How to adjust a Shimano Nexus 8 Gear Shifter

In this article you will learn how to adjust the popular Shimano Nexus 8 gear shifter yourself in just 3 easy steps.

Why is this even important: The Shimano Nexus 8 is a great gear shifter – but only if it is precisely adjusted.

The good news is: anyone can do it

What you need: a rug

Why is the Schimano Nexus 8 so popular?

This 8-speed gear hub from Shimano's Nexus series C6000 is insanely popular. The reasons are obvious:

inexpensive, complete wheel approx. 200 Euro
lasts forever when correctly maintained (1x per year/2000 km)
comparatively large range for such a small hub: 307 %

The Shimano Nexus 8 is versatile. It's mainly used for cycling in the city. It is also suitable for eBikes with a higher chain tension. So all perfect, right? Exactly. As long as you pay attention to 2 things:

👍 Do not switch gears under load!

👍 The gear shifter needs to be precisely adjusted!

Watch the video here.

Step 1

The gear shifter needs to be in the 4th gear.

👉 Start by switching into the 1st gear and then switch up gear by gear to the 4th.

If you end up in gear 5 by accident, switch back to 1 and switch up slower.

Step 2

👉 Find the 2 yellow marks on the gear hub.

They are difficult to see due to oil and dirt. Use a clean rag to clean the gear hub next to the chain.

Step 3

👉 Align the 2 yellow marks by turning the knob on the gear cable.

In the following picture you'll see the knob on the gear cable that you need to turn.

This is how the marks look, when they are not aligned yet. You need to turn further.

This is how the marks are supposed to look like when properly aligned.

That's it. If you keep your Shimano Nexus 8 nicely adjusted and don't switch gears under load, you will enjoy this reliable and versatile quality gear hub for many years.

Happy adjusting! And then...

Get on your bike and share the most beautiful, safest, shortest and most practical bike routes with others. Talk about bike repair. Give someone a bike or a bike day! Just don't give up until everyone's riding bikes. Because cycling makes you happy.