Bicycle Mechanics - My Rohloff Speedhubs are GREAT

Hi,
After finding some useful and interesting info on this forum, I decided to share my enthusiasm for the Rohloff Speedhub with you. I got to know the speedhub by coincidence about a year ago.
The speedhub is not a thing for everybody, but it would be a pity if you missed it simply because not knowing that it exists or not fully appreciating its features and working.
The speedhub is a 14-speed internal hub with performance similar to a 3*9 derailleur system but without the hassle and maintenance.

I have a speedhub on my commuting bike (custom-built, world-travel style). I ride between 10.000-12.000 km’s per year at fairly high speed (35 km/hour cruising speed) in all weather conditions (including rain, snow, ice) and have no time to CLEAN the bike.
A traditional derailleur system is a near-disaster under these circumstances.
-I used 2-3 cassettes/chains a year and a set of chainrings every 2 years.
-After a few rides on a wet/sandy road shifting becomes ‘grinding’ which can only partly be overcome by generously spraying derailleur oil.
I have done 6.000 km’s with my speedhub now and I have fallen in love with it.
No maintenance, shifts like silk, totally reliable, you can shift whenever you want (‘shifting freedom’ should be their slogan) shorter/less spokes, no adjustments, chain always in a straight line, etc…
Shifting is so quick that you really ‘accelerate’ from low to higher gears when leaving e.g. at a traffic light leaving all other (non-Rohloff) cyclists behind you.
The maintenance I have done so far in 6 months:
-once cleaned chainring/chain/cog (no tensioner, I have special quick-release Rohloff dropouts)
-3 times wiped off some dirt and sprayed the chain
only slight signs of wear at the cog, probably zero if you would put in some more cleaning/maintenance effort. The cog is said to last 20.000k after which it can be reversed.

Our TANDEM also greatly benefits from a Rohloff speedhub. Same advantages as a solo-bike PLUS:
- simpler, stronger drive-train. Chains/sprockets/cog are all on one side
Stronger rear wheel and shifting at standstill or when not pedaling are even more important than on a solo bike.
We have done only 2.000k on the tandem this year. Will be a lot more in the years to come.

As far as I’m concerned, anybody doing serious distances (not having bike cleaning as a hobby) should consider the speedhub. Seems ideal for world trips.

Disadvantages? Of course. These are the ones I came across:
- high price tag (albeit cheaper in the long run in my case)
- shifting between 7/8 gear under load requires some attention
- oil needs changing every 5.000k
-slight grinding noise in the lower gears
- it takes some 5.000k (in my case) for the hub to fully ‘wear-in’ (silent and incredibly ‘silky’ shifting). I have enjoyed it from day one though.

Further info on these websites:
http://tandem-fahren.de/Mitglieder/Christoph_Timm/SpeedhubFAQ.html
and of course
http://www.rohloff.de/index.php?lang=en&p=&d=
Searching for Rohloff and speedhub on the internet will give you quite a lot of hits.


Happy cycling,

Hans Uittenboogaard, Netherlands

You know, those speedhubs look like a good idea, but I just can't justify spending $1000 on a hub.

Dave,
you are right, 1.ooo $ is stiff price tag, but please calculate with the DIFFERENCE compared with a derailleur system. A good quality Shimano group does not come cheap either!
You will initially pay a few hundred dollars more for the Rohloff option, but depending on the mileage you make, you may eventually save money.

Count on substantially lower bills for cogs/sprockets/chains/labour.
In my case with over 10.000 km/year and high wear on a derailleur system, the Rohloff hub will pay out quickly, which I consider a fortunate side-effect.
Trouble-free, super-smooth running, reliability, ease-of-use are the key factors for me.
Besides, I spend 8-10 hours a week on my bike and generally not more than a few hours per week in my car. Yet, my total spending on a car is a lot more than what I spend on a good quality bike.
As a general rule I never regret spending money on high-quality, well engineered stuff. This hub will outlive your bike!

happy cycling, Hans.

Must say I love this thing too, its the Rolex of bike stuff.

Ed,
yep, seems a good comparison. Both probably have happy, proud owners.
Main difference is that a Rolex costs a lot of money compared with most other watches but doesn't save you any after the initial purchase.
A Rohloff however will save you money every year and may in the long run even end up cheaper.
I have great plans for long trips across the globe and am already looking forward to travelling without the maintenance and trouble you see reported on travels with standard-gear bikes.

happy cycling, Hans.

Aren't intertnal hubs less efficient than a derailler system?

Aren't intertnal hubs less efficient than a derailler system?

Only in theory. In practice the difference is so small you won't notice.

Aren't intertnal hubs less efficient than a derailler system?
hi,
they used to be, until Rohloff re-designed the internal hub. I've seen some stats (probably on the Rohloff website, but I'm not sure) with the difference per gear. For the higher gears (7-14) the differences are minimal (typically .5%) with Rohloff 11th gear being .5% more efficient than a derailleur system. For the lower gears, there is an additional resistance of around 2%.
Rohloff makes the case that the human 'machine' works more efficiently because of the identical spacing between all gears (i.e. easier to choose your optimum rounds per minute). I don't know, I mainly use the higher gears and prefer riding my Rohloff bicycle to my racing bike.

I consider my Rohloff hub to be what we call in Dutch 'a wolf in sheep's clothes'.
Fellow cyclists think they can easily beat me : this guy is cycling with hub gears.
NOT.

happy cycling, Hans.

You also get a perfect chain line with a Hub gear, not to mention the lack of mess and stronger rear wheel. If only Rohloff would make a front gear that ran off a belt instead of a chain and it really would be 'trouble free'. Couple that with a SON Dynohub and you would be set for years and years without having to spend another penny.

Can you run two chainrings up front with the speedhub? Or would this mess up the chainline.

I believe you can run a double chainring but with the equivalent of a 27 spd derailler system, it dosent really seem worth it.

I believe you can run a double chainring but with the equivalent of a 27 spd derailler system, it dosent really seem worth it.

I believe Sheldon Brown played around with a Triple. Just wanted to prove he could do it. :D

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. He also put a 9sp on a 3 spd hub and had a tripple chainring! Nutz! :)

hi,
found the part of the Rohloff website dealing with efficiency. Interesting.
http://www.rohloff.de/index.php?p=TECHNIK/SPEEDHUB/Wirkungsgrad

And if you think I am entusiastic about the speedhub, read what (most of) these reviewers have to say.

http://www.mtbreview.com/reviews/Hub/product_68271.shtml

happy cycling, Hans.

Are you a sales rep or factory rep for Rohloff? Do you work in Rohloff's marketing department or the advertising agency contracted by Rohloff?

I've seen their product and I do like the idea. It is heavy and expensive, and you really have only 14 or 15 different gears in a typical triple chainring/nine speed cassette drive train.

its the Rolex of bike stuff

You mean it is a $12 hub sold for $1000? Sorry, I know what you meant. I am a watch collector. Rolex is probably the most successful marketing scam of all times.

Are you a sales rep or factory rep for Rohloff? Do you work in Rohloff's marketing department or the advertising agency contracted by Rohloff?

I've seen their product and I do like the idea. It is heavy and expensive, and you really have only 14 or 15 different gears in a typical triple chainring/nine speed cassette drive train.
hi,
no, I have no relation with Rohloff at all, other than having bought their product.
Only finding out about the Rohloff hub by coincidence, I thought I'd better bring it under people's attention, I am really glad not having bought two new bikes (solo + tandem) with derailleur systems.
My enthusiasm stems from years of frustration with derailleur systems which I spent a lot of money on but which did not give good riding conditions after a couple of MONTHS (or sometimes weeks) of usage.
During one year I have tried to keep my bike clean and smooth running.
First of all, it's not very well possible to get it really clean when you are biking every day in all whether conditions and secondly, it costs an awful amount of time. So, I gave up and concluding that I was shorter of time than of money I would not do more maintenance than lubricating and getting worn out stuff replaced (about twice a year).

What a difference compared with my Rohloff set-up! No maintenance and always smooth running.

Lance Armstrong wouldn't win the Tour the France on it, you will also not fit it on a simple touring bike that you only use on a sunny sunday afternoon.
I'll not repeat my earlier postings, but for my kind of usage and other frequent, heavy use I think it is ideal, providing excellent value for money.

happy cycling, Hans.

You mean it is a $12 hub sold for $1000? Sorry, I know what you meant. I am a watch collector. Rolex is probably the most successful marketing scam of all times.
mmmmm,
must admit that I only know Rolex from advertisements in glossy magazines. In that case it probably is not a good comparison.

Ever seen a Rohloff advertisement? I haven't.
These guys are very quality-driven engineers, not marketeers.
Sales are increasing via word-of-mouth and good customer reports.

Expensive? depends. My late father used to say : things that you don't really need are always too expensive, things that you really need, seldom.

Not that I intended to buy a Rolex, but thanks for the warning.

Happy cycling, Hans.

You mean it is a $12 hub sold for $1000? Sorry, I know what you meant. I am a watch collector. Rolex is probably the most successful marketing scam of all times.

Each to their own, I can respect that.

However, if you get pleasure out of haveing a superbly engineered timepiece that will not only last your lifetime but will please you kids and their kids... I have 2, both were gifts, one for my 21st (Explorer II) and one from my wife (Sea Dweller) 11 years on and I still get a thrill from looking at it and hearing the cool 4x a second tick. I am quite sure that if, nay, when I get a Rohloff it will give me as much pleasure too.

The old argument that I have heard against getting expensive kit is 'well they both tell the time' or 'well it still gets you from A to B'. This is a valid statement, but again.. 'Each to his own'

(Note: I am in no way affiliated with Rolex or Rohloff :)

Just a wonderin'. Enthusiasm for a good product is the best advertising.

hi,
found another nice website with real-life experience from a world-traveler with over 30.000 km's done with a Rohloff hub (when reporting, end 2002).

Unfortunately the site is only in German. It does contain a few nice pictures of biking in exotic places.

http://www.lemlem.de/berichte/smolka/tips/rohloff/html/01.html

Peter is very enthusiastic about the speedhub. Worth mentioning :
- considerable less wear on chain/cog/chainring. He is still using the original cog and can still reverse it once it has worn out.
- not a single broken spoke
30.000 km's, most of them undoubtedly with luggage, a part undoubtedly under tough circumstances. Unbelievable!

He mentions two problems:
- oil leakage. This occurred with the earlier versions, has been resolved
- more work to take the wheel out. This depends on the dropouts and tensioner.
On my solo bike I have Rohloff quick-release dropouts without tensioner. Perfect.
On our tandem we do have a tensioner and quick-release. Also no problem to quickly take the wheel out. Peter was using a screwed version without tensioner.

One correction on earlier postings:
- the ADDITIONAL weight for a Rohloff is around 300-400 grams. The one and a half pounds mentioned are the full weight of the hub (around 1800 grams, depending a bit on the version).

happy to answer any queries you may have,

happy cycling, Hans.

Google and bablefish.com have translation programs.

Hi man, I really underestand some people with such extra money to spare, 1000$ for a hub, not to say bicycle. I admit that it is your such money to keep thoes German to float without sink, but some day they will sink. bicycle is a low tech aparatus, marketing people creats new concept bicycle and new bicycle products every year, the design of bicycle mutured more than hundred years ago, Wright brothers had a racing bike weighted a little than 20 lb and the material was steel. i see a lot people talk about their high tech bike and the tearing and wearing for the drive train, i suggest these people take a look of Ken Keifer's web site,
http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/
I have a hybrid steel bike for 250$, I commute with it 20 mile/day round trip for almost three years now, it still going strong with almost all the oringinal components, except I change grip shifter to friction thumb shifter. I agree with previous post that Rolex is the most disgusting scame in history.

I dont get you guys that have it in for beautifully enginered things. Is it envy of not having the money to buy one for yourself?
Why is Rolex a marketing scam? Its not a Thigh Master for gods sake! It tells the time without having to manually wind it up for about 100 years without needing a service, sheesh thats a real rip off. I guess you would rather support the Japs and their plastic crap. I mean they only tried to wipe you out, way to go! Support them instead.

I just don't get the bitter 'I can't afford that' grumble grumble my 1.50 watch tells the time too. Yes it does, but it has no class. And talking about old tech how about the fact that we have been burning oil for so long just to make a vehicle move. Its just big business that are holding back the convertion to wood alc, bio diesel, gas or other fuel sources. now THAT is a scam!.

Rant over!

And another thing! All you nay sayers

Taken from a UK watch site



Why It's Okay to Hate Rolex
by James Dowling


It's a free world, you can love or hate any one or any thing that you choose. However the point that I would like to make is that a little research might convince even the most ardent critic of Rolex (or of the folks who wear them) that in this case a little tolerance might be no bad thing. Let us first look at the facts and then turn our view upon the perception.

To all intents and purposes, Rolex invented the wristwatch, as we know it. Sure there were companies making and marketing the things before Rolex burst upon the scene in 1905. But none of them put the effort that Rolex did into this new market. The reason for this is that the older companies could see no reason to change; they had major investments in plant and machinery designed specifically to make pocket watches. So why should they change. Rolex had nothing, no history, no factory and most importantly no tradition. So the only option open to them was that of being an innovator; and the innovation they chose was the wristwatch
Rolex without doubt invented the waterproof wristwatch; again as with all their other advances, they were not the originators of the concept. But they were the people who made it work, the screw down crown was a classically simple concept and Wilsdorf had the genius to see the simplicity and make it work for the company.
Once again with self-winding mechanisms, Rolex saw the way the market was going, saw the mistakes all their predecessors had made and neatly sidestepped them all. Whilst many other competing self winding systems have arisen in the 65 years since Rolex introduced the Auto Rotor system, the vast majority of all automatic watches now use a version of the Rolex concept.
However despite all of the above reasons, my opinion is that the greatest advance Rolex have ever made is their decision to gain chronometer certification for a few and then for almost all their watches. In the days before Rolex instituted this program, every watch manufacturer TALKED about the accuracy of their watches; but Rolex were the first people ever to have the accuracy proved by an independent agency. Before the advent of quartz watches; accuracy was in direct relationship to the cost of the watch; therefore people wanted to know that their watch was really accurate. Rolex gave them that assurance.
Nowadays we are all used to the concept of Tool watches, that is watches designed for a particular job or hobby; you know the sort of thing.............diving watches, sailing watches, pilot's watches etc. Well Rolex invented that concept too. The Submariner, the GMT Master and the Milgauss were all pioneers in this field.
Being waterproof and shockproof long before the rest of the watch industry was, Rolex became the natural choice of sports people who needed a watch. From this starting point they then moved to make watches FOR sportsmen; this moved the Tool watch concept on a little further. Watches such as the Explorer 1 and 2 were targeted at climbers and cave explorers, they were simple timepieces but with high visibility dials and very strong cases. Once again they created a market and defined it.
They are, by far, the most innovative of all the Swiss watch companies; as well as all the new ideas mentioned above; Rolex have always pursued a long term development strategy. They have patented more than a thousand advances in horology during their 90+ year history.
Rolex is now the most self-sufficient watch company in Europe; they make all their own movements (apart from chronograph movements), all their cases, all their bracelets and all their crystals. They own most of their distributors and have no shareholders (as all the shares are held by 2 family trusts which have charitable status) because of this they can pursue long term goals without fear.
They are, without doubt, the largest Swiss watchmaker. Producing around 800,000 watches a year, they still sell every watch they make. They are dependent on no single market, one could really say that the world is their OYSTER !!!!!!!! (sorry)
Perhaps the one problem they do have is that they have become a victim of their own success. Whilst the company has not changed its design philosophy; their public perception have changed. Whereas Rolex made its name with sports watches and still makes more of them than any other kind of watch; many people think of diamond encrusted Day-Dates when they hear the name Rolex. This, however, is not the fault of the company.
Rolex have the longest single continuous ownership of any Swiss watch company; having been owned by the same two families (and its successor trusts) for its entire existence. During this time the company has essentially had only 2 chief executives (the third came to power in 1997). Both of these factors have enabled the company to steer in an uninterrupted course throughout its history.
Many people whine about the cost of a new Rolex; they forget 2 things. Firstly Rolex manage to sell every watch they make (so obviously SOME people do not think they are too expensive). Secondly, no-one was ever forced to buy a Rolex watch; it is a decision people make with their own free will and their own money. In the end, the free market rules everything.
It is difficult to talk about Rolex watches without talking about resale value; in simple terms Rolex (new or used) retain a higher percentage of their cost than any other production Swiss watch. Everything from the no date Submariner all the way to the President can be resold in an instant anywhere in the world, for very good money. Also, if the watch was bought used, it is quite possible to wear a Rolex for 2 or 3 years and sell it for the same price you paid for it. Apart from the cost of the money invested, essentially that makes it a free watch.
One of the reasons to buy a Rolex may well be one of the best, but undoubtedly one that no-one ever thinks of: it is that most of the profits made through the sale of the watches go to good causes. As mentioned above, the company is owned by two family trusts. The larger one (the Wilsdorf family trusts) gives a fixed sum to the remaining members of his family but the majority is given to charitable causes; including a high school in his home town and the watchmakers school in Geneva. This gives rise to the thought that if it were not for the substantial profits made by Rolex, there would probably be no Franck Muller; because it was at the Geneva watchmaker's school that Muller learned his trade.


As I said in the introduction, if you want to hate Rolex; then be my guest but at least I hope when you do you will at least give the devil his due.

The people who claim that Rolex is a scam remind me of the people who walk into a bikeshop and shít bricks when they see the price of a good bicycle. They say, "Walmart has the same thing for $149." Walmart does NOT have the same thing but the uneducated don't know that. They think all bikes are the same and that bike shops are jacking the price by several hundred dollars.

Hey Hans, I have been thinking of building a bike with internally geared hub for some time now. I figure I will buy a single speed frame with horizontal dropouts so I don't have to muck up the works with a chain tensioner. It would be nice to have the Rohloff hub, but I think I'll start with the (much cheaper) Shimano Nexus 7-speed hub. Not as many gears, but I ride often ride single speeds, so 7 speeds is still a step up. I can always upgrade to the Rohloff later. I'm with you. I really don't care for derailleur systems. (Although, I do have two bikes with them.) Internalize!

Leilin,
agree there is some 'hype' being created around bikes: better, lighter, sexier, and more expensive all the time.
As with cars, computers, televisions, watches, you name it...
Some cyclists seem to forget that at least 90% of their performance comes from their physical condition and not more than 10% from the (better) equipment.
Most cyclists had better lose a few kilo's of their body weight than saving 100 grams on a bike component !

having said that, one can perfectly get around on a low-tech (which biking in essence is), cheap bike. There is a world cyclist (again German) Heinz Stucke who has traveled the world for 40 years on the same steel bike with a 3-speed Sturmey-Archer hub. I don't like hypes, and love these kind of stories.

But it is not the same thing, and I can tell that from experience.
I've spent $3.000 on a bike (of which $1000 on the hub). It's reliable, smooth-running, fast, low-maintenance and NOT sexy and NOT extremely light.
I love it, every minute, and believe me, there is no comparison with my previous ($600) bikes on which I have done 170.000 kilometers (17 years commuting) wasting (and paying for) tons of chainrings/chains/cogs and the 2 complete bikes. Not to mention the aggravation of stuff breaking down and not running well a few weeks/months after fitting new components.

Basic rule: you get what you pay for. But do include reliability, style, service and do not just look at price.
My Rohloff hub? high-quality engineering and manufacturing.
In my case it was not expensive, it was a lot of money. Well spent.

happy cycling, Hans.

P.S.
I had no intention to create a Rolex-type of discussion on the forum, but apparently I have touched a sensitive topic. Well, I enjoy watching the discussion developping.

I just read in Mountain Bike Action that Jericho (CA-based framebuilders) makes a frame with braze-ons specifically for the Rohloff Speedhub.

I've a local ride leader with 25,000 miles trouble free use on a Rohloff. He's says his Rohloff spoiled him.

Don't think the Rohloff will save your sprockets and chainrings though-you're still wearing them with use, more so since you in the same ones all the time.

Not bad for a $12 hub! :rolleyes:

I've a local ride leader with 25,000 miles trouble free use on a Rohloff. He's says his Rohloff spoiled him.

Don't think the Rohloff will save your sprockets and chainrings though-you're still wearing them with use, more so since you in the same ones all the time.
Hi,
Thanks for your reaction. Is your comment on chainring and sprocket life based on experience of the 25,000 miles rider you mention? I would find this hard to imagine; these parts and the chain should have a significantly longer lifetime:
-You can use a sturdier chain (no need for a super-narrow one)
-The entire drive-train is always straight, chain never bends, never has to absorb ‘side-ways’ friction.
-Sprocket and chainring can be reversed. That alone doubles their lifetime

On top of this, Rohloff seem to have made their sprockets/chainrings extremely good quality (easier to justify if you use only one). World-biker Peter Smolka has traveled 30,000 kilometers and is still using his first sprocket (first side).
Peter Smolka site (German) (http://www.lemlem.de/berichte/smolka/tips/rohloff/html/01.html)

I have done 7,000 km with my Rohloff (all conditions, no serious cleaning), so still too early for very strong statements, but so far it is living up to my (less-wear) expectations.
I have changed the chain at 5,000 km and do not see any significant wear on the sprocket. On my previous bikes I would have wasted a compete cassette already (I typically used 3 every 2 years = 20,000 km)

Happy cycling, Hans.

p.s. can anyone tell me the difference (if any) between a sprocket and a cog? Thanks.

I've got one on my bike and love it. It's a steal right now...
http://www.vandesselsports.com/b_buzzBomb.shtml

p.s. can anyone tell me the difference (if any) between a sprocket and a cog? Thanks.


A Cog can mesh against another cog (Like in a gearbox or watch) whereas a Sprocket is a 'cog' made to accomodate a chain

A Cog can mesh against another cog (Like in a gearbox or watch) whereas a Sprocket is a 'cog' made to accomodate a chain
hi,
crystal-clear. My English-Dutch dictionary gave me an identical translation for both terms, so I was a bit puzzled, suspecting some subtle difference.
thanks,

happy cycling, Hans.

I like my internal hub equipped bicycle (bianchi milano w/shimano 7-peed nexus)
in the future I would be interested in getting a rohloff. I rode my bianchi 8000 miles, 4500mi on tour w/trailer, when it came to my attention that the drive plate (this is where the sprocket meets the hub) has suffered some serious wear & tear. To replace this I have to send the wheel to shimano to have the hub fixed. my question is How is the sprocket attached to the hubon the rohloff? threads, lockring,..? I hope rohloff is more user friendly or at least something I can fix at home,it should be for a 1000 bucks!

Hi Pitts,
not sure how exactely the sprocket is fixed. I do not really expect any wear on the non-sprocket parts.
To remove the sprocket you need a special (Rohloff proprietary) tool.
I would not expect to have to send wheel/hub back for anything else than a production fault. Wear and tear should be limited to sprocket. They 'guarantee' the hub for some 100.000 km's.
I've done 13.000 now, so still a few to go before I can confirm this.

You will find the sprocket removal tool on several internet shops, such as :
http://www.bikeparts.com/search_results.asp?ID=RH8301

good luck, happy cycling, Hans.

Geez Hans, now I want one. A $1000 hub. Or $1250 Canadian.
Do you have a completely enclosed chain case like on many Dutch bikes?
I figure with a perfect chain line, no chain rubbing and protected from the elements, with a little maintenance the drive train should last forever.
Where exactly in the Netherlands do you live? I rode through that area last month.

Hi,
I live near Gouda, 25 km from The Hague, 20 km from Rotterdam. A beautiful area for cycling (as the whole of the Netherlands as a matter of fact..........)

I do not have a completely enclosed chain case, but am looking for one. I have a fairly large chain ring, so the standard ones do not fit. I found one that would fit, but that was made of lacquered cloth, and I figured it wouldn't look too nice on my bike, so still searching......
As you undoubtedly know, a completely enclosed chain case requires a construction without tensioner.

As you can tell from my postings I am very, very enthusiastic about my Rohloffs. Best thing since sliced bread. Really. No comparison. At least for the type of cycling I am doing: all-weather, no-maintenance.

This summer we had a real test with our (Rohloff) tandem : holidays in Greece, crossing the Pelopponesos. High, steep (close to 20% sometimes) mountains, where we managed to climb everything (with 35 kgs of luggage), often in the lowest (granny) gear, crawling, struggling at 5-8 kms/hour. Tremenous forces on bike/chain/gear. Not a single problem. Just can't imagine how you would shift to lower gears with a derailleur system when climbing and have high pressure on your pedals !!
Rohloff is just great under these circumstances: release pressure for a split second and you shift back one or several gears without losing the momentum.

happy cycling, Hans.

Yes, Gouda!
Difficult for a native english speaker to say!
Beautiful city, I spent a night there - eating paling at a cafe in the square!

When I got back from the Netherlands I had to replace my chain, cassette and middle chainring on my Ttlantis. The sand used between the paving stones,gets sprayed up by the wheel in wet weather, sticks to the chain and grinds the teeth away. I really think an internal geared hub and an enclosed chain guard is the solution for that. The price of the the Rohloff needs to come way down and people have to get over their prejudices on internal geared bikes. Still, I think it could be the way of the future!

Hello Hans,

Quite happy to find this thread. In the long running I'm looking for a replacement for my current bike. It seems that the youre bike (and the way you use it!) is pretty much what I'm dreaming about.
Could you please post some details about youre bike? For example materials used, builder and costs.
Also, in a previous post you spoke about a chain case. At the following site they are offering one for Rohloff speedhubs:
http://www.noell-fahrradbau.de/specials.htm

Gegroet, Martijn

Hello Hans,

Quite happy to find this thread. In the long running I'm looking for a replacement for my current bike. It seems that the youre bike (and the way you use it!) is pretty much what I'm dreaming about.
Could you please post some details about youre bike? For example materials used, builder and costs.
Also, in a previous post you spoke about a chain case. At the following site they are offering one for Rohloff speedhubs:
http://www.noell-fahrradbau.de/specials.htm

Gegroet, MartijnHans hasn't been back since October 2004 Don't count on a reply from him.

Hans hasn't been back since October 2004 Don't count on a reply from him.

He's out riding.

I also find my speedhub great (and thought it would also be a good nickname here :). Have cycled 7500km up to now on my custom made travel bike w/o any problem.

Often the question arises how to combine the Rohloff shifter with a drop down handle bar. Therefore I've displayed my 'homemade' solution here: http://the1spoke.de.vu/ (click on pics to enlarge them). I'm still happy with this setup (meamwhile the bike is complete, with tubus rack and lights).

I also find my speedhub great (and thought it would also be a good nickname here :). Have cycled 7500km up to now on my custom made travel bike w/o any problem.

Often the question arises how to combine the Rohloff shifter with a drop down handle bar. Therefore I've displayed my 'homemade' solution here: http://the1spoke.de.vu/ (click on pics to enlarge them). I'm still happy with this setup (meamwhile the bike is complete, with tubus rack and lights).

You will find this English company which makes "Thorn" cycles can supply a custom-made solution to fitting the twist grip onto drop handlebars. htp:// www.sjscycles.com .

Confessions of an equipment junky.
I'm riding an old Greenspeed GTO with Sachs 3x7 set up as a disabled mobility touring machine. I pull a very large trailer and travel about 5,000 miles per year. I just returned from a 1600 mile tour of the Sonora desert from Mexico to Needles Ca. route 66 and Phoenix, then back to Mexico. My chain drags in sand when I get off road with the 20" wheels. I'll buy a Rohloff as soon as I can afford one. I've toured over 30,000 miles since 1971 and found self contained touring is my greatest addiction. Murphy comes along on every tour I've ever taken and I've switched from weight wheeny components to bullet proof stuff. I won't put any carbon fiber or titainium components in a long term stress use because I hate being broke down in the middle of nowhere. My Greenspeed seems pretty unbreakable and with Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, Mr Tuffy liners, and Slime tubes, shifter adjustment and wear are my only big headache.
Rohloff may be expensive but so is heroin, if your addicted you'll come up with the bucks.

Hi Folks,
been out for a while. Cycling and other stuff.

To give you an update on my "Rohloff" status :

- done nearly 30.000 km with my Rohloff commuting bike
- done some 8.000 km with our Rohloff tandem
all without problems and still a very convinced believer in the concept/product.
The only "issue" I have faced is the shifter becoming less smooth after a while. Easily solved by dis-assembling and lubricating.

- bought myself a THIRD bike with a Rohloff hub a few weeks ago. This time a mountain-bike.
Wow, for a non-expert mountain-biker like myself, a Rohloff is great. Shifting anytime you like/need, even at (nearly) standstill, even under heavy load when climbing.
How often have you ran into an unexpected climb and got stuck with too high a gear ??
Need to concentrate to remember which chain ring and sprocket you are using?
None of this matters with a Rohloff hub, just concentrate on the terrain and the ride, simply shift up and down as required.

One final comment : the latest hubs are even smoother and quieter than the early ones. This was confirmed by my bike shop : Rohloff have further improved the product by using new bearings/seals. My first hubs have serial numbers around 21.000, the last one has 52.000. I do not know as from which number they have started delivering the improved version.

Anyone iterested in further details or our tandem adventures, have a look at :
http://www.t22t.nl (http://www.t22t.nl/en_index.html) - takes 2 2 tandem

happy cycling, Hans.

Aren't intertnal hubs less efficient than a derailler system?

They might be less efficient, but even if they are, at least they are consistantly so.

If you think of the angle the chain takes to get to smallest/largest sprockets on a cassette, then the fact that mud and sand is free to cover the derailleurs/cassette etc. I'd think the efficiency of a derailleur system varies quite an amount, depending on the gearing used and the condition of the system as a whole.

Aren't intertnal hubs less efficient than a derailler system?

From what I understand yes, but only under ideal conditions, for example a nicely broken in wheel that has been completely overhauled, so that everything is perfectly clean and lubed, with a nicely broken in chain, that has been completely cleaned out, by soaking it, in 25 changes of degreaser, then boiled in oil to relube, in a gear that has a perfectly straight chainline. However no driveline stays perfectly clean for very long, and efficiency on a derailleur system, goes downhill as it gets dirtier, and most gears do not have a perfectly straight chainline, which also harms efficiency, considering it's not that much more efficient, it doesn't take long before they switch places on efficiency.

Hi Folks,
ran into this site with a pretty cool/professional report on the Rohloff Speedhub.
Seems interesting for both Rohloff owners and prospects.

http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/thornpdf/ThornLivingWithARohloff.pdf

they also have a video showing the oil change process step-by-step:

http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/rohloffhuboil.html

happy cycling, Hans
http://www.t22t.nl (http://www.t22t.nl/en_index.html) it takes 2 2 tandem