With a bunch of different hubs available for the Brompton, I thought a comparison would be a good idea:
| Kindernay | Rohloff | Alfine 11 | Alfine 8 | Enviolo NuVinci | Sturmey 8 | |
| Number of gears | 14 | 14 | 11 | 8 | n/a | 8 |
| Gear range | 543% | 525% | 405% | 307% | 380% | 325% |
| Weight | 1.4kg | 1.7kg | 1.6kg | 1.7kg | 2.4kg | 1.8kg |
| Gear ratios | 18″-98″ | 19″-100″ | 24″-99″ | 24″-74″ | 25″-95″ | 29″-95″ |
| Shifter | Thumb | Twist or Thumb | Lever* | Lever* | Twist | Twist or Thumb |
| Efficiency | Very good | Very good | Good | Medium | Good | Medium |
| Axle | Solid 10mm | Quick release | Solid 10mm | Solid 10mm | Solid 10mm | Solid 13/32″ |
| Disc brake | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Kit cost | £1795 | £1595 | £795 | £725 | £725 | £395 |
Gear ratios are the most common possibilities – with the Rohloff and Kindernay, they are with the smallest possible rear cog and largest Brompton front ring (54t). With the Alfine and Enviolo, it’s 18t/50t. So getting higher gears is possible on the Alfine and Enviolo hubs, more difficult with the Kindernay and Rohloff.
I know it seems a bit odd that the Kindernay has a wider range than the Rohloff but has very similar gear ratios, but it’s because the difference between 18″ and 19″ at the bottom end is a much bigger difference than between 98″ and 100″ at the top end.
Other factors are harder to quantify in a table: In terms of fitting, the Rohloff is easiest – it’s a simple quick release hub (though I usually use an Allen key skewer) and cable fitting is very simple. The Alfine and Enviolo hubs are nutted, so need a spanner to fit, but cabling is pretty simple. The Kindernay is the most complex, with a nutted through axle, and hydraulic shifting that has to be cut and perhaps re-bled to fit.
*A rapid-fire shifter is available, but I strongly recommend the Jtek shifter for the Brompton handlebars.