noise on a Rohloff

[petebell]

I am thinking about buying a thorn catalyst with the Rohloff hub gear.

I live in a very hilly part of cornwall, and rarely leave first or second gear.

Just how noisy will the hub be? Will I be able to live with it on quiet steep hills when it has bedded in?

Your answers please!

Pete[?]

[Wingnut]

Mine has only around 250 miles on it so far...it is still noisy... 7th and 12th are the worst, while 8 through 11 are practically silent...1 to 6 have varying degrees of noise but nothing to complain about...I can only really hear 7 and 12 when riding with a group the others lost in the noise of other riders bikes. It's hard to know how much quiter they are getting, a bit like watching a child grow...The hub really is ride and forget, not used to having nothing to fiddle with [], but I'll get used to it []
Regards David

[ahconway]

Geeeeeez! I can't believe how people seem to worry about this! I only have about 300 miles on mine, and the noise is only - slightly - noticeable in 7th gear for me.

There are always more interesting things to listen to when I'm riding, and I scarcely notice it at all!

Not something to put you off or concern yourself with in the least.

[Wingnut]

Don't get me wrong, I love my Rohloff, and will be buying another hub to replace the derailers on my two 'bents. I was only giving the original poster an honest answer to a reasonable question, for some people a noisy bike can be very frustrating. I tend to be a bit like this with derailer gearing because I know it can be silent, however I liken the Rohloff to a Sturmy 3 speed, you get used to the tick, tick, tick from the hub in some gears.
Regards David...

[RELIC]

I have done around 600 miles on my Raven Tour, through Kerrier and Penwith, and found that the hub is quieter now than when new. 7th gear is still noisy.  

I have found that compared to my previous [old but low geared] bike, the Raven is better on hills.  

Also as I am nearing my 49th birhday and not that fit, I would use the lower gears more than most.

[PH]

It’s a personal thing.
I’ve just spent a couple of days on my Raven in the Peak District, so the low gears have had more use in two days than in the preceding three months[:0]
The noise doesn’t bother me at all, but one of the people I was riding with said it would drive them mad.
The hub really is at its best on hilly rides, the ability to be in the right gear for a 30+mph downhill and a few seconds later to be in the right gear for a 4mph slog uphill can’t be matched by any other system I’ve used.  I’d have to be pretty bothered by the noise before it outweighed the advantages.

[Wingnut]

"The hub really is at its best on hilly rides, the ability to be in the right gear for a 30+mph downhill and a few seconds later to be in the right gear for a 4mph slog uphill can’t be matched by any other system I’ve used. I’d have to be pretty bothered by the noise before it outweighed the advantages."

I have to agree, the sequential shifting is just so naturall... Just have to be aware of the move from 7 to 8 and vice versa... after a while you can tell instinctivly which gear you are in without looking by the noise and the feel...

Regards, David.

[Alders]

I’ve had a speedhub custom MTB for a bit over three years (if thorn had been quicker off the mark I’d have saved £800)
It keeps getting better, I thought it would stop improving after the 1000km run in period.  It’s smoother and quieter now than ever.  I’ve got it very low geared, far lower than Rohloff say you can, with no problem.  So low that if I’m in the bottom 7 gears I can hear myself puffing and panting over the sound of the hub.
The other thing is you know what the noise is, it’s the hub doing what its meant to.
Not like when derailleurs are noisy and you’ve got to stop and work out whats up.

[dodger]

After my first ride on the Speedhub I checked this list for posts regarding the noise level. Now I am back after another 500 miles to add my thoughts.

All told, I have six gears that make a loud enough noise for others to comment. Only three of those are louder than the deraileur-equipped bikes I rode with yesterday, however. (Loud = 12/13/14; Louder = 5/6/7). And I am convinced that the noise level is falling as the miles are rising.

Stay tuned for the 1,000+ mile report following an oil change.

[dodger]

Back after almost 1100 miles...

The previously reported noise in 12/13/14 is at an acceptable level, roughly the same as a derailleur-geared bike (i.e., everyone else with whom I ride). Gears 5/6/7 remain quite noisy. In fact, one person commented during the 200k on Saturday: "I thought your hub was going to explode." OK, I'll stay out of Gear7 -- the worst offender -- in company. The other gears, 1-4 and 8-11 are an absolute joy... dead silent like my fixie.

For all you "weight weenies" out there (and you know who you are!) I suggest you join the Rohloff 12-step program/programme. I won't be setting any hill climb records with this bike, but it is perfect for audax/brevets. My time on Saturday was 6:52, including roughly 7,000 feet of climbing and 20
miles solo with a 15mph headwind.

Knowing what I know now, I would absolutely make this purchase again and set-up my bike exactly as it is. This hub is terrific for how I plan to use it. (I mounted the Rohloff shifter on the Thorn headset spacer/accessory bar, but that is another thread.)

[ahconway]

I've never been bothered by the noise emanating from my hub, but I've gained a whole new appreciation since yesterday...

I was on an early-morning ride (don't you love 4.00am sunrises?) and stopped to have a snack. A friendly rider soon pulled up alongside and asked me if I was okay, and I sent him on his way. I heard him coming from around the bend, though - he was riding some stealth-fighter bespoke carbon fibre machine, and the sound of the road resonating in the hollow monocoque frame was deafening! I couldn't imagine riding along with such a racket, even if the machine only weighs 14lbs.

I'm happy with my Raven and Rohloff, even if it weighs in at more than twice that!

Andrew

[Magnus Thor]

Well, I just came back from a 3 day camping trip on my Raven Catalyst.  The only noise I ever hear is in the 7th gear and that is getting lower all the time.  I can barely hear it over the wind at most times and if you are riding on gravel, like I was this weekend, you can't hear it at all.  So far I have around 2000 km on it and it just keeps getting smoother and quieter.

Now I only need better legs and I'll be all set!

Magnus Thor
Iceland

[ozzo]

All I can say that on my inaugural ride today, I only really notice any noise in 7th & 12th & a very slight bit in 14th. But hey - you are getting a precise bit of engineering (I hope) & all those miles under the wheels will just make it better, so get one, get out & start to enjoy it.

Paul

[graham]

They do vary a bit.

We put about 4500 miles on one hub in our tandem, then replaced the wheels (i.e. hub) with the new wheels (heavier rims) of my new Raven Tour (I specced it with that way for that purpose). The new hub in the tandem was no noisier from new than the old one was after 4500 miles.
In the solo, the original hub feels quieter than before. I suppose because there's less power going through it.

Done another 1700 or more miles since June on the tandem and I don't notice it being particularly quieter than it was when new. But then I think it was a quiet hub from new.

In the preferred gears (8 to 11) it's a lot quieter than most bikes out there. At any real speed, the most noticeable noise on the tandem is from the tyres.

[robertJ]

This is my first post. I've been reading the comments on noise but does anyone else experience a sensation of 'rubbing' in the chain in certain gears? I've been on to SJS about this and was told the chain might be too tight. I loosened it but no improvement. One of the mechanics there suggested it might be 'feedback.' The best way I can describe the sensation is that it's like a coarse zip being fastened. The bike's a new Thorn Raven Tour with less than 300 miles under its belt so far.