Alfine 8 Freezing This Morning

I have a Alfine 8 IGH that shifted very unreliably into higher (greater resistance) gears this morning - presumably due to freezing.  It has less than 1,000 miles on it and was new in September.  Please let me know if anyone has any suggestions.  

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Permalink Reply by Chitown_Mike on January 5, 2015 at 6:15am

My beater bike (new this year, but base model Trek) has the Tourney stuff and was skip-hop shifting all over the place once I was riding along.  It was fine for the first mile but then no bueno after.  Curious to know what other say.

Also my rear pad on the disc started dragging....it was like going up hill the whole way in.  Lunch time will be repair time for me.

Permalink Reply by djm on January 5, 2015 at 6:43am

Ive read that people convert the Alfine 8 to oil-bath operation (same as Alfine 11) with good results.  This wont help if its a sticking cable, of course.

Permalink Reply by Jaik S. on January 5, 2015 at 7:41am

The grease inside may not be able to handle the temperature. That's my guess. When I took apart an old Sturmey Archer 3 speed internal, I used white lithium grease. That particular brand is made for wear, but only works reliably down to about -5. On a bike, you also have to add on the windchill to the outside temperature. According to this chart, if you're going about 10, then it would have been -16 degrees for you.

Permalink Reply by Charlie Short 2.9 on January 5, 2015 at 7:51am

I have the same problem with my Alfine 11. I'm considering switching to outboard derailuers because I re-greased my hub and it still kind of sucks.

Permalink Reply by Joe M on January 5, 2015 at 7:59am

Thanks to both of you.  The hub is shifting nicely now that it has warmed up inside my office.  I'm bummed that this happening as I selected this hub and bike specifically for winter commuting.  I've read older posts by Doug who seems like an expert on these hubs that he recommends against a lighter lubricant.  I will see how it performs on the way home tonight and think about a warming tent  - blanket and incandescent light bulb - for overnight storage inside my garage.  

Permalink Reply by djm on January 5, 2015 at 8:00am

FWIW, I dont think thats correct.  Windchill is a formula that estimates heat loss due to advection.  It isnt a factor for something at ambient temperature that isnt rejecting heat (unlike you or a radiator).

Jaik S. said:

The grease inside may not be able to handle the temperature.... On a bike, you also have to add on the windchill to the outside temperature. According to this chart, if you're going about 10, then it would have been -16 degrees for you.

Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on January 5, 2015 at 8:15am

I don't think inanimate objects (grease, metal, etc) experience wind chill the same way we do. 

Jaik S. said:

The grease inside may not be able to handle the temperature. That's my guess. When I took apart an old Sturmey Archer 3 speed internal, I used white lithium grease. That particular brand is made for wear, but only works reliably down to about -5. On a bike, you also have to add on the windchill to the outside temperature. According to this chart, if you're going about 10, then it would have been -16 degrees for you.

Permalink Reply by Jaik S. on January 5, 2015 at 8:15am

Science! It works now that it's warm, doesn't work well when expose to negative temperatures. If you can provide a better explanation on how we should be calculating windchill when riding our bicycles, I'm open to hearing it.

djm said:

FWIW, I dont think thats correct.  Windchill is a formula that estimates heat loss due to advection.  It isnt a factor for something at ambient temperature that isnt rejecting heat (unlike you or a radiator).

Permalink Reply by S on January 5, 2015 at 8:32am



Jaik S. said:

Science! It works now that it's warm, doesn't work well when expose to negative temperatures. If you can provide a better explanation on how we should be calculating windchill when riding our bicycles, I'm open to hearing it.

djm said:

FWIW, I dont think thats correct.  Windchill is a formula that estimates heat loss due to advection.  It isnt a factor for something at ambient temperature that isnt rejecting heat (unlike you or a radiator).

Windchill is a measure of what the temperature feels like based on heat and moisture loss from a person.  Windchill doesn't affect inanimate objects and can't cool something lower below the ambient air temperature.

Permalink Reply by Jaik S. on January 5, 2015 at 8:46am

So windchill does effect inanimate objects, cooling them faster than if they were at a motionless state. It does not chill them below the current air temperature, but will make them meet that point faster. 

Permalink Reply by Joe M on January 5, 2015 at 10:44am

Thanks, George.  The IGH and belt drive have performed as designed to date - just not with sub-zero temperatures.  I'll post whether a heat source placed nearby in the garage with a blanket helps.  

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on January 5, 2015 at 11:33am

I really like the idea of IGHs, and when they work, they work beautifully. My practical experience with them through five Chicago Bike Winters was that they work beautifully 99% of the time, but that remaining 1% of the time is a deal breaker for me. When the oil/grease/lubricant thickens or when the planetary gears mysteriously leave their orbit, at best, you're riding a single speed, invariably in the worst possible gear imaginable, or at worst, your bicycle is rendered immobile. My experience was limited to SRAM and Sturmey Archer hubs, and while I recognize that individual results may vary, IGHs don't have enough user-serviceable parts for my taste. When something goes wrong, it goes catastrophically wrong. 

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