Panasonic crank drive with 3 speed hub and other Q's

[Geebee]

Just curious whether a Panasonic drive with a 3 speed hub would be a better climber than a hub with an 8 speed hub.
Also if you have the choice between hub gears and dérailleur gears which would you choose if you are happy and competent at using and maintaining a dérailleur's?

 

[10mph]

The gear 1 of an 8 speed hub is a bit lower than gear 1 of an 8 speed hub, so you can climb a steeper hill with it. With my 3 speed I can climb 13% slowly in reasonable comfort. You could tackle something a little steeper with an 8 speed. For hills less steep you would not find much difference between the two. In fact in some ways it is nice to have fewer gears so less gear changing. However, gear changing is very easy with the hub gear. You might well find yourself deliberately missing out gears when changing up or down with an 8 speed.

As far as hub v derailleur is concerned, I rather like being able to change the hub when stationary or just giving a very brief pause in your pedalling. After many years of using a derailleur on an unassisted bike, I switched to the a hub gear which came on my Agattu and I prefer it.

 

[flecc]

On a utility bike I'm a hub gear fan too. Derailleurs best suit the sport bikes they were originally designed for.

On e-bikes, which is not very important, but on unpowered bikes with derailleurs definitely more efficient at using a riders input, that can be important as a decider.

In this respect, the 3 speed hub is more efficient than the 8 speed, the latter using compound epicyclics.

 

[tillson]

Another vote for hub gears from me. I have a Panasonic powered bike with an 8 speed hub. As 10 mph has said, I find myself missing out gears as the spacing is sometimes too close. An Ebike gives you more flexibility in each gear and you can effectively short shift.

Three gears would probably give adequate spacing, but I believe that the 8 speed has a greater overall ratio than the three speed which is useful.

 

[flecc]

Yes, the range at 307% is much greater on the 8 speed Shimano hubs. The range of their current 3 speed hub is 186%. Their newest 11 speed hub has a 409% range.

 

[Orraman]

I have both 3 and 7 speed Panasonic bikes, subjectively the climbing capability are comparable but the three speed seems slightly slower in top, 26 against 28 inch wheels.

From the mechanical view the 3 speed is totally adequate, first for hills and second for mild inclines. This does mean accepting the ground speed that the gradient and the gear dictates at your chosen cadence and effort. So an intermediate grade hill will be ascended at a more comfortable rate.

On intermediate gradients more gears mean a closer fit between mankind and machine and a greater feeling of progression which can be pleasant.

The saving of more than £100 in the purchase price and the greater efficiency mentioned by flecc are points in favour of the 3 speed.
I doubt if any gear could change faster or more reliably than the 3 speed Automatic Shimano between first and second in the middle of the power stroke where it is most needed for continuous acceleration.

Dave