Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Rohloff Internal Hub Gears => Topic started by: gearoidmuar on October 29, 2012, 07:08:45 AM
-
Hub 13500 miles. Problem developed yesterday. In gears 10-11-12, varying, going up or down, gear inclined to finish up in neutral. If I backpedal, even slightly it slips into gear. Cables appeared a bit loose. Tightened them. No better. No resistance increase so I doubt that internal cable going (is original on). Oil replaced less than 1000 miles ago (a couple of months).
What should I do next?
-
Email Thorn and Rohloff,
Check your inner cable too.
Have you changed the Oil every 5000km's? If not may be its gumed up in side!
Is it not playing up in the low gears too?
Pete.....
:)
-
I'll check the inner cable.
I have serviced it more or less on schedule. Was touring recently after the change. It was perfect...
Must be inner cable. Due a replacement as it's over 20000 km..
Will post followup when done..
-
I read the manual and it said put in cleaning oil and ride around. Made no difference.
Will go for a ride with that in tomorrow and if that doesn't solve it I'll change the .9mm cable.
-
Hmmm sounds strange, gear 11 is putting the hub into fixed rotation, ie: no gears being used, could be a foreign object causing the problem... turn the bike upside down and whiz through the gears with the cleaning oil in rapidly changing gear. Try to shock the rear wheel if you can by taking it out of the frame and bouncing it while still holding on to it to dislodge any foreign objects that (may) be causing the issue.
If the problem persists or shows no sign of getting better, best to send it of to thorn/ rohloff for evaluation...
Dave.
-
Good suggestion. Will try
-
You said you recently changed the oil. Did you use the genuine Rohloff oil ? I heard that using another oil may cause the type of problems you have.
-
as far as I know it was.
I tried walloping the wheel no good. Put in cleaning oil and cycled for 50km. Still no joy. Email from man in Rohloff Germany saying that a tight skewer could cause the problem. Loosened it. No good. He said that the changing wire could not cause the problem. Will be sending wheel to Germany.
-
Will be sending wheel to Germany.
Oh, what a shame; I was hoping one of the quick 'n' easy solutions might do the job. Perhaps it won't take too long for the out-and-back and all will be right upon its return.
Hoping for the best for you!
Dan.
-
Well I've three other spare bikes at the moment, none of them Rohloff equipped.
I've three other ones in my Holiday flat in Spain.
Only seven bikes.
"If you know how many bikes you have, you don't have enough"
-Chris Ellison..
-
"If you know how many bikes you have, you don't have enough" -Chris Ellison..
Absolutely right!
See: http://www.cyclingcartoons.com/more-than-one-bicycle/
Best,
Dan. (...who uh, has a few as well!)
-
as far as I know it was.
I tried walloping the wheel no good. Put in cleaning oil and cycled for 50km. Still no joy. Email from man in Rohloff Germany saying that a tight skewer could cause the problem. Loosened it. No good. He said that the changing wire could not cause the problem. Will be sending wheel to Germany.
Tough luck. It didn't sound like a cable issue. Hope they fix it quickly.
-
I had a similar problem last month. I sent the wheel to Germany. Posted it on the Friday. The wheel was back on the next Thursday. 6 days. Repaired and working with new bearings too. Free of charge.
Schmidt offer a similar service for dynohubs.
I don't wish to stereotype but it seems that the Germans sometimes get engineering and service very right.
-
I don't wish to stereotype but it seems that the Germans sometimes [get] engineering and service very right.
Well now, I'm certified an anti-racist and an anti-stereotyper by the old apartheid government in South Africa sending assassins for my life not once but twice, and I ride a German bike complete with a Rohloff and a SON. I have absolutely no hesitation in saying that Germans do engineering and service better than anyone else.
I'm sure my fellow Corkman's Rohloff will be returned from Germany with all possible speed.
Andre Jute
-
I would not regard a compliment as a stereotype!
I was biketouring on the Mosel years ago and a Girvin Flexstem broke as I was entering Koblenz. I walked the mile to the bikeshop. It was about 10 to 6. Closing time 6. I selected a stem and was going to leave and fit it in the morning. They wouldn't have it. Straight to the workshop and they fitted it, finishing after closing time and didn't want to take anything for the fitting..
I insisted on a tip..
They like to do everything properly, I would say more so than most nationalities in my experience. You only have to look at their infrastructure.
-
Did you get this sorted? What did rohloff discover?
-
Got it back. They arranged to collect it from my local bikeshop (they like to do that so the shop will definitely be open) by courier and I got it back, I suppose in three weeks due to some stuttering in delivery with all seals and gaskets replaced and working they say. No charge. Super company.
-
Oh, what wonderful news! I do so hope it will meet all expectations in use, and have every confidence all will be well.
Thanks for the followup; we were waiting with you!
Best,
Dan.
-
they didn't say what was wrong though. It may have had a leak though I never saw anything on the garage floor.
-
Great news hope its sorted. Shame they didn't tell you what had happened.
-
I queried that and Stewart, an Englishman there with whom I'd been communicating told me that they'd replaced all the bearings gaskets and seals in it and that it couldn't have been anything I did.
Anyway I did 52 miles today in the rain and it was perfect. Hub smoother than ever and not noisier as they told me it might be for a while after replacing parts.
-
Even bearings doesn't necessarily indicate that Rohloff knows what caused the problem. Seals they would replace routinely.
I once gave a broken Apple computer to the guy with the factory right next to Apple on Hollyhill, where they did all Apple's production line rectification, and when I picked it up I asked him, "What was wrong with it?"
"Dunno."
"Then how did you fix it?"
"We just reflowed the entire board, then switched it on. It worked."
"Duh."
"Quite."
Unless the problem is really serious and likely to reoccur often, I doubt it is worth Rohloff's time to track it down if a cheap fix like bearings and seals fixes it. Quick turnaround as a sales and publicity tool is probably more valuable to them than knowing exactly what caused a rare problem.
Andre Jute
-
I imagine you're right there Andre.
Same fix for everyone. Look if it doesn't work.
The hub appears better than ever. Changes really instant and smooth.
-
After visiting Rohloff, they seem to strip all the seals and bearings out as a matter of routine, then push the hub internal through the same QC as a new internal and re-shim if it fails any tests. The internal is then put back in the hub shell with new bearings and gaskets throughout.
Rohloff's main concern is to get you back riding again, hence they dont write of e-mail a detailed description of what happened or was replaced on your individual hub.
I do a simalar process here with oil leaks, i'd rather clean, replace every seal and gasket than spend days on end doing tests to find out which gasket/seal has been damaged or breached. This minimises the time the end user is without their wheel and sometimes their primary form of transport.
Dave.
-
Thanks for that info Dave!
-
I suspect that it was the re-shimming that fixed the problem.
In the U.S. the wheel is sent to Cycle Monkey. They don't fix it, they just swap out the innards and send your old one back for Rohloff for repair.
-
11y later still fine. I've yet to replace the internal wire...
-
11y later still fine. I've yet to replace the internal wire...
>
How's that for a reliability report!