I hope the following quote from cycling's inveterate empirical tester puts this debate to bed. F.B. uses a Shimano 7 speed for an example, but the figures are applicable to Sturmey hubs; look for the graphs in the 3rd edition of Bicycle Science for more detail.
"...suppose that you are an average, one eighth horse power 72.5kg cyclist. You can pedal up a four percent grade in a 31-inch low gear with a 96 percent efficient derailleur gear train at 8.8 km/h at a cadence of 60. If you pedal up the same hill using a seven speed hub gear, the efficiency is about 90 per cent. Since you are horsepower-limited, your cadence will drop to 56 and you will slow down to 8.2km/h. So, hub gears are a bit less efficient and while you lose in efficiency, you gain a bit in easier maintainence and longer product life."
Frank Berto, Hub gears v Derailleurs, Australian Cyclist, Sept-Oct, 2004
Michael Toohey (who loves his FC, regardless) Rangiora New Zealand.
_____________________________________________________________ VeloEmail.com - Free email for cyclists and cycling fans. Get your own free email address at http://www.veloemail.com today!
Roadcycling.com - Cycling info as it should be. http://www.roadcycling.com - Cycling news, results, product reviews, interviews, forums, and even more.
- - - - - - -