Now that Sick Bike Parts has shut down, what's the off the shelf solutions to shifter bikes?

[Pablo]

You may want to try a 410 chain

Better than a speed chain for sure. And awesome for an internal hub.

You know over the years (15+) we have had very few actual chain failures. And the few we had? People (self included!) started with a used chain. In my single case way back in early MBing ~2008, the chain was a speed chain and it had a couple bent/straightened side plates. An absolute exercise in stupid repair!

 

[ImpulseRocket]

You may want to try a 410 chain

Whichever works. I just have an abundance of good 415h chain sitting here, and the only difference between the two is the 15 being a little bit wider by 1/16th. The real appeal is the nearly double tensile strength of the heavy duty 415 compared to a standard 410.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

Whichever works. I just have an abundance of good 415h chain sitting here, and the only difference between the two is the 15 being a little bit wider by 1/16th. The real appeal is the nearly double tensile strength of the heavy-duty 415 compared to a standard 410.

You can also buy heavy-duty 410 chains as well. They are a much better fit on shift kit sprockets and IGH sprockets.

 

[ImpulseRocket]

You can also buy heavy-duty 410 chains as well. They are a much better fit on shift kit sprockets and IGH sprockets.

Yeah, which is why my plan was custom sprockets

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

Yeah, which is why my plan was custom sprockets

Staton Inc has a lot to chose from and will also do custom machining

 

[cloakedvillain]

That may hold up better than the other options, but I still wouldn't trust it long term. My main plan was to eventually get a 3 speed hub, and then have hub sprocket and 2 crank arm sprockets made for a 415 chain.

Its worth looking up max torque specs

 

[ImpulseRocket]

Its worth looking up max torque specs

Well aware. I just tend to take the Brunel approach to engineering and try to build stuff that lasts for centuries.

If you understand that reference, we can be friends

As others have mentioned, there is alway a weak link. Sometimes it's worth making a cheap and easy to replace part (chain) the weak link, so you can prolong the life of other more expensive and annoying things to replace (internally geared hub).

 

[cloakedvillain]

Well aware. I just tend to take the Brunel approach to engineering and try to build stuff that lasts for centuries.

If you understand that reference, we can be friends

As others have mentioned, there is alway a weak link. Sometimes it's worth making a cheap and easy to replace part (chain) the weak link, so you can prolong the life of other more expensive and annoying things to replace (internally geared hub).

I've been looking into diy high torque mid drive e bikes with internal gear hubs and it seems that as long as the torque curves up gently instead of instantly at max like an internal combustion engine they hold up well enough. It seems like 3 speed hub pairings or igh designed for ebikes fair the best.

 

[ImpulseRocket]

I've been looking into diy high torque mid drive e bikes with internal gear hubs and it seems that as long as the torque curves up gently instead of instantly at max like an internal combustion engine they hold up well enough. It seems like 3 speed hub pairings or igh designed for ebikes fair the best.

You have the torque of a gas engine and electric motor confused.

Electric Motors create max torque at 1RPM. This is the reason why electric cars are so fast from a dead stop.

Internal Combustion engines don't create peak torque until higher in the RPM range.

The reason electric bikes don't just snap chains constantly is because the motors either don't produce enough torque to do so, or the drive is regulated by the computer and ramps up the voltage to reduce strain on the weaker parts.

 

[cloakedvillain]

You have the torque of a gas engine and electric motor confused.

Electric Motors create max torque at 1RPM. This is the reason why electric cars are so fast from a dead stop.

Internal Combustion engines don't create peak torque until higher in the RPM range.

The reason electric bikes don't just snap chains constantly is because the motors either don't produce enough torque to do so, or the drive is regulated by the computer and ramps up the voltage to reduce strain on the weaker parts.

I was trying to say that if the torque curves like an engine instead of an electric motor they hold up better.