Rohloff hub has developed a skipping problem

[PhilD]

My Rohloff hub has started to "skip" when riding along. It is almost like declutching a car for a split second - there is a grating/grinding noise and the pedals spin freely. It is sporadic, seems to happen about 1 or twice per 20km. I have had occasional poor performance before, but it is now much worse. (The hub has actually been back to SJS once about 6000km ago because I felt it was riding a bit funny - a similar free-spinning issue - but they couldn't find anything wrong with it).

Actually feels quite dangerous and sounds horrible when it happens. When it isn't happening, the hub rides normally and shifts are fine. I changed the oil at 10,000km, and have just done it again at 12,500km in the hope of curing the problem, and have experimented with different QR tensions, to no avail.

Does anybody have any experience of similar problems? Wondering if it is covered under warranty at this point... The bike was purchased in Apr 2009, just over 2 years ago. I seem to remember from somewhere that Rohloff give a 5 year warranty on their hubs, but I can't find confirmation anywhere on their website.

[geocycle]

Sounds odd.  I could probably mimic the symptoms you describe by a 'lazy' change, but this should not occur as frequently as you describe.  Are you sure its not a chain issue -maybe try tightening?

the hub should still be under warranty.  I'd get in touch with SJS again and ask them to send it to rohloff.

[alcyst]

Could be the gear cables have stretched, and where the shifting was precise now the hub is shifting when the slack cable moves a bit.

[PhilD]

Interesting, I hadn't thought about the cables, will check that tonight. Definitely not the chain though, it is brand new after I broke the last one.

[hufty]

Just like to mention for any future readers that I had this problem and in my case it turned out to be a combination of a lose chain and a worn sprocket...  just like the ramping you get on worn derailleur setups  Anyway the longer you spend missing the obvious the sweeter it is when you realise. Probably.

[PhilD]

Good timing with your post! I finally got around to taking the bike down to SJS last Thursday and described the problem. While they weren't able to repo the problem in a short test ride, they swapped out the entire internals of the hub anyway! Did it while I waited. Outstanding customer service!

Today was the first chance I have had to ride in to work, have a 30km commute home planned for tonight, should be a good test.

[greywolf]

I have had mine for six years now, and the only times that I had anything like your problem are when the shifter cables need tightening/adjusting. The guy who called it a "lazy shift" best describes it.

[léo woodland]

Let me be the one to spread pessisimism and doom!

I'm sure your problem isn't going to get worse. BUT, Rohloff hubs aren't perfect, because nothing is. After around 17 000km mine began slipping as you described. I was touring and it got bad enough over four days that I had to abandon the trip and take seven trains home.

I was disappointed, naturally, but Thorn and Rohloff couldn't have been better.

Rohloff told me of dealers in Munich which could have replaced the mechanism, but I'd broken down at a weekend when neither Thorn nor Rohloff were open and I'd already caught the train. Rohloff and Thorn then asked me to take the bike to any dealer in the area, because the carrier service didn't serve private addresses. The wheel was taken to Rohloff free, the fault was rectified and the wheel returned, still without charge.

The one thing that I regret, apart from the fault's having developed in the first place, was never hearing what the problem had been. I accept that nothing is perfect and I am riding the hub again happily. I'm super-conscious of any slight skip or jump, of course, but doubtless that will pass.


I don't know the cause of your problem any more than the cause of mine. But you might want to ask advice of Rohloff before embarking on anything adventurous.

Good luck!

happy days

léo

[Danneaux]

Hi, Léo!

Welcome to the Thorn Cycling Forums!

So sorry to hear of your misfortune with the Rohloff, but very grateful to hear your story and you were good to share it with us. Always something to be learned in terms of things to watch for, and wonderful news to know Thorn and Rohloff stood behind it in terms of service. So unfortunate it happened while on-tour and resulted in an early and difficult end, but hopefully it will work flawlessly now for many years to come.

Best,

Dan.

[Matt2matt2002]

Mine skips at times
Not too often
But enough for me to log on and check out views

How should I tension the cables? They appear quite slack at the moment

[gearoidmuar]

Mine didn't skip but developed a changing problem in that if you went from 12 to 11 it spun freely, but if you went from 12 to 10 to 11, it didn't. Similarly 10 to 11 spun, but 10 to 12 to 11 didn't. So it was just an irritant.
Rohloff serviced it free of charge but didn't tell me what was wrong.
I don't think they know. They probably have a routine cleanout replacement routine for everything. Cheaper that way!.
Fine since.

[onmybike]

I had a very similar sounding problem about 10,000km into my hub's life - an awful grinding noise followed free spinning pedals and then a solid clunk as the gears re-engaged. After a few of days of thinking the worst (I was on tour in the third world at the time) the solution was as simple as removing the rear wheel and whacking the axle ends a couple of times with the sole of my shoe - Rohloff recommended using a rubber mallet, but oddly enough that's not part of my touring kit. The very first gear change after doing this resulted in a slurred gear change but every change in the 17,000km since has worked perfectly.

[wheezy]

There's something comforting about this aspect of Rohloff ownership. It takes you back to the days when anything from the recalcitrant TV-set to your stubborn lawn-mower could often be persuaded back into service by the swift application of footwear-related violence.

[Danneaux]

...could often be persuaded back into service by the swift application of footwear-related violence.

A technique I've been sore tempted to employ on humans from time to time but have so far resisted.

Best,

Dan.

[Huernie]

My hub also developed a 'skipping' problem in gears 4,5,6,7,11 & 13. I was passing through Germany at the time so took it to a Rohloff shop in Bamburg. They checked everything, contacted the factory who said I should send it in. As I had a flight to catch in Budapest I couldn't spare the time but the factory assured me that the hub would not completely fail. I rode it for another 800 miles with the skipping being more of an irritation than anything else. Once home after being bashed around by baggage handlers (the bottom of the box was ripped open and the bike was hanging out!) the skipping stopped. Better safe than sorry so it's currently away (via Ison) to get looked at. Although I was annoyed (and a little anxious) when the skipping started I now feel strangely comforted that even when the Rohloff is fecked, it's still rideable! I will post if I get any indication from Rohloff as to the problem.