Just as I get my Old NuVinci hub laced into a wheel and one step closer to actually bolting it to a bike comes a communication from Rob off of Really useful Bikes in Brizzol. He’s written about his experiences with the New NuVinci CVT (continuously variable hub) hub. By way of comparison here’s his review – my review of the old hub which it replaces will be along ’shortly’….
Guest Post By Rob of Really Useful Bikes.
On the road with the Fallbrook Industries NuVinci N360 CVT hub.
It’s a novelty, at least the fact that the N360 hub uses the same technology in tractors, electric vehicles and utility class wind turbines is a novelty, you can’t say that about a Shimano Alfine or Sturmey Archer hub.
But does this unusual hub attract the right attention, spark your interest or send the winds of change whistling around the world of the bicycle?
The N360 Its been around since 2007 in its N170 guise, but the N360 is a new beast, lighter (30%), smaller (17% in diameter) and now with an inboard version of the same ‘click box’, it is easier to install, it shifts better under load and has a more intuitive shifter. The N360 shifter is a curio and always gets a reaction, if you are used to clicking up and down the numbers on your gear shifter, then the little figure on his orange bike depicted on the N360 twist shift might provoke a quizzical look, but when the little fella is riding up an orange hill he (or she) is indicating a lower ratio is engaged. Then when you hit the flat and as you shift in tune with your cadence and road speed he (or she) begins to look as if he is cycling on a flat road…. just as you are..… It makes 1- 11 a little old school. The natty smooth shifting changer though can be regarded as a nice amusing gear shifting aid, but what’s it like to ride…?
First impressions are that when you change gear by twisting the grip, that nothing is happening, no noise or jolting, but then you realise that your legs are moving at a different speed. It’s odd but very intuitive, you really can find the right cadence for your situation. This is where the continuously variable bit of the CVT come into play, there are no steps in gearing because there are no ‘gears’. You have infinite number of ratios between the N360’s 360% range. So there are no jolts, no extra effort to get back to speed when changing into the wind, just smooth adjustments and a wide range of ratios.
The 360% range is a good feature too. Compare that to 318% for a typical road compact setup, or 308% for the Alfine or Nexus 8 speed and you can see is a favourable range of ratios, it’s beaten by the Alfine 11’s 409% and the Rohloff’s 526% but a similar price tag to the Alfine 11 yet different riding experience surely make the Nuvinci N360 a serious contender when choosing an internal hub gear.
Choosing between an Alfine 11 and a Nuvinci will be a very subjective thing, riding style, fashion and old habits may make up a riders mind, the Alfine is arguably a sexier looker, but the fact that the Nuvinci’s internals are sealed for life, and not subject to the stresses that cogs can be subjected to that fact alone might swing it for some.
The fact that we have been talking about what it does, how it works and not how it looks typifies the N360, it’s not a glamour puss, it looks neat, but it’s not a technical piece of tech, it’s a tool, a friendly mate who will never get the credit it deserves, a faithful old dog… Fallbrook technologies, the American manufacturer will like that analogy… I see the new strap line now… or not… anyway..
How does it work i hear you cry… I’ll show you a picture… its easier,
basically it’s similar to the old Daf variomatic, with two cones and a belt, except the N360 uses two surfaces or traction rings and some ball bearings or spheres. As you move the shifter the spheres change their angle of rotation in relation to the input and output rings and the ‘gear’ or ratio is changed…. all this is going on in a bath of fluid that I cannot identify… but as you never have to change it, let’s not worry. And in action it seems to work very well, shifting under load is no problem and its ability to cope with torque will certainly be tested more by a tractor or wind turbine than the legs of your average cycle user.
So what do I think of the N360? I think it’s neat, I think it’s easy to use and it has a good spread of ‘gears’ or ratios. It’s a serious alternative to any conventional hub gear and will appeal more those that don’t really ‘get’ gears, being simpler to use than even a stepped hub gear. Its low/no maintenance features and ability to cope with high torque is great for bikes like the Big dummy, Workcycles FR8 and the cargo bikes of this world. It’s just simple, like an automatic car… get on and go… great for commuter bikes and perhaps even appealing to folk looking to get something extra from an electric bike.
The Nuvinci N360, is fresh, it’s new and it works a treat. My feeling is that if more bikes had them, more folk would cycle for sure, if you are looking for a no maintenance hub gear, you should give it a try. At about £360 and available in disc, roller brake (and, ok, with rim brakes too) it’s a serious modern contender for your attentions. Oh… and it weighs about 2.4 kilos, just a bit more than a good cycle lock.
All that talk of remaking it in carbon-fibre honeycomb sheet and boxes shaped like cabin cruisers went by the wayside. I like that this is a simple box, and I like that it’s exactly the same shape as the one it came with. There’s something honest and unpretentious about it. But the best reason for making it to the same spec as the factory original is that it permits me to use the manufacturer’s excellent rain cover.
My big objection – the time it takes to replace a tube – has been rendered irrelevant by modern technology. I now run puncture ‘proof’ tyres on all my bikes and augment their abilities with a dose of 
