Internal Gear Hubs

Internal gear hubs don’t need to be adjusted as frequently as derailleur gears, but this doesn’t mean they are maintenance free. Like any other moving part they require periodic maintenance to ensure a long, trouble-free lifespan. The good news is that it’s often a straightforward job and that 12-18 months is fine for most commuters.

Different types of Internal Gear Hubs

There are several different brands and types of internal gear hub (IGH). Shimano makes 3, 5, 7, 8 and 11 speed hubs. All are fairly straight forward to maintain. Sram makes a range of gear hubs from 3 to 9 speed with which are more variable with respect to reliability and serviceability. The old 3 speed Sturmey Archer hubs are bombproof and require very little attention. Newer Sturmey Archer’s are prone to being problematic. And finally, there is the pinnacle of IGH technology, the touring-spec Rohloff. The Rohloff is a 14 speed oil-based hub that functions quite differently from the Shimano 11 speed. It is more robust than the Shimano and as a result better suited to touring.

Servicing requirements for IGHs

Broadly speaking, grease based internal gear hubs will require cleaning out, inspecting and re-greasing about every 12-18 months.

Shimano 5 to 8 speed hubs need an ‘oil bath’ every 12-18 months to keep the internals lubricated. Shimano Alfine 11 speed hubs get the oil changes via a port on the outside. We try to keep most common hub seals in stock so we can replace them if you are having leaking issues. Get in touch if you are having leaking issues and quote the hub model and we can see if we have the right seals in stock. 

We recommend replacing the shift cables periodically or at the first sign of mis-shifting on any IGH (other than Rohloff hubs). This is critical because on most hubs the shifter controls the alignment of all of the planetary gears and a damaged or lagging cable can prevent the elements inside from aligning properly, leading to damage and accelerated wear. Rohloff’s control their indexing between gears in the hub rather than the shifter so this is less of an issue with the Rohloff. A damaged or lagging shift cable in a Rohloff will just feel nasty but isn’t causing any damage.

For info on the 14 speed Rohloff hubs please check out this page.

We stock a full range of Rohloff IGH hubs and accessories as well as Shimano hubs. Click here to book in a hub service. Contact us to discuss an IGH wheel build today.

#Destinationrohloff