Replacing Rohloff shifter cable

[Denis]

I'm considering replacing the shifter cable on my rohloff internal geared hub because the shifting is getting increasingly more difficult.  I can get a replacement kit from amazon but it costs $43, which seems a little excessive (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GSMSCI?psc=1&pf_rd_p=f26b9570-7132-4603-a0f8-76da046321c4&pf_rd_r=S9AYTQP9S84KWT9BCR34&pd_rd_wg=pxJxY&pd_rd_i=B001GSMSCI&pd_rd_w=0LXQr&pd_rd_r=93e0d818-b31e-47df-a139-a52c350cf0ad&ref_=pd_luc_rh_crh_rh_bxgy_reranked_01_02_t_img_lh).  I noticed in the reviews one of the reviewer says " My own preference is simple QBP/Jagwire shifting cable paired with brake cable housing from the same brand".  I seem to recall someone making a similar comment on this list several years back.

Anyone have any experience using jagwire cabling?  If it matters, I have an external gear box.

Also, I might want to replace my gear shifter as a precaution since the bolts that clamp the shifter to the attachment bar are pretty rusted.  I see there is now a rohloff twist shifter light in addition to the regular twist shifter.  Anyone have any experience with this light version (which appears to be currently unavailable)?

Denis Kertz

[Kelly Iniguez]

Denis,

I may or may not have helpful information. We toured with a man at Thanksgiving who was having trouble with his new bike’s Rohloff shifter. This was Hank’s second Rohloff, so he knew what to expect. He called (Cycle Monkey? Rohloff?) and they told him that the shifter housing should have a complete run and not be split into two as dirt inside of the housing greatly increases the friction on shifting. They sent him new housing (I don’t know what type), and his problem was solved. 

Kelly

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[rlti...@gmail.com]

I think any housing would work. I’ve just used Rohloff housing since both of my Rohloffs were bought new. Their housing did not look unique in any way.

I just set up my 2nd Rohloff and had to relearn how to cable it. It’s pretty easy.

Robert Tilley

San Diego, CA

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 30, 2021, at 7:56 PM, Denis <sys...@wowway.com> wrote:



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[M-gineering]

The rohloff external shiftbox uses two standard derailleur inners and
brake cable housing.
Replacing it isn't difficult, but it is easy to install a cable and find
the adjuster you just put on has fallen off.
MArk the cable exit on the shifter and the shiftbox, to avoid confusion
and winding up with shifting in reverse.

Download the rohloff instructions, and read them a few times before
setting off, you'll need a decent cable cutter and a proper fitting
hexkey for the grubscrews.

Most of the friction could be in the shifter, take it apart, give it a
clean, and when installing make sure the handlebar grip doesn't rub the
shifterdrum.

If you've got the old style shifter with the triangular grip count
yourself lucky, the new style saves a few grams and is worse in all
other aspects

--
mvg

Marten Gerritsen

Kiel Windeweer
Netherlands

[Denis]

Kelly,

Most likely he contacted cyclemonkey.com (Internal Gearing Specialists, Bicycle Distribution & Service Center).  They have a lot of Rohloff parts including the replacement cable kit which is the standard Rohloff cable kit since it costs $40.

Denis

[Denis]

Marten,

Thanks for the suggestions.  I've set up the cable housing twice on my Rohloff so I know I can do it (and the manual is very good) even if it is kind of a pain since it's one of those thing that gets done once very 5 years or so.  The last time I replaced the cabling was when the friction was increasing just as it is now.  Cable replacement then restored the shifting to like new.

Your feedback on the light twist shifter was just what I wanted to know.  I don't care about the 50 grams of saving - I'll never notice that.  I also see that cyclemonkey.com has the screws for the twist shifter so I should just be able to replace them and alleviate my rust concerns.

Denis

[Bryan Thorp]

Hi Denis, I've been re-cabling my Rohloff for 14 years now. I re-cable about once every 2 years.  My gear shifter's still fine after 14 years and I've never observed any rust on the screws (yes, the bike sees rain!), so not sure what's going on there.  My perception is that shifting gets 'stiffer' due to increased friction occurring between the cable and housing because whenever I remove the cables [during re-cabling] I've never noticed the shifter itself to be 'sluggish' or 'stiffer'.  Perhaps Marten, who has likely done a lot more re-cabling than I, has a comment on that?  

As for my materials list, I use any old 'slick' [teflon-coated] DERAILLEUR cable (1.1mm stainless steel; typically comes in 2100mm lengths; my external setup only requires 1800mm) and Shimano SP41 BRAKE housing.  I did try Jagwire about 6-7 years ago; I don't recall the details anymore but I remember it didn't work out for me at the time.  Your experience may be different.  I noticed that the local bike shop's prices for Shimano SP41 went up quite a bit in the last 5 years or so.  I used to go to an LBS and buy brake housing by the foot but now buy 5-10 meters at a time, online.  If you do buy locally, always ask to see the label on the box that they're pulling the cable from and ensure you're getting what you want (in my case Simnao SP41).  One time I was dubious and asked and they gave me the wrong stuff.  Buying online gives you more choices in colours, if you care about that.

As Marten says, if you haven't done the re-cabling yourself, read the instructions a couple of times CAREFULLY! It's good to know how to re-cable your Rohloff while on tour, in case you're in the middle of nowhere and stuck with one gear (ain't happened to me yet although I haven't been anywhere far away from home for a few years now).

bryan

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new westminster, bc, ca

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[M-gineering]

The zinc plated screws can rust, as will the circlip keeping the shifter
together.

A bit of dirt, especially on the larger circumference where the O-ring
on the grip seals against the housing can make the shifter hard to turn.

Cables should have a little bit of slack

On 5/3/2021 4:38 AM, Bryan Thorp wrote:
> Hi Denis, I've been re-cabling my Rohloff for 14 years now. I re-cable
> about once every 2 years.  My gear shifter's still fine after 14 years
> and I've never observed any rust on the screws (yes, the bike sees
> rain!), so not sure what's going on there.

[Denis]

Bryan,

Thanks for the suggestions.  The rust on the rohloff screws is easy to explain.  If you check out the photo below you can see I have my rohloff twist shifter mounted where the top and down tubes merge in a V.  I simply have a bar zip tied to the top tube and the shifter is mounted on this bar.  This is almost like the old downtube shifters but it is a little higher mount.  It's not ideal but the reach is okay.  The good thing with this mount position is the shifter cables come straight out from the shifter so that minimizes the cable bending.  This is also nice for shipping the bicycle since the shifter and cables are well protected.

However, another downside of this mount position is that sweat drops down on it.  If you look closely where the top cable protrudes you can see the rusted screw.  This rust is also a problem for the stem cap retainer bolt and the stem handlebar clamp bolts.  You can't see it in this photo but I have black electrician tape covering the stem cap bolt to protect it from sweat.

Denis

[Ginz]

Another thing to consider is the old triangular shifter is out of production.  So, if you are near the point where you need a new rubber grip, may as well but the new shifter.

I've never had issues with the regular Rohloff cables and housing. Never needed slick cables or anything like that.  I do find that some cable tension helps the shifts feel more "snappy," which is good.

[Mary Shaw]

Consider the possibility that the hub itself could use an oil change.

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