CJ C

lets all start a slow clap for another "what bike thread"

Ok i am all set and have been on an internal debate between a Giant rapid or Defy for christmas. but realized that my mind and thought process has been all wrong. i have only been commuting in nice dry weather what the heck am i going to do in fall and winter? so my commuting world has been flipped upside down.

*The reason it needs to be lightweight is i need to carry it up and down three flights of stairs on a daily basis. add winter gear and it will get old quick, if its heavy
*the reason for disk brakes and IGH is the chicago slush
*the reason for the gears is the chicago wind gusts, in fall and winter. the commute is only 4 miles one way and is flat but with the wind here, i want gears dang it.

the giant seek 0 i have seen and tried to pick up but it seems heavy. Same as a trek, i want to say it was a soho, with the same set up seemed heavy.

so is there a lighter bike with the IGH and Disk brake set up or is it about the same across the board?

PaulRivers

Do you want "straight" bars or curly bars?

The Civia Bryant is probably the lightest bike I know of with disc brakes and an IGH (igh's aren't light). It's curly bars though, and not cheap either. It's also a belt drive though which is pretty cool for reducing maintenance.

MichaelW

I dont know of any lightweight Alfine bikes. Ive been using Alfine for several years and its a great system. Look for a frame with:
Good, reliable frame tensioning: Eccentric bottom bracket or sliding vertical dropouts.
The lightest system is horizontal dropouts but its hard to use with disk brakes.
Avoid any system requiring the sprung chain tensioner.
My EBB uses external clamping bolts which IMHO is the best method. Beware of set screw and internal clamp EBB which can bind or slip; the Bushnell one has the best rep. All standard EBB use a big lump of aluminium so are heavy. You can get special, lightweight external bearing EBB units like Philcentric.
Take care with rear disc mounting location. Chainstay mount enables use of standard rack and fender arrangement.
To my mind, the key to a good low maintenance city bike is in the integration of all these nice parts so one doesn't interfere with another. Civia come closest the the perfect IHG bike.

FunkyStickman

Also, the Scott Sub 10 would work, it's flat-bar. It's more of a city bike, but very suited to all-weather commuting.

no1mad 

Your braking and gearing will add weight to any frame. They also add to the price of the bike.

Since you mentioned having to haul the bike up and down 3 flights of stairs for every ride and your current distance is only 4 miles, maybe think smaller to shave a few grams? C'dale Hooligan 3 has a IGH 3 spd with disc brakes. Or maybe consider the Origin 8 Bully and convert it to IGH and discs.

tcs

Good call on the Hooligan.

OP, just FYI: Swobo Otis, Specialized Globe Live 3, Torker Graduate, Dahon Ios XL.

Or, given the budget, start with a Niner Air 9 Carbon with road tires and Shimano, SRAM or Sturmey 3-speed hub.

DG Going Uphill

I'm saving up for a Kona Dr. Fine. It is Alfine with hydraulic disk brakes at around 25 pounds. Great price for a bike with these parts and a carbon fork.

El Duderino X

You could combine a Norco Indie SS with a Handspun Pavement Series 2 rear IGH Alfine (and, of course the rear chainring, small parts kit & shifter) for a solid little roughly 28lb IGH commuter at approx. $900.00.

SouthFLpix

IGHs are not known for being light, but Cannondale used to make a Rohloff version of the Bad Boy with disk brakes. It wasn't cheap, but it might fit the bill. Your best bet might actually be to build something up from scratch.

pallen

Hydraulic disks and Alphine for 25lbs is pretty amazing.

DG Going Uphill

I weighed a Giant Seek 0 at a shop and it was 26 lbs and change. Given that it has a much heavier fork, tires, seat and eccentric BB, it's believable. I should have mentioned that I'm talking about the smaller sizes since that is what I ride.

powitte

Excellent questions. Excellent foresight.

I also am an apartment-dwelling, bike-carrying, four-season, IGH-riding Chicago cyclist. Here are a few thoughts:

-As others have mentioned, IGHs usually are a bit heavier than conventional systems. In return, you get improved reliability in crap weather, and the ability to shift from a stop. That heaviness (maybe 3 pounds with hub brakes also ?) probably will not make or break you when it comes to carrying it up or down stairs. Don't get too caught up on weight.
-There are other options than disk brakes. Consider also drum brakes (on Sturmey-Archer hubs) or coaster brakes. I have a coaster on my SRAM S7, and it suits me well for sloppy winter riding. I have a front caliper brake also, but rarely use it, particularly in the snow since I'm not going that fast anyways.
-You can also retrofit a bike that is single speed stock with an IGH set up. Chicago is crawling with hipsters looking for new rear wheels to turn their old road bikes into fixies. You'll be able to sell it easily. The only thing you need to consider is rear dropout spacing. Probably a fixed gear has 130mm spacing, which many IGHs have (though not the Alfine series I think). Consider the SA X-RD5(W) for your purposes. A bike shop can build up the wheel for you if you haven't the skill or interest.

El Duderino X

I believe the required spacing for a Shimano Alfine IGH hub is 135mm.

CJ C

dont care what bars it has, i found with my 80's road bike i never get a chance to ride in the drops. the commute has to many stops, slow downs, and cars. I actually really like bull horn bars, but that would be a swap out of any bike as i see the only ones that come stock like that are fixies

wouldnt piecing a bike together run more $$$ than a "of the shelf" bike?

""

is it me or does the scott sub 10 seem like the giant seek 0 with a paint job wider bars and a few different components? I will swing by a REI to test one out.

good options, but price seems about the same for a smaller bike, and how much do you think it would cost to convert the origin8 to the igh and discs?

CJ C

just the frame is $2k that *may be a bit over the budget

yeah saw that one, i will go check it out. looks like the Dr good is a bit cheaper, would it be lighter?

wouldnt after all that put the price and weight the same as the giant seek?

with my questionable wrenching ability, it may end up costing three times the cost of a off the shelf bike.

CJ C

Its not that i am getting caught up on weight, its that carrying my 41lb big azz beach cruiser up and down the stairs is awkward and is getting on my nerves some days. the days i commute on my 80's road bike the stairs are not even a thought in my mind.
and your right i didnt think about the coaster brake option. didnt know that was possible. i love coaster brakes as they are some much fun and remind me of when i was 10. my beach cruiser has coaster and i love that bike the best. as for building my own wheel i will test that with something other than a dedicated winter commuter

Igo

Newb here. What is "IGH"? Thank you.

Igo

My Giant Defy 2 with tools and tool bag, aftermarket seat, Continental Gatorskin tires, lights, clipless pedals, GPS and two 25 oz water bottles weighs 27.5 pounds. This is how I commute.

MichaelW

Internal Hub Gear

I think "lightweight" will have to mean 25-30lbs, a definate improvement over your current weight.
I wonder how low you could for an alfine build for everyday use?

El Duderino X

I hadn't though of or looked at the Giant Seek 0 (until now), MSRP $1,159.00 USD (?).
But...
Norco Indie SS @ a Bellingham, Wa. LBS $484.99
Small parts kit + rear cog + shifter (see mid-page "buy together" option) @ Amazon $67.25
Handspun Pavement series 2 Alfine IGH @ Amazon $290.31

For a grand total of $823.55 Difference of $336.45 :shrug:

Igo

Got'cha. Thank you.

JPprivate

I think you overestimate Chicago windgusts. I ride a 3speed, and it's quite adequate, also it reduces weight a little and price (a lot).

CJ C

Sorry i forgot to mention that my local LBS would sell me the seek 0 for $920, still more than your set up but paying the LBS to install the shifters and cog might make it a even steven.

but i got till christmas so i may be able to catch each of the parts and bike one sale at one point or another and that setup may be a option one, thank you

CJ C

ok i will say that when i had the wind problems it was on the SS full upright bike, have not had the bad wind on the road bike yet. but way back in my 20's on my mountain bike i would be cursing the wind on the lake front trail.

but agreed a three speed would be good enough, but is the price and weight that big a diff? if its like $50 and 2lbs diff then would rather take the 8 speed.

no1mad 

You like coaster brakes? Check out the Kona Bike for 3 speeds or Torker's KB2 for a 2 speeder.