Hi chaps,
Just thought I'd mention here (I shall write a full blog post in due course) that Alfie's back wheel is currently at Madison.
I had noticed that the Alfine-11 leaks about 10ml of oil every 4000 miles or so. Not something I was particularly bothered by but I thought it worth mentioning to my contact at Madison, Huw, who was super-helpful over my wrong-oil issue a couple of years back.
He said that Shimano now use different seals in the Alfine-11 and he was happy to arrange collection of my wheel and to change them for me.
So I organised it for when I was away in Hamburg last week.
Here's the email I received from him:
Bad news I’m afraid, I’ve discovered the cause of the leak from your hub, but it’s not going to be repairable.
Unfortunately the disc rotor mount has split from the main body of the hub, I’ll have to strip your wheel down and rebuild it for you.
If your happy with me sorting it all out then I can go ahead but it may take a bit longer than expected. Should be back with you early next week?
That's quite impressive really!
I asked him to go ahead, wondering what had caused this (I don't have a rear disk brake) and sort and then got this email:
It is interesting as to how it’s failed, I’m not quite sure what’s gone on, Shimano will want to see it back.
To be fair, you probably wouldn’t have seen it, if you’ve not got a rotor installed then there is a little black cover that goes over it (which was installed).
Having looked at your hub to strip down the spokes/nipples, it looks like your rim is probably on it’s way out, the braking surface is pretty worn.
Would you be able to see if ICE have a replacement wheel available for you? I can cover the cost of the wheel under warranty for you.
Sorry to keep going back and forth with this..
So I rang ICE and asked them to send Huw a new rim. Neil Selwood suggested that Huw phoned them about the spoke lacing (there's minimal dishing so it isn't how Huw might assume) and I passed on ICE's phone number to Huw by email.
Then I received this email:
I’ve just given Neil a ring about the wheel.
There will be a new rim & spokes on the way to me for next week, I should have a new wheel built up for you before the weekend.
I’ll check the new Alfine hub over before it comes out to you, but should be all ok.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that an entirely new Alfine hub, a new rim and new spokes? And free postage to and from Madison.
I am super-glad I put a box of chocolates in the box with my wheel - here's hoping Huw got them.
I'm riding the old Trice Q at the moment and really, REALLY missing my disk brakes, my B&M light with dynohub and especially my Alfine-11. I'm looking forward to getting my wheel back, although like Trigger's Broom I don't think there'll be anything of the old one left.
That Alfine-11 had done 18,000 miles.