Touring - Rohloff Speedhub on a Bianchi San Jose?

So it occured to me that my San Jose, a single speed, cyclocross bike might be cool to turn into a geared bike for touring. It's steel, it has rack eyelets, semi long chainstays, and really fun to ride.

I'm kind of a born again cyclist so I am not completely up to date on bikes although I did build up a killer Surly Long Haul trucker.

My question is, can the Rohloff speedhub be used with a San Jose? Here's the bike.

http://www.bianchiusa.com/07_san_jose.html

Does anyone know the rear spacing on this bike? What kind of work will need to be done to install the hub?

Thanks!






















http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/trdcamry2003/Second%20Album/LHT/LHT053.jpg

You can buy a proper Surly LHT for what the Rholoff costs, as I imagine you know.

To have the sexiest set-up, with straight chain, and no brace to the chainstay, you need a very rugged tight fitting horizontal drop. Otherwise, working the hub will just twist it within the drop , the axle can spin in there. You can use the brace, and that should work with your drop ("slop" since it's sideways?) but sometimes it torks the stay moreso than they were designed to deal with.

My guess would be that your stay is probably strong enough for a brace (obviously depends on your level of use), and your horizontal is probably able to adjust the chain. But you can't get away with the unbraced model:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/surly-rohloff/pages/7-brakerear.html


"Does anyone know the rear spacing on this bike?"

Normally single speeds are narrower than the MTB spacing used by the Rohloff, which is 135. You can measure the bike you have by just measuring between the plates. Mark up a popscicle stick in there, and then measure the marks, or take the rear wheel off.

You can buy a proper Surly LHT for what the Rholoff costs, as I imagine you know.
Yeah but then I'll have two LHT's :eek:




To have the sexiest set-up, with straight chain, and no brace to the chainstay, you need a very rugged tight fitting horizontal drop. Otherwise, working the hub will just twist it within the drop , the axle can spin in there. You can use the brace, and that should work with your drop ("slop" since it's sideways?) but sometimes it torks the stay moreso than they were designed to deal with.

My guess would be that your stay is probably strong enough for a brace (obviously depends on your level of use), and your horizontal is probably able to adjust the chain. But you can't get away with the unbraced model:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/surly-rohloff/pages/7-brakerear.html


"Does anyone know the rear spacing on this bike?"

Normally single speeds are narrower than the MTB spacing used by the Rohloff, which is 135. You can measure the bike you have by just measuring between the plates. Mark up a popscicle stick in there, and then measure the marks, or take the rear wheel off.


Thanks for the info!

i'd just chime in to say that you'll really dig a rohloff. i have one and man is it fun to ride. pricey but worth it. and, as others have pointed out, not really that pricey in the long run since they last way way longer than derailleurs and all. go for it duder!:) :)

I was pointed out to this page on the Bicycle Menchanics forum(I cross posted this theread there)

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/bianchi-sanjos8/index.html

I think I'll probably go this route.

Thanks again for the replies.