commo_soulja

So lately I've been intrigued by recumbent trikes. In my research, I've noticed all use conventional drive train components - cassette, rear derailleur and shifters, however, I've been thinking about a recumbent trike equipped with a Rohloff drive train. The Rohloff, to me, looks more simplistic while still providing the needed gearing.

Are there any production recumbent trikes, specifically the ones with two front steering wheels, that have Rohloff drive trains? Anyone have this set-up?

Peter_C

OK, Look at the 'Terratrike' "Rover" - then, go to Utah Trikes - they will put a Rohloff onto a Rover and sell it to you - in my search, that's all I have seen
HTH

dcrowell

I'm not sure the Rover is the best bike to put a Rohloff into. The hub costs more than the trike!

Greenspeed makes nice trikes, and offer a Rohloff option:
https://www.greenspeed.com.au/rohloff.html

Jeff Wills

I believe the Quest Velomobile uses a modified Rohloff hub mounted in the frame and configured as a mid-drive. That's a pretty expensive "trike" though.

Any competent bike mechanic can take a derailleur-equipped bike/trike and install a Rohloff hub on it. Rohloff makes all the parts for this sort of conversion.

Monster Pete

Seems to me like it would be a better option as the rear wheel can be built undished, making it stronger which is an advantage for a trike. The step-up gears would also allow you to use a smaller rear wheel without using an enormous chainring.

Jeff Wills

"Better" how? I agree that it's a solution to a variety of mechanical issues on recumbent trikes, but it would double the cost of the cheaper trikes.

commo_soulja

Thanks for the replies guys. Right now I'm just doing research on recumbent trikes for a future purchase, but not anytime soon as I just bought a 29er frame for a build up.

@dcrowell - thanks for the Greenspeed info. They're going to the top of the search list. The X5 looks great and would be even better with a Rohloff hub. Yeah it's spendy but it's a bike. Bikes are fun!

@Peter_C - Utah trikes have some good info. I also enjoy their youtube videos. Good guys.

@Jeff Wills - The Quest Velomobile is just a little too much on the kook quotient. A recumbent trike is already kooky, a fiberglass enclosed one even kookier!

palmersperry

I believe the Rohloff is an option on the HPVelotechnik Scorpion.

Monster Pete

Obviously the cost would go up compared to a derailleur system, but that's pretty much a given with the Rohlhoff. Mechanically though, I think its advantages would be more apparent with a trike.

BlazingPedals

Choices, choices... Go with a Rohloff, Schlumpf, or a SRAM DualDrive?

Jeff Wills

In that case, I've been a kook for nearly 30 years: https://home.comcast.net/~jeff_wills/aerocoupe/index.htm .

commo_soulja

LOL! Good stuff!

grounded_kiwi

I ride a (two wheel )Velotechnik Grasshopper with Rohloff fitted. I have yet to see a three-wheeler with the R hub but from my own experience with my two wheeler I think it would be every bit as good! One of the many advantages of the Rohloff is the ability to change gear when stopped- only last night I rode my Grasshopper right through the centre of London in busy traffic and this feature was invaluable for getting away from the many traffic lights! As someone else has noted here- ALL Velotechnik bikes are available with Rohloff gears AND if 14 gears aren't enough they will fit a Schlumpf as well. (Rather an expensive option but people do buy them!)

aenlaasu

The guys at Inspired Cycle Engineering will work with Rohloff's as well. Or used to. Again, they're higher end trikes with a whole new range of models this year, so kinda pricey.

15rms

Lightfoot Cycles builds with NuVinci, Shimano and Rohloff. But they are trikes not tadpoles.

adamrice 

I'm pretty sure the guys at Utah Trikes have put a Rohloff onto every brand of tadpole out there. AFAICT, there's nothing in a Rohloff that would prevent it from working with a rear end that had been set up for derailleur gearing, although there are Rohloff-specific dropouts.

Rohloffs are not simpler than derailleur gearing—probably the reverse. They just hide all the complexity inside the hubshell.

fietsbob

One fellow, Greenspeed with Rohloff + 2 chainrings on a Schlumpf Mountain drive.
geared quite low , hauling quite a camp load + Guitar .
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/featherbrainedtour
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/p...er&context=all

jpooch00

Bent up cycles in Cali builds up HP Velo Scorpions with R-hubs all the time. They have vids on YouTube for a couple of their builds.

Dan Burkhart 

I rebuilt my Quetzal recumbent with a Rohloff drive train, and it works great. I had to step up the gearing with a mid drive to get it up to a reasonable gear inch range, but that was because I did not wish to go with an outsized chain ring.
Here's the photo stream of the build.
https://cid-c5aa741102f41823.photos.l...al%20recumbent

Pockets

Take a look at these: https://www.innesenti.com/innesenti.com/MODELS.html

Trikin'

I have a Scram Dual Drive on my Catrike Trail, I also have a BoB trailer(BoB does'nt have an adapter for the Scram) . Although I had to hook up the BoB a little differently it works fine. Recently I installed a Crystalyte hub on the Bob creating a pusher trailer.