SPEEDHUB: frequently asked questions
How much heavier than a derailleur?
Section titled “How much heavier than a derailleur?”Barely. At about 120 g per gear the SPEEDHUB is the lightest gear hub in the world, and with even steps of about 13.6% it covers the same overall range as a good derailleur system. It replaces the rear and front derailleurs, shifters and cables, the rear hub with its cassette, and the small and middle chainrings — together about 1,600 g. A factory-fitted SPEEDHUB CC OEM (silver) with twist shifter and cable stop weighs about 1,830 g, with no chain tensioner needed.
For that small extra weight you get a sealed, maintenance-free drive that dirt cannot touch, comfortable shifting and a very long life.
Why no coaster brake?
Section titled “Why no coaster brake?”It would be technically possible, but it would only bring drawbacks:
- a coaster brake only brakes well with the pedals level, so you cannot brake instantly and equally in every situation;
- it is weak compared with today’s rim and disc brakes;
- it is hard to modulate, and the rear wheel locks easily;
- you could no longer backpedal freely to put the cranks where you want them for starting off.
Shifting between 7 and 8
Section titled “Shifting between 7 and 8”If the 7–8 or 8–7 shift happens very slowly or under heavy pedal load, an intermediate gear can engage briefly: gear 11 from serial number 33,000, gear 14 on earlier hubs. It comes from the gearbox’s design and is not a fault. On shifting correctly: Riding and shifting.
The oil’s colour at an oil change
Section titled “The oil’s colour at an oil change”The old oil is anthracite grey with glittering particles. That is completely normal: most gearbox parts are heat-treated with dark surfaces, and riding rubs a minute amount of dark material off them. The glitter comes from the aluminium parts bedding in. It is not even measurable with ordinary instruments.
Changes during production
Section titled “Changes during production”These updates can be retrofitted to older hubs:
- Axle plate screws: in place of the earlier countersunk screws, only M4×25 Torx (TX20) screws are used now.
- Chain tensioner spring: a new spring from autumn 2002, with more performance and less risk of breaking — it fits older tensioners too: Replacing the chain tensioner spring.
- Axle ring: from early 2003 the quick-change ring (five screws) replaced the one-piece ring (six axle plate screws); a one-piece ring can be swapped for it without trouble.
- Detent spring: from serial number 18,100 a softer spring, for less effort at the grip.
- Shaft seals: above serial number 25,300 a new seal generation — recognisable by the outer metal ring and blue rubber.
- Shift drum: a new drum from serial number 33,000 (see the 7–8 intermediate gear above).
- Twist shifter: the new, lighter shifter from 24 January 2011: The twist shifter.
Not retrofittable: from serial number 75,000 the serial number is laser-engraved into the shell — it cannot be removed without visible traces, which is good theft protection. On these hubs the sticker can come off without losing the warranty. On the serial number and the warranty: Warranty, invoice and serial number.
What year was my hub made?
Section titled “What year was my hub made?”| Serial number | Year |
|---|---|
| 000000 – 000400 | 1998 |
| 000401 – 002700 | 1999 |
| 002701 – 006500 | 2000 |
| 006501 – 012000 | 2001 |
| 012001 – 018800 | 2002 |
| 018801 – 027700 | 2003 |
| 027701 – 038500 | 2004 |
| 038501 – 050049 | 2005 |
| 050050 – 065000 | 2006 |
| 065001 – 081600 | 2007 |
| 081601 – 100000 | 2008 |
| 100001 – 115900 | 2009 |
| 115901 – 135800 | 2010 |
| 135801 – 153000 | 2011 |
| 153001 – 171000 | 2012 |
| 171001 – 189000 | 2013 |
| 189001 – 206999 | 2014 |
| 207000 – 223999 | 2015 |
| 224000 – 241129 | 2016 |
| 241130 – 252000 | 2017 |
| 252001 – 267000 | 2018 |
| 267001 – 283000 | 2019 |
| 283001 – 310000 | 2020 |
| 310001 – 345000 | 2021 |
| 345001 – 380500 | 2022 |
| 380501 – 405000 | 2023 |
| from 405001 | 2024 |
Frequently asked questions
- Why does the SPEEDHUB have no coaster brake?
- It would be technically possible, but it would only bring drawbacks: a coaster brake only works well with the pedals level, is hard to modulate, locks the wheel easily, and is weak next to modern rim and disc brakes. And you could no longer backpedal freely to set the cranks for starting off.
- Why is the old oil black and glittery at an oil change?
- That is completely normal. Most gearbox parts are heat-treated with dark surfaces, and use rubs a minute amount of dark material off them, which colours the oil. The glitter comes from the aluminium parts bedding in.