General:
- Nuvinci Hub official webpage
- No more Gears (Blog from Dirk Spier´s who is a NuVinci representantive)
Review:
- Velojournal magazin offers a 500km ride review.
- Phil´s Velo Blog has already a lot of posts concerning the NuVinci hub. (Also a English translation, click the link and scroll down a bit!)
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Recent Comments
ugge2002 on Shimano / Nexus INTER-8 ugge2002 on Shimano / Nexus INTER-8 Rolle on F&S / Torpedo AUTOMAT… Bruce on F&S / Torpedo DUOMATI… Tony on F&S / Torpedo DUOMATI… Bruce on Hub Stripping Tips! John I on Hub Stripping Tips! John I on Hub Stripping Tips! Philip Williamson on Hub Stripping Tips! Dan on Shimano / Nexus INTER-8 -
November 1, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Phil writes about his manufacturer experience:
http://phil.veloblog.ch/post/7/727
Gruß Marco
January 6, 2008 at 12:01 am
My good friend Val Kleitz wrote a review of the hub after testing it.
http://bikehugger.com/2007/07/mondo_nuvinci_review.htm
April 17, 2008 at 7:58 am
Hallo.
Is it possible to buy a loose NuVinci Hub + shifter and parts
not a complete bicycle in the EU?
October 19, 2008 at 3:10 am
I noted on a recent visit to the NuVinci factory discussion forum on their web site that they seem to be unwilling to provide hard numbers information on the hub’s efficiency. One poster has been asking about it in regard to using it in a streamliner bike for attempted speed record attempts and the NuVinci replies have repeatedly sidestepped the question.
In stead they have referred to their riding impressions PDF and the report of a pro racer who has tested it. No hard data has been provided regarding efficiency.
I get the impression that either they do not have the data or the efficiency is not comparable to the Rohloff or other true gear hubs and other forms of transmission. Seeing as how the company is trying to promote the hub for multiple uses, including heavier versions for automotive use I believe, their unwillingness to provide hard data on efficiency seems strange.
With current energy prices transmissions need to be efficient in automotive applications. Unwillingness or inability to provide data cannot but hurt them in the attempt to promote the adoption of the NuVinci technology.
October 24, 2008 at 2:49 pm
I suspect that the nuvinci efficiency is in the mid 80s at best. Early promotional material mentioned 97% but the figure was quickly expunged! At the greenpower electric racecar final last week the winning car (ours – yeeeeeehah) was running a factory standard shimano alfine & recorded 115 miles; the top nuvinci equipped car recorded 103 miles. Obviously many factors are involved and the gearbox is only one of them, but the fact remains that those cars with these CVTs – which look ideal for the application – have never fulfilled their promise. The Bentley entrant (yes we beat them too…. ) stopped using nuvinci late in the season & got their best result in the last race with an alfine
October 27, 2008 at 2:08 am
I have one of these. We first put it on my wife’s bike. She is a mechanical engineer and was fascinated with the design. Although she experienced no issues, she quickly noticed the appreciable friction compared to my bike built with a simple coaster brake. Either of us coasting down the hill on her bike was slower than the other. One can sense the friction by putting the bike on a stand and spinning the wheel. Much more than my Shimano coaster brake.
We just swapped rear wheels so now I have this on my bike. I am larger and stronger than my wife and can better deal with the friction. I hope the friction lessens as I put miles on the bike commuting to work.
My sense is that if the weight and friction were less then this hub would make a great hub instead of just a good hub. So far no problems.
Larry
December 2, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Robs numbers- and assuming all other things being equal – it works out at around 87% efficiency. Not a killer on a 10km commute!
Larry’s comment is entirely valid, but remember that is your rollout (?) friction – the gearing is on the wheelside of the freewheel.
I’d love to try one on my bike but they are just too heavy for me – they might be better off making it an in frame gearbox, too. That would help with rolling friction and move that weight forward.
The final point I’d like to make about efficiency is that ratio is a very important component of driveline effiency. Ever tried climbing a long hill without just the right ratio?
May 20, 2009 at 6:13 am
Yes, you can buy a hub/bicycle conversion kit (priced at some $450) in Europe. Add wheel build, some modification, lots of disappointment… It is a nice idea on paper, but that hub weighs like half a bicycle! In my humble opinion, it’s just too much hub for a bicycle.
Just stick to Sturmey-Archer. That’ll do anything anyone needs.
Me? ooooh…. just a bloke who builds all steel bicycles, teaches a bit and ……..
September 16, 2009 at 6:09 pm
I’ve been using this hub for some time now. I can say that without a second thought, this NiVinci is the best thing going in bicycles today! I was a SF bike messenger from age 16~28 and I’ve replaced dozens of drive componets at a cost of thousands of dollars over the years of riding. This hub is a total blessing. Is it heavy? yes! does it really matter? No!
if your having friction issues, Just ride it! they go away after brake in.
September 22, 2009 at 5:49 pm
I’m rather surprised by Larry’s comments regarding efficiency, and Bob’s for that matter.
My wife and I live carfree with kids and put around 15,000 miles on our bikes per year. We have bikes with derailleurs, a bike with an alfine and a bike with a nuvinci. In both our riding experience, which we’ve got around 6,000 miles on the nuvinci now, it is at least as efficient as same bike with derailleur, and I generally keep our drivetrains in very good condition, so we’re not talking neglected derailleur.
I can also say that it is our favorite drivetrain, and in time as others wear out, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they were displaced by nuvinci’s.
They are incredibly smooth, quiet, durable, NO maintenance. I would already had to tear down and lube an alfine two times by now or lube a rohloff two times as well. meanwhile the nuvinci just keeps on cruising along smooth as can be without a single hiccup along the way.
October 15, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Anybody ever matched the NuVinci hub with the Rohloff shifter? Does this work? I have a customer that wants me to build a bike with NuVinci hub, but he likes the look of the Rohloff shifter over the standard NuVinci shifter. I’ve not ever tried this setup and have no idea if it would work. Any thoughts?