Rohloff hub on rando bike?
WillemJ
with drop bar, with Mittelmeyer drop bar shifter), and I think it is
wonderful: it is ueber reliable, and so easy to change gears. I
wondered if people here are also using them on rando bikes, and if so,
what their experiences are, given the two largest potential
disadvantages: a somewhat higher weight, and fixed and perhaps
slightly large steps of about 13.5% between gears.
Willem
Jake Kassen
I too have a Rohloff, though I've yet to use it on any long rides. I
intend to use it on Brevets but but I'm waiting to find the right frame.
Weight - It's heavy but in the world of Rando bikes it's not uncommon to
have a rig that is overall much heavier then the added weight of the
Rohloff. Obviously it's not the best drivetrain is weight is high on
your list of concerns.
Large Steps - 14% steps aren't all that large. Some of the strongest
riders in Boston do brevets on 3 speeds and fixed gears. I was concerned
with the steps when I first got the hub but after paying attention to
the shifting on my dérailleur bike I noticed that I'm often shifting 2
gears or more at a time anyway (~%14) in order to match the terrain.
(Surprisingly, I don't seem to shift at all when riding fixed.)
After watching the strong folks in Boston I've come to the conclusion
that weight and gearing have little correlation to a rider's speed. The
fastest people are commonly the ones that often use heavy bikes or
alternate gearing. A strong rider finishes quick regardless of the bike.
Jake
Patrick in VT
too;)
That said, I did a couple brevets with the shimano nexus 8 IG hub this
year and I was really quite pleased with it. In fact, I'll probably
use it on my first 1200k this year.
My experience with the added weight and sometimes being "in between"
gears was negligible - didn't bother me. But, I will say that these
are not "potential" disadvantages. They *are* disadvantages - no
doubt about it. And what doesn't bother me could very well be
unacceptable to another rider.
Dark Horse
hub, and I really like it. The "Hubbub" shifter adapter in the end of
a mustache bar makes a really good traffic setup. The ability to shift
pedaling/coasting/standing still makes up for the weight gain. I've
read people who concerned themselves with the efficiency losses in an
internally-geared hub, but I'm not racing and I don't care that much.
It actually rides very well.
There are times (usually starting out) when the drivetrain has that
not-quite-firmly-connected internal-hub feel, but that's minor.
If your new frame has a rear derailleur hanger, and front derr cable
stops, then you can run two chainrings in the front. The Paul
Components "Melvin" or the Shimano "Alfine" chain tensioners have
enough actual takeup to allow the use of two or three rings in the
front. Add a barend shifter and whatever front derailleur and it's a
go. I use two of the very pretty Surly stainless chainrings.
It's very nice not to have to worry about chainline and cross-
chaining.
Dark Horse
WillemJ
hub. As it is, the over 500% range (much larger than the Nexus) is
more than enough, even for serious loaded touring (and comparable to
an mtb derailleur group). For loaded touring the fourteen gears with
13.5% difference are also just right, and the functional equivalent of
27 derailleur gears of which you can only use a proportion, due to
overlap or chainline problems. Thus, the Rohloff hub really is a
different animal from the Nexus hub (and so it should be, given its
high price). In fact, I was wondering if the gearing range was not,
perhaps, a bit too large for a rando bike.
In the Dutch loaded touring community I think it is fair to say that
everyone who needs a new touring bike is now seriously considering
getting a Rohloff equipped bike, and most people have indeed chosen to
go that way. I am extremely happy that I did. The same high adoption
rate does not seem to apply for those riding faster unloaded bikes
such as on brevets. The first problem here was, of course, that
Rohloff do not do a drop bar shifter. There are now various solutions,
none perfect, and I particularly like the Mittelmeyer shifter. The two
remaining issues seemed to be first the weight, even though once you
deduct all the bits you no longer need (front and rear derailleurs, a
longer chain, shifters, cassete, two front chain wheels, and rear hub)
you are in fact pretty close. And I was wondering if 13.5% steps
between gears were not perhaps a bit on the large side. Beyond that, I
was and am interested what rando specific problems have emerged and
what neat solutions builders have come up with. And of course, if
people who did go this route like the bikes they got.
Willem
Patrick in VT
hilly terrain. I rarely use my lowest three gears or my highest
gear. In fact, the only time I've ever used my "granny" was on D2R2.
that was kind of hilly.
i wouldn't worry about being "over" geared - you don't have to use the
ones you don't need ;)
Regarding the weight issue, you might think you are close weight-wise
considering all the extra bits of a derailer system, but it certainly
*feels* heavier and it's noticeable - at least for me it is. If I was
concerned with optimal "performance" on a brevet, I'd go with
derailers. but I usually opt for fixed gear or IG. might not be as
fast as I could be, but that's not what it's about for me.
Regarding the steps in between gears, you are currently riding on this
hub, right? Do you feel the steps are too big? That's all that
really matters.
Ingle, Bruce
> There are times (usually starting out) when the
> drivetrain has that not-quite-firmly-connected
> internal-hub feel, but that's minor.
I believe that's just a Nexus thing. I owned a Nexus 7 several years
ago, and it would often start from a stop in a lower gear until the
pawls for the higher selected gear were engaged.
I eventually sold it, because I didn't need the relatively narrow ratios
between gears (a Sturmey S5 has the same overall range, but with much
less weight and complexity), the drag was high at low temperatures from
grease lubrication, and I couldn't get used to the low-normal shift
pattern.
The Rohloff shouldn't have the temperature problem, since it uses oil
lubrication and a lower viscosity oil is available for lower
temperatures.
I've finished many 200-400km brevets on Sturmey 3 and 5 speeds, but I've
always used derailleur drivetrains for 600km and up.
I've come close to DNFs on two 300km's from Sturmey 5 failures, but both
should have been avoidable in conventional applications; one was a
stripped indicator spindle from using an alternate and badly adjusted
shifter, and the other was stripped gearing from standing in the wide
increase (5th) gear while using a too-low normal ratio. I managed to
finish both rides.
Keep in mind that if a hub gear fails on a long ride, you're hosed
unless you can fix it or convert the drivetrain. It's very unlikely
anybody will have parts or a replacement wheel.
- Bruce
WillemJ
have no worries that it will ever fail me (as long as I change the oil
once a year and change the shifter cable in time). It is engineering
at its very best, cost no object, and it shows. I am a member of the
Dutch World Cyclist Association (a group of expedition cycle tourists
- www.wereldfietser.nl), with many members cycling things like the
Karakorum Highway, or all the way from Alaska to Chili. Everyone who
is in for a new bike is now buying a Rohloff, it seems. I don't think
anyone of them would want to stake his life on an SA, SRAM or Nexus
hub.
However, even with all its virtues, it is not a thing for a Tour de
France full out racing bike. It is just too heavy for that, and the
steps of the gearing are too far apart and always the same. A brevet
bike is by its nature somewhere in between a real touring bike and a
real racer, so I wondered if anyone had tried. The issue is getting
more relevant nopw that Rohloff have announced that they will come
with a much lighter (400 grams less) model, and an even wider gearing
range. That may make it ideal for mountain bike racers, but brevet
riders will thjen have to chose between lighter weight or smller
steps. I would have preferred the lighter hub to have smaller rather
than larger steps.
Willem
WillemJ
W
On 17 nov, 20:40, WillemJ <willem.jong...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The Rohloff hub on my loaded touring bike functions flawlessly and I
> have no worries that it will ever fail me (as long as I change the oil
> once a year and change the shifter cable in time). It is engineering
> at its very best, cost no object, and it shows. I am a member of the
> Dutch World Cyclist Association (a group of expedition cycle tourists
Charles Coldwell
On Nov 17, 2008, at 9:13 AM, Ingle, Bruce wrote:
>
>
> I've finished many 200-400km brevets on Sturmey 3 and 5 speeds, but
> I've
> always used derailleur drivetrains for 600km and up.
I did a 600K on a Sturmey three-speed once, but that was in Florida
(flat).
Chip
--
Charles M. Coldwell, W1CMC
"Turn on, log in, tune out"
Somerville, Massachusetts, New England (FN42kj)
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