The hub-gear workshop

Sturmey-Archer and Shimano internal gear hubs, stripped, cleaned, rebuilt and tested. You do not have to be anywhere near Cambridge — take the wheel off and post it to me.

Book a hub service

Why it matters

Low maintenance is not no maintenance

Rear gear hubs — the Sturmey-Archer range, and Nexus and Alfine from Shimano — need far less attention than a derailleur system. That is the whole point of them. It is also why they get forgotten.

Neglect reduces their efficiency and eventually leads to failure. Regular servicing keeps that efficiency and heads off the more costly repairs later. Servicing can normally be done the same day if booked; repairs may take longer.

Service or repair from £40, excluding parts
15% off hub servicing done at the same time as a bike service
Quotes for repairs given after inspection — nothing done unseen

A Sturmey-Archer FG hub fully disassembled and laid out on the bench — A Sturmey-Archer FG, fully disassembled. Every part accounted for before anything goes back.

Posting it in

Four steps, from anywhere in the UK

Drop-off works if you are local. If you are not, the wheel travels instead of you.

Get in touch

Call or email with the hub type and what it is doing. You will get a reply the same day, with a price and where to send it.
Remove the wheel

Take the wheel off and box it — or send the bare hub if it has already been unlaced. Shipping cost depends on wheel size.
Stripped and rebuilt

Cleaned, inspected, worn parts quoted before replacement, then rebuilt, lubricated and tested through every gear.
Posted back insured

It comes back to you fully insured and tracked, running as it should.

Sturmey-Archer

2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 speed

Full service or repair — from £40 excluding parts. If your hub is not on this list, ask: the odd ones are usually the interesting ones.

Models covered

Sturmey-Archer

AW, AB, AC, AG, AM, AR, ASC, TCW, K, S-RF3, S3X, S2, S3B, X-RD3, CS-RF3, RX-RD3, RS-RF33 speed

AF, FC, FM, FW, FG, X-RF4, X-RD4, X-RK44 speed

S5, S5/1, S5/2, 5 star, X-RD5, S-RF5(W), RX-RF5, RX-RD5, RXL-RD5, RX-RK55 speed

X-RF8, X-RF8(W), X-RK8(W)8 speed

BSR, BWR, 12-speed, S-RF3, SprinterBrompton

Brompton hubs are covered here and on the Brompton page.

Beyond a service

Modifications, conversions & upgrades

Repair of the old two-piece indicator rods on three and four speed hubs
Driver conversion: pre-1950s 12-spline or screw-type sprockets swapped to the common 3-spline ISO type
AM two-piece to single-side indicator rod conversion, so you can use modern rods
Sprocket changed during servicing, bigger or smaller, to alter your gearing
Shell swaps

Call or email for more information — these are quoted individually.

Shimano

Alfine & Nexus

Shimano's internally geared hubs are well engineered and very reliable. Serviced here with genuine Shimano oil, with any repair quoted after inspection.

Recommended intervals shown — the first service comes earlier than the rest.