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Non-Thorn Related / Brooks saddle top/rail replacement
« Last post by Danneaux on March 16, 2026, 07:27:42 PM »
Hey All!

Rhode Island (USA) custom framebuilder/Constructeur Brian Chapman is known for his process videos. He posted a new video to his Facebook and Instagram page today, detailing Brooks repairman Simon Firth's efforts retopping a saddle for Rivendell's Grant Petersen.

You can view it here...
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=4219251298314709
...or here...
https://www.instagram.com/chapmancycles/reel/DV9MCkAkThD/

Except for the water dunking (I do it "dry" by Proofided), this details the same method I've used to replace the broken chrome rails on a half-dozen of my own Brooks. The ones I owned were made during a time when Brooks' chroming method resulted in hydrogen embrittlement of the rails and predates the switch to black powdercoat or copper plating.

Enjoy!

Dan.
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Rohloff Internal Hub Gears / Re: Crack noise after shifting
« Last post by JohnR on March 16, 2026, 04:40:00 PM »
Also, if in UK then it might be worthwhile asking Thorn / SJS what they charge for a Rohloff hub overhaul. IIRC they are an authorised Rohloff service centre.
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Rohloff Internal Hub Gears / Re: Crack noise after shifting
« Last post by Andyb1 on March 16, 2026, 01:32:04 PM »
H - is it time you contacted Rohloff direct and describe the problem to thrm?
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Rohloff Internal Hub Gears / Re: Crack noise after shifting
« Last post by mickeg on March 16, 2026, 10:52:08 AM »
If I recall correctly, there is a pawl or set of pawls in the third (low range) planetary gear system, but if that is not working right (possibly a spring?), I would have assumed that the noise would be only noticed in gears 1-7, not 8-14.

I have run out of ideas.
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Rohloff Internal Hub Gears / Re: Crack noise after shifting
« Last post by Tigerbiten on March 15, 2026, 08:43:41 PM »
If I understand correctly the hub has 40,000 km and is on a tandem which has done heavily loaded tours.
You would like it refurbished due to the hub may have developed a click when shifting in the high gears and are willing to pay for this just for peace of mind before another long heavily loaded tour on the tandem this summer.
That's what I would explain to Rohloff.

As for any Rohloff troubleshooting or help on the problem?
Sorry ... No ideas ...

Edit:- I did something similar after my hub developed a stiff gear shift during a long heavily loaded tour.
A screwhead on one of the screws which hold the disk rotor sheard off and the remains worked into the hub and gummed up the gear shift.
Sent the hub off after I got home, got it refurbished, got it back and it's worked fine since then.
My hub is on a recumbent trike and not a tandem.
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Rohloff Internal Hub Gears / Re: Crack noise after shifting
« Last post by hendrich on March 15, 2026, 03:45:36 PM »
Tigerbiten,
Your comments do align with the symptoms of the problem. Are you aware of any Rohloff troubleshooting or help on the problem?
Your description will help me to describe the issue when contacting Rohloff.

Thank You, Mike
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Rohloff Internal Hub Gears / Re: Crack noise after shifting
« Last post by Tigerbiten on March 15, 2026, 02:34:04 AM »
Just read this tread and I think it sounds like there's something slightly misaligned in the high/low lock.
In gears 1-7 the 3rd planetary gear spins to give you the low range and in 8-14 it's locked for the high range.
This misalignment doesn't cause any problems in gear 1-7.
But every time you shift in gears 8-14 this misalignment rears it's ugly head.
Something shifts a fraction in the lock when you change a high gear, it's not enough to fully work the lock.
So it still works fine under both light and heavy loads.
But enough to hear it correctly realigning itself back into place under heavy load.
Once it's aligned, it doesn't shift again until you shift gears again.
Hence no matter what you do there's no further sound until you do shift gears in the high range.

I maybe wrong but something like that is the only thing I can think of which fits the given symptoms.
 
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Rohloff Internal Hub Gears / Re: Is it better to use one long housing cable?
« Last post by Tigerbiten on March 15, 2026, 01:14:55 AM »
I use the method of feeding the uncut cables through the outers and making up the shifter.
Then after pulling each cable tight, cutting it with 200mm showing out of the outer.
I have a short piece of outer 200mm long that I use as a cutting guide.
But I am working on a recumbent trike and the outers are around 5 foot long.
I find doing it this way give me a little more leeway with cutting the outer/inner to there correct lengths as any slight difference in length of the new outer is corrected by cutting the cable after it has been threaded.
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Belt Drive / Re: Belt drive article from Thorn Blog
« Last post by JohnR on March 12, 2026, 01:03:05 PM »
Quote
Tristan Ridley who is a long distance back packer has moved back to chain from belt.  He has a YT video explaining why….
Available here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx5nN3kyx5k
Thanks. Both mucky conditions and challenging terrain. I would be wanting a parachute in case I fell off some of those tracks!

Five winters ago I used a belt drive bike on my local roads and the bike started making lots of creaking noises. I eventually traced the problem to be the belt getting dirty. It needed a thorough scrub which was more maintenance effort than putting a bit of lube on a chain. The attached photo is of the bike I've been using on the same roads for the most recent winter and shows the typical accumulated muck over nearly 1k miles. Once the winter is over I'll fit a new chain which is less effort than cleaning the dirty one and costs less than £15.
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Belt Drive / Re: Belt drive article from Thorn Blog
« Last post by WorldTourer on March 11, 2026, 02:36:13 PM »
I was surprised to see that Gates recommends that.  I do not recall where, but somewhere several years ago I saw that it was clearly stated that if you did that, it would damage the belt.  I might have seen that on the Thorn website somewhere.

If they said that, they would have to change the policy to get any business from all those long-haul cyclists who are traveling in countries where getting a replacement belt is not straightforward.
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