Pinion gearbox

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Paulwong

Regular
Hi , I'm thinking of getting a new bike with a pinion gearbox for bikepacking/ touring and was looking for advice and reviews from people using them please?
 
Put Pinion Gearbox failures in your browser and see what comes up.
I have two Rohloff equiped bikes and love them but can see the advantage of having the weight in the middle of the bike.
Anything to replace high maintenance derailleurs!.
 

Boopop

Guru
I find pinion gearboxes intruiging too, but even in a developed country your options for repair should something go wrong are limited. It's brave to take one to a developing country.

I'd be surprised if you find anyone on here that owns one, but who knows. It might be a good idea to seek out a pinion owners group on facebook or reddit.
 

dmorgorg

Senior Member
Hi , I'm thinking of getting a new bike with a pinion gearbox for bikepacking/ touring and was looking for advice and reviews from people using them please?

I have the 18-speed on a Sonder Broken Road. I love it; if my bike were ever stolen I would buy another immediately. And probably a Broken Road again, too. Great bike, great price. I use mine for touring, rough road where possible, but have swapped the front suspension for a rigid steel fork. I'd put the suspension back on for trail riding but I haven't done that for a while. I also have a Trohloff (a Surly Troll with a Rohloff rear-hub) but I haven't ridden that in the five years since I got the Broken Road.
 
I have the 18-speed on a Sonder Broken Road. I love it; if my bike were ever stolen I would buy another immediately. And probably a Broken Road again, too. Great bike, great price. I use mine for touring, rough road where possible, but have swapped the front suspension for a rigid steel fork. I'd put the suspension back on for trail riding but I haven't done that for a while. I also have a Trohloff (a Surly Troll with a Rohloff rear-hub) but I haven't ridden that in the five years since I got the Broken Road.

Great endorsement!
 
In 50+ years of cycling I've had just two derailleurs that caused an issue. First was a cheapo Benelux that lost a jockey wheel and in later years a Shimano where the spring broke. Other that that, faultless.

But how many blocks/cassettes and chain rings over the time?
Refer to the bike maintenance threads for people asking about problems with their shifting.
Less than perfect shifting after riding in the rain and getting mud on the transmission.
The thread was about the application of a Pinion in the touring environment.
Many long distance tourist report having to replace cassettes and chains during their tours.
 

ktmbiker58

Well-Known Member
I've run derailleurs and hub gears and there are pros and cons to both, folk have toured the world using both, folk have been stranded by both - yes you will wear out chains and cassettes but not really an issue as parts are available globally, on the other hand you might have to wait a week or two for a hub/Pinnion spare if you are unfortunate to have an incident - but that is extremely unlikely.

Hub/Pinnion is heavier - when building a touring outfit it's important to evaluate every single item and do a weight/benefit analysis as the weight can quickly escalate.

Derailleur mechs, especially long cage mechs for wide range gears, are much easier to damage.

With internal gear change mechanisms hub/Pinnion is much less susceptible to issues with dust/dirt/mud/grit etc.

Hub/Pinnion can change gears when stationary.

Straight chainline on Hub/Pinnion means chains last longer plus you can use a chain with thicker sideplates like a 7/8 speed chain

On balance my preference is Rohloff even though I do obsess over weight being a very light (58kg) rider, it might sound daft but it is just such a solid reliable transmission it instills confidence and reduces my anxiety - so thats a good thing that's worth the weight penalty!
 

88robb

New Member
Location
Netherland
Hi , I'm thinking of getting a new bike with a pinion gearbox for bikepacking/ touring and was looking for advice and reviews from people using them please?
Pinion gearboxes are fantastic for touring. They're incredibly durable and virtually maintenance-free compared to traditional derailleurs, which is a huge advantage on long, remote trips. The low maintenance is the biggest win.

The downsides are a slight efficiency loss (you might feel a bit more drag pedaling) and the bike can feel a bit heavier. The initial cost is also higher.

For a dedicated touring bike where reliability is paramount, it's an excellent choice. Make sure you get a test ride to see if you like the unique shifting feel.
 
I've run derailleurs and hub gears and there are pros and cons to both, folk have toured the world using both, folk have been stranded by both - yes you will wear out chains and cassettes but not really an issue as parts are available globally, on the other hand you might have to wait a week or two for a hub/Pinnion spare if you are unfortunate to have an incident - but that is extremely unlikely.

Hub/Pinnion is heavier - when building a touring outfit it's important to evaluate every single item and do a weight/benefit analysis as the weight can quickly escalate.

Derailleur mechs, especially long cage mechs for wide range gears, are much easier to damage.

With internal gear change mechanisms hub/Pinnion is much less susceptible to issues with dust/dirt/mud/grit etc.

Hub/Pinnion can change gears when stationary.

Straight chainline on Hub/Pinnion means chains last longer plus you can use a chain with thicker sideplates like a 7/8 speed chain

On balance my preference is Rohloff even though I do obsess over weight being a very light (58kg) rider, it might sound daft but it is just such a solid reliable transmission it instills confidence and reduces my anxiety - so thats a good thing that's worth the weight penalty!

Toothed belts last a lot longer than chains and being softer than chain rings and sprockets minimise the wear on those items.
 
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