Choosing a Rohloff Hub Bike?

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srw

It's a bit more complicated than that...
No need for tools to remove the back wheel on my Sturmey-Archer 3-speed - just a couple of thingamabobs to unscrew by hand. The Rohloff is similar - just unscrew it by hand.
 
OP
OP
MacB

MacB

Lover of things that come in 3's
I'll be able to give you better feedback soon as am awaiting my SRAM hub geared wheel, what I've gleaned so far, I've only looked at top of range in each:-

Rohloff - wins every comparison test hands down, widest range of gears, changes under load, reliability is amazing, easy wheel removal with some models. Negatives, breaking in period, gears run smoother after about 1k km, have read some that claim a noticeable drag effect after this, but many more that say that's tosh. Heavier, depending who you believe could add as much as 2lbs to bike. Gear spread can mean that you have some you never use at either end. Twist grip shifter that won't fit all bars.

Shimano Alfine? - smoothest operation of all of them according to reviews, not as good a range, or spread, of gears, 8 in total. Problems of reliability and seals from earlier models have been solved(according to Shim) but need more data and time to verify this. Pain in the butt to remove rear wheel, big negative in magazine review. Easier to source and, if need be maintain plus cheaper.

SRAM I-Motion 9 - this is what I've ordered, not so easy to get hold of and whole wheel build and fitting is going to be approx £400. Range of gears good, my chosen setup will run from 29.5 inches to 100.2 inches. Some concerns over size of gaps in upper gear ranges but will depend on type of cycling you do. Reviews I've read have been very positive re reliability, not as smooth a change as the Shim and some doubts of consistency under load. I only want it for commuting and social rides, I don't need top end race type gear. Rear wheel very easy to remove but servicing may be an issue.

The useage your putting it to is key, if you're a serious racer, MTB or road, they may not be for you, though the Rohloff is rated for MTB racing. Looking at how many people commute with SS, Fixed or a 3-7 hub gear range, then there must be something in it. I want less fuss but then am doing a lot of miles in all conditions.

I'd read up on Sheldons pages(you can spend hours on gear calculations), the Velo ones, look at these and other forums, some stuff on YACF and CTC.

I do still plan on my next bike being Rohloff specific but expect to pay in the region of £2-2.5k, couldn't quite justify that just yet....good luck.....Al
 

Bollo

Failed Tech Bro
Location
Winch
mickle said:
It bugs me that the oft quoted negatives of derailer systems includes, and I quote; 'weekly cleaning, constant adjustment, filthy cables and gummed up jockey wheels' Not on any of my bikes thanks.

Oooh, you bitch!;) I didn't qualify it in that post, but it does depend on the type of roads you're on and the type of bike. I literally (and I mean literally literally) have to cycle through sh1t on my commute (50 miles round trip - but not every day unfortunately). Depending on the time of year, weather and the digestive system of the cows in the farms I pass, I can shag my deraillieur-equiped bikes to unrideability in about three days on this ride. Its an extreme example and my other bikes are road bikes and not MTBs.

I'm not doing down deraillieurs - even the rohloff doesn't come close to the smoothness, efficiency and sharp shifting of a decent deraillieur. Horses for courses, and if your course is surfaced in bovine excrement, I'd pop for a rohloff.
 

Bollo

Failed Tech Bro
Location
Winch
biking_fox said:
Ressurecting a thread.

I have been wondering about a hub gear as my next bike. What's the difference betwene the schimano versions that seem to be fairly readily available and a Rohloff - other than the price?!

Primairily I want to know if the are as reliable?

But any other technical/usability feedback would be good too - do they cover the sam e range, how smooth the action is etcetc.

Can't speak for MacB's SRAM I-Motion, but I've ridden a few bikes with Shimano Nexus hubs and haven't been that impressed. In particular, they don't seem hugely robust for a hub gear - the CTC mag reported on a few issues a while back, and I've seen other stuff on the web. Also, a friend of mine has a nexus that is starting to feel a bit rattley after about a thousand miles. I think they're designed more for casual riding rather than longer distances. Don't know about the Alfine.
 
Bollo said:
Can't speak for MacB's SRAM I-Motion, but I've ridden a few bikes with Shimano Nexus hubs and haven't been that impressed. In particular, they don't seem hugely robust for a hub gear - the CTC mag reported on a few issues a while back, and I've seen other stuff on the web. Also, a friend of mine has a nexus that is starting to feel a bit rattley after about a thousand miles. I think they're designed more for casual riding rather than longer distances. Don't know about the Alfine.

I've three bikes with coaster brakes, two 1ers and a three speed SA which are all fab, am currently skooting to the shops on a Mezzo with a 4 speed Nexus and have two hubs waiting for bikes to be built around them; a 1940s Bendix 2 speed kickback and a brand new steel bodied SRAM Torpedo 3 speed with coaster. I would be really interested to try the new 9 speed coaster from SRAM. And their two speed BB. Iv'e never even ridden a Rolloff equipped bike. Wouldn't be seen dead on one!
 

dellzeqq

pre-talced and mighty
Location
SW2
MacBludgeon said:
Thorn - most accessible for information and was looking at the Raven Tour or Sport Tour. But price does climb steeply once you start adding all the bits on. Reviews are good though and would be tempted over the others. Comes with 26inch wheels.

Don't. At least not until you've dug up the old ACF thread by Wowbagger. An absolute disgrace.

I can give you his contact details if you want.
 

Bollo

Failed Tech Bro
Location
Winch
dellzeqq said:
Don't. At least not until you've dug up the old ACF thread by Wowbagger. An absolute disgrace.

I can give you his contact details if you want.

Prey tell?

My dealings with thorn have been brief (phone company with requirements - pay for bike - bike arrives - bike put together nicely - ride bike lots) so I'm no expert on their customer service.
 
I've just seen this thread.

A propos Dellzeqq's remarks, we broke two Rohloffs on the tandem - flange failure. The first of these was after only a couple of months' use towards the end of LEJOG.
DSC02329.jpg

The second I discovered almost a year later when cleaning the bike. Both were replaced under lifetime warranty by Thorn, but I lost some confidence in Robin Thorn himself. I found his staff a lot more helpful, especially when it came to reimbursing the postage costs of sending an £800 wheel, recorded and insured, back to Taunton. For the past 15 months we have had no problems on that score. Rohloff put the breakages down to Thorn's wheelbuilder not lacing the wheels tightly enough.

We have also had a couple of problems with oil seal leakages.

I have a Thorn Raven Sport Tour as well as the Discovery Tandem. I do like the lack of derailleur and the ease of maintenance, but I have, on I think four occasions, had to return wheels to Thorn for oil seal replacement or flange breakage. Chains last a damned long time - I got over 6000 miles out of the first chain on my solo machine and the rear chain on the tandem.

There is definitely resistance in the hubs: wheel the bike along and the pedals turn. However, I think that the slowness of my Sport Tour, compared to my derailleured Mercian, is in the tyre weight rather than the hub gear. Thorn don't recommend putting tyres narrower than 26*1.5 on the Sport Tour because the BB is relatively low, apparently.

My experience of Thorn bikes is that they give a marvellous, featherbed ride. I have carbon bars, seatpost and a sprung Brooks saddle and I can ride the Sport Tour for ever, it seems, without pain (all these luxuries are an attempt to stave off the bad effect of arthritis). The tandem I took on this years Dun Run with the lovely Nutkin, but pain caused her to bail at Darsham station and the wet weather persuaded me that my old room-mate's house in Peasenhall would be a better bet for breakfast than the beach. After that I rode solo back to Stowmarket with no pain whatever, merely feeling dozy from about 10 am onwards. That's 138 miles all told.

One other great point about a Thorn bike with Rohloff is the 100-day moneyback guarantee if you don't like the bike. If MacBludgeon got 13 weeks winter commuting in on his new Thorn Raven Sport Tour he could still decide to send it back for a refund.

So, in spite of my troubles with Rohloffs, I prefer them greatly to derailleurs and I think Thorn frames are just fantastic. I'm not so keen on the tandem's paint job - very flaky - but the solo machine is much better.
 

tandemman

New Member
Have to agree on paint quality, I have a raven twin in Cobalt blue and it scratches very easily and the captain's seatpost has a terrible bubbly finish, excellent bike though, and a lot smoother to ride than our Dawes tandem, we do have issues with changing under heavy load, just like the derraileur setup on the dawes but not as difficult to solve, just back off the power a bit and in she goes
 

SlowJoe

New Member
Rolhoff hubs

I may as well have my pennys worth. Mac I too have gone through the turmoil of the hub dilema and have tried all bar the I motion.

1. I tested the all the thorn bikes recently and as far as i know the eccentric bracket has not been discontinued. IMO you don't want to go the route of a seperate chain tensioner. Some manufacturers tension the chain via the sliding dropouts , this will mean re adjusting your brakes if you can ! ! as the wheel will be misaligned. The vertical drop outs on thorn keep the tension as it should be and if chain stretch happens (less with rolhoff chain) you simply undo the nuts under the bottom bracket and adjust BB to tension .

2. Rear weel removal does not require tools a quick release is provided and you simply undo two cable to the external box Voila !

3. Ask yourself why Shimano has changed the design of there hubs at least 3 times in a short time span . I think bollo is spot on , they are built for urban poddlers not commuters or tourers. From my trawls through the forums there does seem to be realiabilty issues . I realy don't think the shimano's are up to the job YET ! kind of the early datsuns of hubs. Shimano dipping there toe so to speak after all they make an awful lot of money off of groupsets that change often and we all sprint off to pay another few hundred quid for a groupset. Also don;t expect spares or repair. the continent went down the hub route a very long time ago and that experince has been applied by rolhoff who have upped he stakes by having equal ratio, 14 gears and robustness.

4. A top spec set of derailuers are a joy but they cost too and they wear, everytime they change you are dragging metal across metal and unless you are an absolute fiend of a clean and lube freak they slowly degrade. This is indeed a chore in winter an a nightmare if you go off road. The internal hub will wear but it is constantly bathed in grease and is sealed from the elements . Yes there were issues with the oil leaks but rolhoff say they have adressed this and that most cases of this were people overfilling the hub on the basis of if some is good more is better. I think from my understanding that you can expect a minium of 80,000 KM from one hub probably more , how many years of riding is that !

5. As for weight , us bikers are becoming obssessed with it . If you intend racing seriously , it matters , if you intend to compete XC etc it matters a bit less , if your poodling to the shops or commuting it doesn't and the hub will come out not much heavier once to take into account what it replaces and a ~GOOD steel frame is only fractionally heavier than most alu bikes. BUT it will outlast alu bikes particularly MTB's which are given a heavy work out regulalry.

Speed is not everything , durabilty , functionailty and longeivity are also serious considerations.

IMO rolhoff is the daddy , like a BMW its not the most exciting thing to look at but thats not what you are paying for . Its the engineering ( i know I have had the same one for 18 years) It makes sense if you think about it especially if you ride through the winter
 

westofsouth

Active Member
Recently fitted a Rohloff CC to my Carrera Crossfire hybrid, liked the result. The frame was then changed for a Surly LHT. Liked this combination even more.

The subject of chain tensioners has been mentioned. IMO the RHf 2 wheel tensioner can introduce drag (particularly when tightly wound), a single wheel type is better.
Having said that, I've found the combination of chainwheel and sprocket which allows me to dispense with a tensioner altogether. The range is 20 to 105".

This was my first bike build. I found the level of difficulty about the same as putting together a piece of Ikea furniture...... but probably more fun :-)
 
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