I’ve psyched myself up looking forward to the first ride on the refurbed city beater sporting its shiny NuVinci hub but it looks like I’ll have to satisfy myself with visualization exercises a little longer.
The idea was to give the old horse a new lease on life and get some experience with the NuVinci by ditching the spastic derailleurs. Besides fewer knees smashing into the steering stem due to spontaneously shifting gears, I liked the idea of fewer components and cables to maintain. The only caveat? The old Giant ATX770 frame has vertical dropouts, not the horizontal type for which the NuVinci was designed. To the rescue were little idler pulleys like this
that are designed to maintain chain tension in exactly this type of situation. The NuVinci introduces an unfortunate complication in that the rear pulley housing demands real estate already occupied by the idler pulley.
The picture makes it look like a little grinding might do the trick but what you see there is just the nut, the actual housing takes up another 6mm or so radially. Could this be the end of the line for the old steel frame as it’s cast aside in favor of a nifty aluminum number with dropouts pointing the right direction? Or will it soldier on with a new set of derailleurs lifted from the bottom of the closeout bin? Watch the craigslist classifieds for the exciting conclusion!
Hi there – would be interested to know where you purchased the NuVinci and the cost?
I am building an Alligt K4 Alleweder velomobile – and was planning on using a Rolohf 14 speed hub – but perhaps the NuVinci would be a better option? Any thoughts on this?
Cheers from Gold Coast Australia,
Hamish
Hi Hamish,
Here’s where I got mine:
http://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking/p/SBS-137506
for less than $400.
Comparing the Rohloff and NuVinci is an excellent question. I’ve admired the Rohloff but have no experience riding one so I’ll confine my comments to their technical specifications.
They share a lot of advantages such as sealed mechanisms, ability to shift at a standstill, clean appearance and excellent reliability. There’s the obvious price difference ($1100 for the Rohloff v. $400 for a NuVinci). The Rohloff is significantly lighter (1.8kg v. 4.2kg) to the point that some riders might immediately disqualify the NuVinci. The Rohloff also has a greater speed range (526% v. 350%) but of course doesn’t have the seamless ratio adjustability within the range like the NuVinci. I’m pretty confident the NuVinci is quieter than a Rohloff.
So there’s a quick rundown, ultimately the decision comes down to what’s important to you. Also consider if you combined a Schlumpf Mountain Drive with the Nuvinci; you’d get a greater speed range than a Rohloff at about the same price.
Best of luck with the Alleweder build and thanks for writing!