Rohloff guarantee

[cowgap]

I've just purchased a Raven. I've enjoyed my first rides with it and am still getting used to the Rohloff. I'm thinking already that I will have to reduce the gearing from the current 42-17 to 36-17. I live in the north Pennines with lots of long, and occasionally steep, climbs. I've got a while, though.

Two things I've noticed reading the Rohloff literature are that a) I'm required to have the hub serviced annually by a registered service shop (and the service card stamped), and b) it's not a good idea to carry the bike on the roof of my car in heavy rain because the hub might take in water.

I thought it was okay for me to change the oil - do I need to have the service card stamped to have the guarantee honoured, if necessary?

Is the Rohloff hub really that susceptible to the ingress of water from heavy rain? Do I need to be concerned?

Is there anything else I need to watch out for?

[geocycle]

Two things I've noticed reading the Rohloff literature are that a) I'm required to have the hub serviced annually by a registered service shop (and the service card stamped), and b) it's not a good idea to carry the bike on the roof of my car in heavy rain because the hub might take in water.

I thought it was okay for me to change the oil - do I need to have the service card stamped to have the guarantee honoured, if necessary?

Seems bizarre to me. I doubt anyone would have an annual service at a registered shop. The number of registered shops cannot be that great. As for hub getting water in when carried on a car, I doubt that would be a problem. I'd avoid submerging a hub in water but otherwise they are easily able to resist rain.

[mickeg]

I never heard of a registered shop.  I am in USA and Rohloff hubs are quite rare.  A neighbor is a bike mechanic at one of the largest shops in town, my Rohloff is the only one he has ever seen, none have been in their shop.  If there is a registered Rohloff shop within a couple hundred miles, I am unaware of it.

I do my own oil changes.

SJS has a good video on oil changes.  But, I forgo the tea.  I reuse the screw but I put a new coat of locktite on it.  I use 15ml of oil.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVhmgqICNhU

[Mike Ayling]

I have two hubs.
Both cards have a box for annual inspections, not services.
Just change your oil annually or 5,000km intervals, whichever comes first.
I also use just 15ml of new oil although I use the full 25mm of the flushing oil.

Mike

[Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop]

In Europe its a requirement, however as dealers in the UK are generally untrained in Rohloff's the are happy if you just keep a record yourself and proof of purchase for the oil kits.

The note about carrying on the back of a care is to do with water pressure, its as good as jet washing the seals in heavy rain at high speed.  I always suggest just popping something in front of the shell seal on the non drive side when its on a carrier.

[macspud]

But, I forgo the tea. 

That is a very dangerous policy, I am surprised that have not suffered great angst. 

[Tiberius]

When the oil needs changing I buy the oil change kit from SJS.....it arrives with a dated receipt.

When I change the oil I note the mileage of the hub, and the actual date of oil change, onto the SJS receipt.....Receipt then stored with previous receipts.

I guess this doesn't PROVE anything, but if nothing else it makes sure I know where I am with oil change dates and mileages.

I'm not sure if Rohloff would accept my receipts as proof that the oil was changed as per their schedule...but I'm not really bothered. I am 100% convinced (really) that my hub will never ever EVER break down, so I don't expect to ever have to prove anything to anybody....

[geocycle]

But, I forgo the tea. 

That is a very dangerous policy, I am surprised that have not suffered great angst. 

Indeed, we have had long discussions on here about the correct type of tea to drink while changing oil.  I remember Andre making a strong contribution. I don't recall anyone having the temerity to miss that stage altogether.  That would be a good reason to void the guarantee...!

[energyman]

I'll be long gone before my Rohloffs pack up.  One thing I learnt is that if you do the oil changes in winter in a cold bike shed then when summer comes it leaks a bit.
The hot tea is very nice though whilst waiting,

[mickeg]

But, I forgo the tea. 

That is a very dangerous policy, I am surprised that have not suffered great angst. 

If you substitute a good Stout or Porter, that reduces the great angst to a manageable level.

[Peter_K]

Rohloff provides very good guarantee so far. I bought a second hand Rohloff in 2009, which failed during my trip in India in 2013. Once back in the Netherlands it was repaired free of charge, all I had to do is deliver it at a dealer (where I did not buy it from), and pick it up when repaired.

I heard that Rohloff is considering a less free guarantee though. People seem to keep on and on cycling with those Rohloff hubs, and malfunctions of very old hubs are increasing. So for newer hubs things stay free, for the older hubs a fee will be asked. Which I think is fair. I was surprised that my service was completely free already.

I never heard of stamped service cards being required. They sell the oil separately, if they don't want people servicing their own hubs they shouldn't support it. It also wouldn't be handy on longer trips to not be permitted to service ones own hub.

Water and mechanics never combine very well, but I don't expect problems from rain.

BTW: to any technical stuff Murphy's law applies: just keep pedalling with that hub and it will fail. It will probably only fail after a very very long time.

What is tiresome of Rohloff is that their company shuts down for two weeks twice per year, once during summer, and once around Christmas. You cannot expect anything from them during that time. They refer to their importers abroad, but India didn't have one, and the Australian one sucked monkey balls.

[Andre Jute]

But, I forgo the tea. 

That is a very dangerous policy, I am surprised that have not suffered great angst. 

Indeed, we have had long discussions on here about the correct type of tea to drink while changing oil.  I remember Andre making a strong contribution*. I don't recall anyone having the temerity to miss that stage altogether.

The Soldier's Brew, Red Bush Tea from Kenya, brewed so strong that it grips the empty syringe upright. Brewing the Red Bush right allows time for all the cleaning oil to exit the hub with all the gunge inside.

That would be a good reason to void the guarantee...!

Absolutely. Missing the tea stage is proof that the change was hurried, not all the cleaning oil was removed, and some of the gunge inside the hub remains. No wonder it broke. The owner doesn't deserve a generous warranty policy. Indeed, I can understand why he should be regarded with suspicion forever.

Real craftsmen take their time over crucial jobs. Real craftsmen drink tea. Why, the Japanese have elevated drinking tea to a cultural event: they say, for instance in my own profession, "No man can write unless he has tea in him." I can drink tea for hours before I start work, in fact often until the time for work has passed.

* Heh-heh! Wicked.

[geocycle]

But, I forgo the tea. 

That is a very dangerous policy, I am surprised that have not suffered great angst. 

Indeed, we have had long discussions on here about the correct type of tea to drink while changing oil.  I remember Andre making a strong contribution*. I don't recall anyone having the temerity to miss that stage altogether.

The Soldier's Brew, Red Bush Tea from Kenya, brewed so strong that it grips the empty syringe upright. Brewing the Red Bush right allows time for all the cleaning oil to exit the hub with all the gunge inside.

That would be a good reason to void the guarantee...!

Absolutely. Missing the tea stage is proof that the change was hurried, not all the cleaning oil was removed, and some of the gunge inside the hub remains. No wonder it broke. The owner doesn't deserve a generous warranty policy. Indeed, I can understand why he should be regarded with suspicion forever.

Real craftsmen take their time over crucial jobs. Real craftsmen drink tea. Why, the Japanese have elevated drinking tea to a cultural event: they say, for instance in my own profession, "No man can write unless he has tea in him." I can drink tea for hours before I start work, in fact often until the time for work has passed.

* Heh-heh! Wicked.

Brilliant! But apologies to cow gap for straying ever so slightly off topic.... Although you did ask if there was anything else you needed to know

[Znook]

But, I forgo the tea. 

That is a very dangerous policy, I am surprised that have not suffered great angst. 

If you substitute a good Stout or Porter, that reduces the great angst to a manageable level.

LOL, great answer

[Matt2matt2002]

I'm due an oil change now and since last night's temperature was -7 over night I'll be parking my Raven indoors for a day before the change to allow the viscosity of my lubrication to adjust suitably.
In the interests of marital harmony my wife had agreed as long as I sleep in the shed.
Wish me luck, folks.