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IS the N380 worth the extra $300? Why the price difference?

kraftrobkraftrob
in Traveler
IS the N380 worth the extra $300? Why the price difference? The 8speed terra trike rambler is cheaper than the 24 speed.

Comments

  • JamesRJamesR
    a recumbent trike, at heart, is a frame mounted with various levels of bicycle components. however adorned, its worth is a solely a matter of personal perspective. a nuvinci hub costs 2x+ as much as a nexus-8 hub.

    i can tell you why i dont have a nuvinci wheel, others can tell you why they do.
    is a nuvinci worth its price compared to a nexus driveline? ride both for awhile and you tell me, no one else can.
  • IdahoTrailLizardIdahoTrailLizard
    Know a guy with a N380 + Schlumpf and enjoys it very much, and can ride some slopes better than my internal 8 SA hub.

    Rambler comes in:
    $1899 - x24, Truvativ Touro Triple 170mm 30/42/52t, Sram PG-830 11-30 8 Speed
    GI: 19-90 (20") 26-123 (26") 30-113 (All Road)

    $2199 - n380, Alloy Black 170mm 42t, 20t Cog
    GI: 20-75

    $2299 - x30, FSA Gossamer Triple 170mm 30/39/52t, Microshift 11-32 10 Speed,
    GI: 18-90 (20") 23-120 (26")

    Am by no chance an authority, but if money was not an object I (personally) would go for the x30 as its low and midrange would fit the areas I ride in.


    As for what @JamesR says, you have to ride one to find out which one you like, or which one likes you.


    I went with an IGH for ease of use, resilience to the environment, and can shift gears from a stand still.
  • Florida_boundFlorida_bound
    I was wondering if a Nuvinci is easier. I am shifting all the time and, if I'm correct, a Nuvini.

    If and when I lose enough weight to afford a Rambler All Terrain, I might consider that hub. That could be years!
  • FINN58FINN58
    Come to Michigan an shovel snow for a winter!! Pounds will fly off. Heard it could be a bad one. The Pacific is not as warm as it has been in the past couple. So our cold won't be moderated
    as it has been. Hope they r wrong.
  • Florida_boundFlorida_bound
    That's funny. I lived in Virginia from 2009 until 2015 and saw three snows over 20" and had to dig out my car every time. I only gained weight and fell on the ice. I'll take the sunshine and riding from now on!
  • Jrobiso2Jrobiso2
    None of those Rambler setups goes to a low enough GI in my opinion. I'd like to see the bottom around 15GI if possible.

    I also wonder why the n380 isn't offered with a front triple like the rest. If that front 42T was offered as a 30/42/52 like the x24 (or even just the two rings, 30/52), that n380 option would have a massive GI range - low enough for any hill, and high enough for any speed demon.

    @jamesr, @chonk, is there a reason the n380 IGH model only uses a single front ring?
  • JamesRJamesR
    edited August 2017
    @Jrobiso2- dont see why not. if you stay in warranty range of 1.8:1 [largest rear sprocket is 28 teeth] you need a 50-tooth sprocket up front which gives you a bottom of 17 gear-inches.

    suspect you would be ok with something like a 45-55-65 triple for 15-82 g.i. with it but cant see the economics - mtb triple with a shimano nexus-8 would give you about 14-85 g.i. at several hundred dollars less than the nuvinci.

    agree with you on trikes configured with the same gearing as 2-wheelers. they can stand on the pedals for climbing - we cant - and kinda hard on the knees to be forced to mash your way uphill. bit hard on the old folks, that business.

  • JamesRJamesR
    more miles per burrito - recent post about igh gearbox efficiencies:
    https://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=135579

    been wondering about such. both of the deltas go up the hill with same effort and their 22/34 gearing. same ratio on the rover nexus-8 but a tad more effort doing the same hill.
  • Jrobiso2Jrobiso2
    Wow, the Rohloff is almost as efficient as a single speed? That's some damned fine engineering, there!
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