Community > Rohloff Internal Hub Gears
Another Rohloff questions
TimCPike:
While all the experts are assembled:
I was wondering, why has there not been an audax bike/fast tourer equipped with a hub gear?
This led me to believe that one of the following must be the answer (this is where you all correct me):
* The Rohloff system adds too much weight to the bike
* Suitable gear ratios are not available
* If they break down the bike becomes completely unridable
* They have a tendency to break
* Maintenance is awkward/requires oddball tools
* The gear shifter can't be suitably mounted onto such a bike*
* Audax is a British thing and hub gearing is a continental thing (and they just haven't met)*
* They cost a lot
Only those marked * would seem to carry any weight to me, which leaves me with a question in my mind of "so?" and "well they could easily get round it is they wanted/there was a bit of demand".
Now with the otherwise reduced maintenance from the lack of chain wear/road grime getting into all the moving parts surely it would be more suitable for long distance riders who don't have the time to suffer mechanical failures.
Any thoughts people?
PeLu:
quote:Originally posted by TimCPike
While all the experts are assembled:
I was wondering, why has there not been an audax bike/fast tourer equipped with a hub gear?
look at:
http://tandem-fahren.de/Mitglieder/Christoph_Timm/transalp2001.html
This may answer a few of you questions. According to Dipl. Ing.
* The Rohloff system adds too much weight to the bike
This may be a reason for some weightweenies, but it is actually less than most people think.
* Suitable gear ratios are not available
What else do you want to have as even steps throughout the whole range? Maybe larger steps at both ends....
If the steps are too large, you may use double chainwheels (and sacrifying some of the advantages).
* If they break down the bike becomes completely unridable
* They have a tendency to break
According to Carsten Geck, Rohloff, Product Manager, there is no broken Speedhub up to last February or so (and I have no other message read in the meanwhile). Does anybody know about one failing? (not things like oil leaking or shift cable breaking).
* Maintenance is awkward/requires oddball tools
Only maintenance is changing the oil from time to time and turning the sprocket around (or changing it).
* The gear shifter can't be suitably mounted onto such a bike*
There are solutions, as posted in another thread here, but it is actually an issue.
* Audax is a British thing and hub gearing is a continental thing (and they just haven't met)*
I think hub gearing is more of a British tradition than a continental thing. The British hubgears where the world's best for about half a century.
* They cost a lot
Probably.
PeLu
TimCPike:
quote:Originally posted by PeLu
quote:Originally posted by TimCPike
While all the experts are assembled:
I was wondering, why has there not been an audax bike/fast tourer equipped with a hub gear?
look at:
http://tandem-fahren.de/Mitglieder/Christoph_Timm/transalp2001.html
This may answer a few of you questions. According to Dipl. Ing.
* The Rohloff system adds too much weight to the bike
This may be a reason for some weightweenies, but it is actually less than most people think.
* Suitable gear ratios are not available
What else do you want to have as even steps throughout the whole range? Maybe larger steps at both ends....
If the steps are too large, you may use double chainwheels (and sacrifying some of the advantages).
* If they break down the bike becomes completely unridable
* They have a tendency to break
According to Carsten Geck, Rohloff, Product Manager, there is no broken Speedhub up to last February or so (and I have no other message read in the meanwhile). Does anybody know about one failing? (not things like oil leaking or shift cable breaking).
* Maintenance is awkward/requires oddball tools
Only maintenance is changing the oil from time to time and turning the sprocket around (or changing it).
* The gear shifter can't be suitably mounted onto such a bike*
There are solutions, as posted in another thread here, but it is actually an issue.
* Audax is a British thing and hub gearing is a continental thing (and they just haven't met)*
I think hub gearing is more of a British tradition than a continental thing. The British hubgears where the world's best for about half a century.
* They cost a lot
Probably.
PeLu
I couldn't see much water held by most of the suggestions I had made. The only thing that seemed to make sense to me was "it's not the done thing".
Just pondering how to build up a frame at the moment (to cope with commuting/light loads/riding briskly/most milage bike) and couldn't see much to fault hub gearing, all the logic points to it wearing better, particularly on the filthy roads we have around our way.
John:
I've been running a Sachs Super seven on a fast tourer for years and Simano XT with an Ultegra cassette on another. I've also tried a Rohloff so here goes.
Gears are too far apart on the hub gears when travelling fast. Only 6% reduction in cadence going up a gear at 40 km/h on the Ultegra cassette and 12% on the worst change. Bigger gaps on the hub gears. On the Sachs the gaps get closer away from the direct drive 4th which helps.
The efficiency in the lower gears is awful in the mountains. They feel rough (especially the Rohloff)and hard work compared with XT.
So why does the Sachs hub geared bike do more Kms? Because after 20000 km I still haven't done more than change the chain and cog despite using it whenever it rains. Fit and forget.
OHUI:
TimCPike, I've asked myself the same question re rohloff's and audax bikes. I've got a Thorn Raven and have found the Rohloff to be genuinely completely and utterly faultless. The bike's been used in all weathers for commuting, very heavily laden sometimes at that, and for long-distance rides both on an off road. Maintanence? almost nothing required so far. Delightful though high-spec derailleur systems may be for the few hundred miles they stayed tuned at a time they seem ante-diluvian by comparison with Rohloff.
John, my experience of some serious long hills with the Rohloff has been a revelation - no problems with changing gear under pressure, no problems with changing gear while stationary should you need to start again on a very steep section. Any slight difference in efficiency between the first and second set of seven gears is soon forgotten in the joyous way it just works flawlessly always. As you say of the Sachs, it is just fit and forget.
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