Building up a Rohloff bike

[bobs]

I have the chance of a Raven frame. How difficult is it to build it up with either a Rohloff or Alfine. Built my Sherpa up no problem, what are the differences?

Bob

[ians]

I built up a Sterling - bought the frame and a rear wheel with Rohloff hub.  Most of the other bits were lying around.

In retrospect it wasn't that difficult.  The Rohloff system was completely alien to me - I had to spend some time with the manual and the Thorn videos (on YouTube) just to make sure I connected the cables correctly - but I managed it.  And there's plenty of advice here.

In some ways it was easier - no triple or front mech to sort out.

If you've already built up a Sherpa then this should be no problem.

ian

[stutho]

Bob,

I built up both my wife's RT and my RST  with a Rohloff.  It a breeze - it's all very  intuitive and also very forgiving. It is very hard to get anything wrong but if  you do it is easy to put it Right. 

Two things to watch out for:

Wheel build: The Rohloff hub is built up using a 2X patten on 26" wheels. READ the manual about lacing - the 1st spoke crossing
Must be away from the hub flange.


Inner Cable cutting:  I don't use the method that is on the utube clip (there wasn't a clip when i did the build!) Instead I do the following

• make sure that the outer is installed correctly, and that adjustment screws are set to 1/2 travel
• fit the rear wheel to the frame
• pull one of the cables on the hub to its full extent - so I am in gear 1st or 14th.
• turn the spur gear slowly - if the wheel is moving faster than the spur I am in 14th if it is moving slower I am in 1st
• select the appropriate gear on the twist shift and temporally fix the shifter in place - I some tape
• one tale from the shifter should now be substantially shorter than he other - CHECK that this is in line with the longer tail from the hub
• Trim the SHORTER tail from the shifter flush to the tip of the bayonet fitting on the longer hub tale
• Add the first  female  bayonet fitting (using plenty of copper grease on the grub screw), make sure the cable does not protrude
• Connect up the first bayonet and remove the tape from the shifter then pull the remaining tail from the hub all the way to the opposite stop
• As before measure and trim the remaining tail from the shifter
• Add the Second bayonet fitting and connect it up
• check you get 13 clicks when you rotate the shifter all the way ( 13 click = 14 gears)
• line up the numbers on the shifter by using the  adjustment screws 
• there system is meant to run with some slack in it -DON'T OVER TIGHTEN with adjustment screws

It is not as hard as I just made it sound! - check out the utube clip

Best advice I can give is to just do it! It will be an easier build than your Sherpa