drive train

When I bought my velomobile, it came with a SACHS 3x7 speed hub, with rear derailleur and thumb shifters on the old Y-model handlebar. I still remembered the main advantages from this kind of speed hub from my trikes, so I really liked that. What I did not like at all, was the rear derailleur. Especially since it was working with a 20” wheel, the chain was way too close to the ground and picked up all kinds of debris.
First things I wanted to change, were the thumb shifters and that handlebar. I had it changed with the bent handlebar that is used in the Quest and the Mango and had that one equipped with twist shifters. The bent handlebar was a big improvement, the twist shifters not really. As soon as my hands started sweating a little bit, I could hardly twist the shifters at all. This made me wear bicycle gloves while riding my velomobile, not a good thing, so I needed to change that.
I also needed some changes for the chain line. From the 21 speeds I had, I only used 3 or 4 at the max. I live in a real flat area and since the Alleweder is mainly used for commuting, I started looking for an internal speed hub.
I almost immediately ruled out the Rohloff hub, both for its high price and because for the mixed reviews I read about it. We have a couple of regular bicycles which came equipped with the SHIMANO 7-speed NEXUS hub and they have been working for years without any malfunction. And around the same time, SHIMANO launched their new 8-speed hub, so I decided to go for that one.
So I took my velomobile all the way to Dronten again to have Velomobile.nl install this new hub. I also asked them to make a cover for the chain after installing the hub, so it would be protected from the elements as much as possible. The only part of the chain that still is exposed, is the part running through the pedal hole in the bottom, but it does not seem pick up that much dirt.
Of course this way the chain line has a little more friction, but I cannot say it slowed me down much. My regular average speed is still between 30 en 33 km/h, which suits me fine. I probably could ride faster than that, but I do not feel the need to do so. That only happens occasionally when another biker is trying to pass me or when I want to pass another rider.

So far, I cannot say anything bad about changing to the NEXUS hub : it did not slow me down and the twist shifter is much easier to use (no more bike gloves !), even on hot summer days. And of course the luxury of being able to change gears while standing still, no derailleur can compete with that !

A lot of people are claiming that the SHIMANO hubs are simply not good enough to be used with recumbents/velomobiles. I can only tell you this : the hub in my Alleweder has been there for + 5000 km without any malfunctions, and I am not a light rider. Together with my Alleweder we’re talking about a weight of + 120 kg, which is not light in my book and so far the hub held up well. I guess only future will tell, but I’m not really concerned about the hub letting me down (knocking on wood right now !).