Shimano Alfine Inter 11 Internal Gear hub

Compatible Chains

The chain that can be used depends on the sprocket. There is no Alfine branded chain. The Shimano Alfine sprockets work with single speed bicycle chains. The Alfine, Nexus, and most other modern sprockets are of the narrow type. This means a narrow chain 3/32" (pin length of 6.7 to 7.8 mm) will fit. A wider 1/8" chain will also fit, but is heavier.

It is also possible to use 7, 8 and 9 speed chains. So basically, any bicycle chain will work, as long as it is not a 10 or 11 speed chain for derailers.

So what is the best chain for the Alfine 11? Shimano suggests a 7 or 9 speed chain, but that is because they don't offer anything else. Sram makes some pretty affordable chains which are generally preferred because they come with a master link for easy connecting, unlike Shimano. KMC has some chains especially for high-end internal gear systems, which are quite a bit more expensive, but does not explain what justifies the price.

So what to choose? As long as you are buying from one of these brands you are getting a quality chain. A master link is nice to have. Anti rust coating or nickel plating helps if you ride in wet conditions. You may even be able to save a few grams with a light weight chain. Beyond that, just go for the best price and best looks.

Environment

Low temperatures

As far as I can tell Shimano does not specify an operating temperature for the Alfine Inter 11 hub. Temperature has the biggest effect on the lubrication oil inside the hub. I was unable to find any reports of oil inside the hub becoming less viscous or freezing in such a way that it becomes a problem.

One user writes the following:

I've used an Alfine this winter in temps from -30 to -40 deg C for 45 - 90 mins at a time with the bike indoors in between rides. So far I haven't had an issues at all.

The Alfine 11 is different from the Alfine 8 in this regard. The 8 speed hub uses thicker grease as lubricant which on which low temperatures have a stronger effect.

Those worried about oil in colder conditions can opt to replace the standard oil with something thinner at their own risk. Rohloff all seasons oil can be mixed with an equal part of with Rohloff cleaning oil to create a winter oil that works down to minus 30°C. It is likely that the same method can be applied to the Shimano Inter 11 hub.

Reports of the hub being unable to shift in freezing conditions are caused by moisture in the shifting cable, or at the cassette joint where the cable exits. This can occur with any cable based shifting system. Th e solution is to lube the shifting cable with a lube that does not freeze as easily as water (usually a thin oil inside the cables, and something thicker around the joint). Preventing moisture from getting in the cable by storing the bicycle in a dry place helps. Using the Di2 variant with electronic shifting will also not have this problem, but the batteries can also be negatively affected by extreme cold.

• Rohloff FAQ (See question regarding Low temperature/winter shifting issues)
• Cycling UK Forum: Alfine "sticking" in sub-zero temperatures

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Acquisition

You can buy a bicycle that comes pre-installed with this hub. There are too many manufacturers to list here who offer bicycles with the hub and shifter installed. If you have a bicycle or frame and have verified it is compatible you can build, your own wheel, or have a wheel built for you with the hub in it, and install in in your bicycle. You can do this yourself, or any bike shop who employees a competent wheel builder.

You will probably not find the Alfine 11, or any internal gear hub on the shelves of your local bike store. Maybe they can order it for you, but you can also buy it online yourself. Some large online shops that sell bicycle components will have it, but also Amazon.com and sometimes you can find even better deals for brand new hubs on Ebay.

Make sure you get the right version. Prices can vary per version. If you don't mind the color or are flexible about the amount of holes you can find better deals. Also check what accessories are included. Often it comes with a shifter. You will also need at least a sprocket and small parts kit. Don't forget the oil and an oil change kit that you will need pretty soon afterwards.

Model no.	Shifting		Color	Holes	Link
SG-S700	Mechanical		Black	32	View on Amazon.com
SG-S700	Mechanical		Silver	32	No link at the moment
SG-S700	Mechanical		Black	36	View on Amazon.com
SG-S700	Mechanical		Silver	36	View on Amazon.com
SG-S705	Electronic		Black	32	View on Amazon.com
SG-S705	Electronic		Silver	32	View on Amazon.com

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Installation

After you have made sure that your bicycle is compatible, you need to get the hub and all necessary parts. It's best to installation guide (PDF) carefully. This will give you a batter idea of the required parts and tools.

Additional parts required

The hub can be sold bare, with shifter, or as a complete set. To convert a whole bicycle you will need the following parts, in addition the hub:

1. A compatible shifter with inner and outer shifting cable.
2. Small parts kit with cassette joint and non-turn washers.
3. Sprocket, see the chapter sprocket replacement for the options.
4. Rim and right amount and length of spokes to build a wheel.
5. Optional (for vertical dropouts): chain tensioner.
6. Optional (for disc brakes): Centerlock disc brake rotor and adapter.

The small parts kit includes a green and blue non turn washer which are meant for frames with vertical dropouts. If you have different dropouts you need to purchase the washers separately. If you have vertical dropouts you also need to have some kind of chain tensioning system.

Chainline

With an internal gear hub you ideally want the chain to go straight to the crank. You can tweak the chainline by using dished sprockets that will move the chain either in and out. At the bottom bracket you can add spacers to move the chainring left and right. You can also use the Shimano Alfine crankset to get the correct chainline without having to make any tweaks.

• Shimano Alfine SG-S700 Installation guide (PDF)
• Shimano Small Parts Set for Alfine inter 11
• Shimano Alfine 39T crank Black
• More information on installing Shimano internal gear hubs from Sheldon Brown

Installing a Disc Rotor

To install a Centerlock rotor directly on the Centerlock interface a rotor spacer is needed to secure it. The spacer is placed between the rotor and the lock ring. This part can sometimes lead to some confusion, it may not be included when you buy the hub. The rotor spacer has part number Y37R82000 and can be bought separately.

If you want to use 6-bolt disc rotor you need to install an adapter. There are many different adapters sold by different manufacturers. The bolts are relatively close to the Centerlock interface. Some adapters require an extra spacer which has a smaller outer diameter than the rotor spacer. The size of the bolts will also affect how wide and thin the spacer needs to be. Some adapters like one made by DT Swiss Proline adapter avoid this problem by using a design without bolts and a custom lock ring.

To fasten the rotor a lock ring is used. This lock ring requires a special tool that will work in Shimano cassettes as well. Not every Centerlock/cassette tool will work. Some of them have a guide pin in the middle for extra stability. This pin will only work with hollow axles. The Shimano Alfine Inter 11 has a solid axle. You will need a tool which does not have this pin.

Below there are several links to the right tools that can be used on the lock ring. They are meant to fit on 1 1/4" socket wrench. Some are too short for the axle of the hub. In that case, use a wrench on the outside of the tool. Most of them have a hexagonal section which allows you to grip it there.

• Topeak Cassette/Freewheel Remover Tps-Sp39 on Amazon.com
• Park Tool Cassette/Rotor Lockring Removal Tool - FR-5 on Amazon.com
• IceToolz Cassette Lockring Tool on Amazon.com
• Avenir Cassette Lockring Tool on Amazon.com
• M-Wave Cassette-sprocket-remover on Amazon.com

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Maintenance

Much of the maintenance of the Shimano Alfine Inter 11 can be done by the user. Shimano's official maintenance manual contains step by step instructions with pictures.

• Download Shimano Alfine Inter 11 maintenance manual (PDF)

Cable Adjustment

If you have problem with skipping, or shifting into certain gears the cable may need some adjustment. The shifter cable can stretch a bit over time (or the outer cable compresses), requiring you to pull it tighter.

Just like other internal gear hubs from Shimano you adjust the cable with a barrel adjuster on the shifter. First shift to the middle (sixth) gear and then look at the hub, there are two yellow dots that should line up, turn the barrel adjuster until they line up.

Since the hub has more gears than any other Shimano hub the alignment has a smaller sweet spot that can be difficult to find. A damaged inner or outer cable can also cause shifting issues. If your hub suddenly has problems with shifting it can be an indication that the cable is about to break and needs to be replaced.

Some people have reported that for their hub shifts better when the yellow dots don't line up exactly.

My Own Experience

The shifting cable on my bicycle has not been out of alignment. My girlfriend's bicycle had trouble shifting into the lowest gear on our two week trip to England (start of second season using the hub). A slight adjustment with the barrel adjuster on the shifter solved the issue.

Cable Replacement

How to replace the shifting cable depends on the shifter used. Instructions for replacing the cable with the (standard) Shimano trigger shifter SL-S700 can be found in the installation guide.

You can use a standard/universal shifting inner and outer cable, but of course Shimano sells appropriate ones as well. By far the hardest part is that you need to secure the fixing bolt unit on the inner cable exactly 184 mm from the rubber cover. Shimano sells a special tool (TL-S700) for this. Whether it is worth the price is for you to decide.

• Shimano Trigger shifter SL-S700 installation guide
• Video: Disengage Cable on Alfine 11 Rear Wheel

Periodic Oil Change

Unlike most other internal gear hubs the Alfine Inter 11 uses oil for lubrication, rather than grease. The oil can be replaced through a hole with a syringe.

Shimano sells an oil change kit with syringe, cup and oil. This kit is quite expensive, but you can't just use any oil, as it needs to have a certain viscosity and not damage the rubber seals inside the hub. Using any other oil will void the warranty.

Nevertheless, some people are using Rohloff oil, which is sold in larger quantities and is significantly cheaper. The Rohloff syringe also fits the Alfine Inter 11 hub and procedure is exactly the same. As an added bonus the Rohloff oil is biodegradable, while Shimano's oil is (probably) not.

• Step by step instructions with pictures for changing the oil

My Own Experience (with Rohloff Oil)

As the user manual suggests, I replaced the oil of my hubs after 500 kilometers. The oil that came out was full with sparkling aluminum specks. I used Rohloff oil which has separate oils for rinsing and lubrication. The rinsing oil also had aluminum specks in it.

After about a year I started to notice a faint crackling noise coming from the rear of the bicycle. The sound was only present in sixth and seventh gear, indicating that the sound was coming from inside the hub. When changing the oil at the end of the season between 10 and 15 milliliters came out, the rest had leaked out. There were no noticeable aluminum specks during the second oil change. Immediately after the oil change the crackling sound persisted, but it soon subsided, and the hub has been smooth and quiet since.

• Service Kit for Shimano Alfine 11 Hub & 50 ml oil on Amazon.com
• 50 mL Shimano Oil on Amazon.com (one change)
• 1 L Shimano oil on Amazon.com (20 changes)
• Rohloff Speedhub Oil Change Kit

Cleaning around the hub

Although not required for its operation, it might be a good idea to clean your bicycle once in a while. This is good opportunity to do a thorough inspection and make some small adjustments. A clean bicycle also keeps your hands clean when you have to touch it for transportation or repairs.

The Alfine 11 hub is in particular dirty area of the bicycle. It is normal for some oil to leak out around the seals on the right side, and then there is the chain which also usually one of the dirtier parts.

A thorough way to clean the hub is to remove the wheel from the bicycle, then disassemble much of the hub and use an ultrasonic parts cleaner to clean the parts. If you want to leave the wheel in the bicycle, I recommend the following method:

Useful cleaning supplies

1. Rag; a cloth made out of fabric that can absorb grease and grime.
2. Small blunt stick for wrapping the rag around, preferably made out of food or plastic that will not scratch anything.
3. Spray bottle with mild degreaser liquid.

Cleaning instructions

1. Start with a dry rag and wipe down the spokes, which are usually covered by oil and dust.
2. Take the rag, holding one end in each hand and put it between the hub shell and sprocket. Move up and down (like flossing teeth) until there is no more visible grease on the seal when you look from above. Now rotate the rear wheel a little bit and clean until you have gone all the way around.
3. Put a tip of the rag around the axle on the right side between the cassette joint and the frame and again use a flossing motion to clean all the way around.
4. Wipe of any grease from the cable. Push the pulley handle to get some slack on the cable if you want to clean it around the end.
5. To clean the right side of the sprocket wrap the rag around the tip of your finger, or a stick (if your fingers are big) and wipe the sprocket while rotating the pedals backwards. Clean the teeth on the front where there is no chain on them.
6. Now that the worst dirt is gone, work on the plastic dust cap. This is where a lot of oil accumulates. First wipe it down as much as you can. Pull it out towards the sprocket. Underneath you will find more oil. Wipe it down as much as you can. There are many nooks and crannies here. Some mild degreaser may be applied, but be careful not to get it on the chain or anywhere else. When sufficiently cleaned, put the dust cap back on.
7. The hub shell can be cleaned with a damp cloth, or some liquid soap if you want to be thorough. Pay attention to the edge of the spoke nipple. A small (tooth)brush may help cleaning around the spoke holes. Dry if off with soft cloth for a shiny finish.
8. The left side is not as dirty as the right side. There is still dust, but not as much oild and grease. There are still many books and crannies. Be careful around the disc brake rotor, the edges are sharp like a knife and can easily cut your fingers. Try not to get any oil or grease get on the rotor. If you do, use a degreaser to clean it off.

Chain Tension

Because there is no derailleur to hold the chain tension the Shimano Inter 11, like any other internal gear hub requires another method of keeping the chain tensioned.

Bicycles that come equipped with a internal gear hub usually heave adjustable or horizontal fork end, or come with an eccentric bottom bracket to keep the chain tensioned. These require regular adjustment as the chain stretches over time.

Compatible chain tensioners

For bicycles with vertical drop outs Shimano also offers an Alfine branded chain tensioner (CT-S500) which replaces the derailleur. The CT-S510 is smaller, but according to one review also requires regular adjustment.

Various other manufacturers sell chain tensioners for single speed and internal gear hub bicycles that will also work with the Alfine Inter 11.