ratings are ultra conservative.

 

[safe]

If only the Rohloff could be purchased for something like $250 then I'd do it right away. But at over $1000 it gets bumped out of the "price verses performance queue" for me. I'm trying to keep the costs as low as possible so I've got a "price performance" evaluation going on with everything I'm doing. Otherwise you are 100% correct, the Rohloff is a true mechanical "work of art".

 

[Geebee]

In that case the shimano 8 speed, if you search "www.sheldonbrown.com" you will find the reason that it is more efficient than the 7 speed by a fair amount, the article is bugger to find but I have done so a couple of times in the past.
Also someone on a past forum says that they used them on electric drag cars/karts (some school competition) and they had not managed to kill them when driven by ETEK's
Most of the complaints on the Shimano's seem to be related to gettting water/salt/mud in past the seals and destroying the hubs.
I have seriously researched these guys in the past.

 

[NickF23]

I've bought 2 bikes with nexus 4 speed hubs. one electric with the motor sharing the drive train with the pedals. I think the bike had done a few thousand. The hub gear was pretty knackered and would slip quite a lot. The second bike I bought second hand and was not electric, I've no idea how many miles it had done. Only the highest and lowest gear work well, the middle 2 slip. I've heard the 5 speed 'cargo' is the most robust model that nexus do. probably best dollars for money choice if you going to put serious power though it.

 

[safe]

In that case the shimano 8 speed.

They've got the newer SG-8R25 Red Band premium Hub at $229.95 and that's pretty good pricing if it's about as efficient as the Rohloff. It's without the brakes and the shifter, so by the time you add it all up you are in the $300 range. The Sturmey Archer 8-Speed was only $122 with EVERYTHING, but it has the first gear at 1 to 1 and everything above that goes higher, so it doesn't help much with high rpm motors. The new Shimano is nice that's for sure...