At the moment, the 3X3 Nine gear hub is advancing on the bicycle market with a vengeance. As the manufacturer announced a few days ago, seven bicycle brands are now integrating the system into their ebikes. So, it’s about time to give you a closer look at the gear shifting system.
3X3 Nine gear hub for ebikes and bicycles without electric assistance
Basically, the turf of gear hubs suitable for ebikes is quite clearly marked out. With Rohloff, Enviolo and Shimano, there are three established companies. They have more or less divided the market among themselves. Every now and then someone tries to break into their phalanx. So far, it has been no more than an attempt. Even such promising solutions as Revolute’s Hub1, for example, have not (yet) been able to seriously change anything.
An end to the status quo
Therefore, 3X3 deserves respect for having the courage to try to shake up this seemingly traditional order. The brand draws the necessary self-confidence from its owner. It’s H+B Hightech. Behind the letters H and B are the names Heine and Beisswenger. They stand for a great deal of expertise in dealing with steel and other metals. The group of companies serves the automotive and mechanical engineering sectors, among others. H + B Hightech takes on the development of components. Moreover, the company knows how to manufacture such products efficiently.
Two years after the brand was founded, 3X3 presented its rear hub with nine gears to a larger audience for the first time at the Eurobike 2022 in Frankfurt am Main. Even then, it was clear that Rohloff in particular would become a serious competitor. Why? Well, because both gear shifting systems are very similar. In both cases we are talking about a sealed planetary gear that allows shifting both when stationary and under load. Belt and chain can be used as drive options. The transmission range is well over 500 percent. Here, 3X3 with its 554 percent can even outperform Rohloff’s Speedhub E-14 with its 526 percent.
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- When such competent ebike manufacturers as Nicolai install such a young product as the Nine on an E-Enduro like the GT EBOXX EWB, it shows a lot of confidence in the gearshift.
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- Massive electric cargo bike from GoLo
Head to head with Rohloff
On the other hand, the top dog Rohloff scores with its fine tuning. Between the fourteen gears there is a constant gear jump of 13.6 percent. In this regard, the 3X3 cannot quite keep up with the Nine. Here, the gear ratio is divided between nine gears. Consequently, there is a much greater difference between each gear. It is about 24 percent.
In terms of weight, however, the two systems are on a par. Rohloff is just under two kilograms, 3X3 ends up almost exactly at this mark. In addition, both systems are suitable for use on bicycles without electric assistance as well as on ebikes. The latter includes pedelecs, speed pedelecs and heavier e-cargo bikes.
Surprisingly, the 3X3 hub goes one better where the Rohloff has been firmly established as the measure of all things. This refers to the maintenance effort. With the E-14, this is limited to changing the oil once a year. That is enough. And with the 3X3 Nine? Not even that. Zero. Nada. According to the manufacturer, the gear setting lasts a lifetime and requires no subsequent maintenance. As long as the completely sealed housing holds up and protects the inside of the hub from any weather influences. The gearbox is initially lubricated with grease – that’s it. It will be exciting to see whether this claim actually proves true in practice.
Choice of two shifting options
The system can be shifted electronically or manually. With the E-Shift version, only a few fractions of a second pass between gear changes. As with the E-14, you can also set a gear on the Nine from 3X3 in which you want to start by default after you have had to stop at a red light, for example. The function is called Auto Downshift, just like Rohloff. Both the trigger on the handlebars and the actuator on the hub work wirelessly. The necessary power is supplied by a button cell for the trigger and the ebike system for the actuator.
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- On the electronically shiftable version of the gear hub, the wireless actuator reduces the load just before the gears are shifted. This ensures a smooth change of gears.
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- Thanks to its position below the handlebars, the trigger of the E-Shift variant is easily accessible while riding.
As mentioned, there is also the classic shifting by twist grip with the help of Bowden cables. Two details stand out here. Firstly, the gear indexing is in the gearbox and not on the grip. And secondly, even with a rotary shift, you can remove the rear wheel without tools.
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- Shifting with a twist grip is well known from the systems of other suppliers.
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- The tension of the shift cables can be adjusted directly on the gear shifter.
Among the seven brands that so far offer ebikes with a 3X3 Nine, no uniform picture emerges for one of the two variants. Both E-shift and rotary shift are used there.
- CargoFactory
- GoLo
- Mäx & Mäleon
- MiTech
- Muli Cycles
- Nicolai
- Portus Cycles
According to their own information, talks are underway between 3X3 and further manufacturers. Presumably, this list is of a temporary nature.
Technical specifications of the 3X3 Nine gear hub
- Number of gears: 9
- Gear ratio: 554 %
- Gear jumps: approx. 24 %
- Gearshift control: rotary shift and e-shift
- Maximum input torque: 250 Nm
- Weight: 2 kg
- Compatibility: 135 mm quick release, 142 mm thru axle 12mm, 148 mm thru axle 12mm
Pictures: H+B Hightech GmbH; Flevobike; NICOLAI GmbH