Best place to get a Rohloff hub

[bobs]

Got myself a Thorn Raven Tour frame with the intention of building it up into a complete bike. I've got most of the parts to do this but need  a Rohloff hub/wheel. First preference would be a second hand one but these seem non existent. Is there anyway of getting a new one cheaper than spending £850-£900.  Was bidding on a new one one Ebay which went for about £650 but couldn't make a final bid because I was stuck on the motorway due to the snow.
Any suggestions welcome.

Bob

[PH]

I'm not surprised they're rare secondhand, if you've spent that money on a hub you'll have put it in a decent frame, I can understand people changing frames, but who's going to change hubs?
They do come up occasionally on German Ebay, even sometimes in cheap bikes, so worth continuing your search. If you're in no hurry you could use a cheap hub while you wait.
If you are going to buy new, they're slightly cheaper in Germany, Bike 24 are not always the cheapest, but very easy to deal with, they list the hub for a Raven at 809 Euro.

[vik]

I see Rohloffs come up fairly regularly on for sale postings at some bike forums. The best deals are complete bikes people are selling and have no idea of the value of the hub. I'll probably pick up my 3rd Rohloff this way as I don't absolutely need one so time is not a factor.  Check out local forums as well since they get less traffic and you aren't competing with so many people for a hub.

I've had a look at EBay, but I think the value of a Rohloff is well understood there so it's much harder to get a great deal.

One thing to be aware of is there is no transferable warranty when you buy a used Rohloff and there is a known issue with some young hubs requiring adjustment at the the factory.  No problem if you bought a new hub as this is a free repair under warranty.  Bigger problem if you bought a slightly used hub as you are on the hook for the full cost of the repair- probably negating any savings you got from buying used.  Personally I wouldn't buy a used Rohloff that had less than 5000kms on it.  By that point any teething issues should be sorted and the hub running well.

Also make sure you have all the parts you'll need for your Rohloff application when you buy the used or figure out the cost of any extra parts you'll need.  Buying parts a la carte can get expensive and eat into any savings you might get on a particular used hub.

Good luck with your build!

Vik
www.thelazyrando.com

[travelling]

I often wonder if many people buy rohloff for a world bike then do no more than peddle 4 or 5 times a year locally

Vik/anyone..have you tried the alfine and nexxus hubs and if so what is your take on there best use? I noticed Vik you appear to have alfine hubs in your pugsley..is that so and if so how are they?

[bobs]

I have managed to get a Rohloff hub and in the process of building up a bike.

[jags]

well done on the hub bob,did you tell us why your changing  from the sherpa to a raven.

[vik]

I often wonder if many people buy rohloff for a world bike then do no more than peddle 4 or 5 times a year locally

Vik/anyone..have you tried the alfine and nexxus hubs and if so what is your take on there best use? I noticed Vik you appear to have alfine hubs in your pugsley..is that so and if so how are they?

Yes I have 1 Alfine and 2 Nexus 8 IGHs in various bikes as well as 2 Rohloffs.

I like the shifting action of the Alfine better than my Rohloffs and I'm happy with the 8 gears for even a fully loaded dirt road tour in the mountains.  My Pugsley has seen more than 12 full months of abuse in:

- desert sand
- beach sand/salt water
- Burning Man's corrosive and ultra fine playa dust
- 2 Canadian winters [salt/sand/grit]

So far the hub has been perfect.

My plan is to keep abusing it without doing any internal maintenance until it fails.  I'm curious to see what happens.

So why bother with a Rohloff at all?

- wider gear range is useful to me for my cargo bike [a Surly Big Dummy]
- the reliability is more of a known quantity so when I'm headed for a remote spot I'd rather be rolling on a Rohloff

I'm fairly sure the Rohloff will out last multiple Alfines, but as you note many people do not tour excessively and could probably be quite happy on the Alfine.  I'm hoping to find out how much abuse an Alfine can handle so I can quantify what the lifecycle cost is and what uses it would be appropriate for.

safe riding,

Vik
www.thelazyrando.com

[bobs]

Jags.

The reason for the change??? When I bought the Sherpa it was the frame only, I built it up using parts I had from a mountain bike I had. This enabled me to keep the cost down and have a semi custom build. The Sherpa I am very happy with and is a great bike (and I may regret selling it).

I enjoy building up bikes and had the chance to sell a titanium mountain bike I was not using (getting too old). The funds then allowed me to buy a Used Raven Tour frame in my size (small).  It was my intention of making it a long term project over a few years, but when you don't expect it and opportunity to buy a full bike (RST which was slightly to big for me ) came along so it took it.

I'm sure I will not be disappointed with the Rohloff, worst case I will start again with a Sherpa.

Bob

[john28july]

well done on the hub bob,did you tell us why your changing  from the sherpa to a raven.

Hello
Strange but true, I changed from a Raven Tour to a Sherpa!
John.

[jags]

ah well it's good to try new things, best of luck on your new build 
im seriously thinking of selling  my sherpa plus all the camping gear,
i might hold on to everything until the summer  if things don't get any better over here ,
well i might not have a lot of choce.

[vik]

ah well it's good to try new things, best of luck on your new build 
im seriously thinking of selling  my sherpa plus all the camping gear,
i might hold on to everything until the summer  if things don't get any better over here ,
well i might not have a lot of choce.

Let's hope it doesn't come to that!...   At the very least keep the bike and sell the camping gear.  When times are tough you need something to keep you smiling and a bike ride might be just the thing.

safe riding,

Vik
www.thelazyrando.com

[jags]

thank's vik i'll do my best to hold onto things,god knows it was a struggle to buy them in the first place,but i've always my roadbike to get me out and about.

[vik]

I often wonder if many people buy rohloff for a world bike then do no more than peddle 4 or 5 times a year locally

Vik/anyone..have you tried the alfine and nexxus hubs and if so what is your take on there best use? I noticed Vik you appear to have alfine hubs in your pugsley..is that so and if so how are they?

BTW - Shimano is releasing a new 11 speed Alfine IGH:

http://thelazyrando.wordpress.com/2010/02/02/11-speed-shimano-alfine/