rohloff? I dont think so. I am not at all worried about the wheel being strong enough with traditional drivetrains. I would be worried about getting such an item fixed in the remote parts of china to which I am going, and I know how to keep a traditional system going under duress. And though I might not know what I am talking about here, I can't imagine riding a system with only 14 gears in the mountains. I live in the rockies. WHere I am going in china is very mountainous too. I have also read they dont work with bar end shifters, a must for me. The only 14 speed shifter I can see on their website is a twist grip. eeeyuck.

that said, I will read the rohloff threads here in the touring section of BF. Thanks for the advice, I will check it out.