I have a pretty decent offer for a second hand Rohloff equipped touring rig that is almost a decade old. The guy says there is about 8000 miles on it. He says it's still great to ride on and in great shape, and he says he oiled it regularly.

I know that Rohloffs are famed for their durability, but do you guys think it is still a good idea to get one that is a decade old, is the age likely to cause any issues? What about technological advancements that Rohloff has made since then? Solved any major issues with the hub or were there never any?

If I do tell him that I want to buy it, and take it on a test drive, is there anything I should look for? (to spot defects)

I'd use it on large continent-spanning touring trips.

if i were worried at all about buying a 10 year old one, i would question my opinion as to whether or not they were durable. and if i didn't, i would buy it.

anyway, the one reliable method of truly determining the durability of bike parts is to ascertain whether or not they end up in a land-fill after their owner's demise. if they do, they are.

Not particularly worried, just want to make an informed decision.

.. [MENTION=19437]Dan Burkhart[/MENTION] post here sometimes, and probably has more experience with them than most. They're just a little too pricey for me to fool around with. They're famously durable, and I'm pretty sure the design and machining remains the same over the last ten years. 8,000 miles is not a lot of miles on a Rohloff.

You might want to cross post a thread in the touring forum.


There is not much repair or maintenance you can do yourself on one of these hubs, which is the biggest drawback if you do your own mechanical stuff, or if you're on a long tour that includes remote locations.

But they're supposed to be bombproof as long as you keep the right oil in them.

As far as I know, a Rohloff coming off the production line today is the same as one made a decade ago. Herr Rohloff pretty much got it right from the start.
The oil seals have been improved on from the first production runs, but other than that, it's the same animal.
8,000 miles is not even broken in yet, so if it's a good price, i'd jump on it.

Thank you for your input. According to the other person you have a lot of experience with Rohloff's, so from your impression, do even Rohloffs tend to start giving problems after many years of using them, or can you reliably expect them to function for 20 years and 100,000 miles as long as they are properly maintained, barring freak cases?

I did a bit of research before buying my Rohloff. Most people reported them as very durable. I think they did only some minor changes over the years. I would not hesitate to buy a 10 year old speedhub at a fair price.

I decided to purchase the bike w/ the 10 year old Rohloff. I've been riding it around the last few hours and it's a lovely ride. I tested it thoroughly and the Rohloff is not displaying any weird behavior - it works perfectly as far as i can tell. Getting back on my old commuter for a bit after that felt weird.

My 04 Koga WTR bike came with what I expect was an 03 R'off hub,,

I got a good deal on the bike , because their nylon seals leaked,

I sent the hub to R'off USA, and they put in their current (& pretty universal ) Neoprene oil seal.

then shipped it back.. fine thereafter.. just 10 years old would not have the nylon seals.



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