Rohloff wears out

[Danneaux]

I once heard (but do not know if true) that the disc mount on the Rohloff will hold a small chainring.

Yes, it is true and I did it 6 years ago. Pics and post here:
http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=4523.msg48735#msg48735

It works but results in a fixed-gear, so you can't coast and therefore requires some rider adjustments. Not a biggie for me, as I regularly ride a dedicated Fixie for early-season training and fun. Because you are stuck with only one gear (and fixed at that), it is not a practical long-term solution but it surely beats pushing a loaded touring bike and can be a ticket out of the backcountry when =all= else fails. I found a 22t "fixed sprocket" with my 36t chainring works pretty well and results in a 42 gear-inch combination, workable for me.

Best,

Dan.

[Andre Jute]

On the Rohloff with the EXT klickbox (the one with the full-length enclosed cables), rather than the Internal change with the open cables, you can take the click box off by hand via it's knurled thumbscrew and turn the gearbox with an 8mm socket or open wrench. I carry both in my lightweight bike kit. If anybody has an EXT setup, I'd be happy to describe this further and suggest possible tools.

[Danneaux]

On the Rohloff with the EXT klickbox (the one with the full-length enclosed cables), rather than the Internal change with the open cables, you can take the click box off by hand via it's knurled thumbscrew and turn the gearbox with an 8mm socket or open wrench. I carry both in my lightweight bike kit. If anybody has an EXT setup, I'd be happy to describe this further and suggest possible tools.

Andre,

One of the really cool "value added" extras Thorn includes with every new complete Rohloff-equipped bike is a 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 bottom bracket eccentric tool. Though they vary by type (internal cabling vs external shift-box), the one for my Nomad Mk II incorporates a pin wrench for turning the eccentric to tension the chain, a 15mm pedal wrench that also fits the eccentric bolt heads, and...the 8mm socket for shifting the EX gearbox in the event the cables break. A gem! Mine =always= rides in my underseat bag. Available separately here:

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tools/thorn-3-in-1-bottom-bracket-eccentric-tool-for-73-mm-shell-raven-bikes/?geoc=US

Best,

Dan.

[Andre Jute]

Superb tool!

Thanks for the info, Dan.

[Nashtah]

When I true up a wheel, if there is any play in hub bearings, I certainly notice it.  The bike shop that I worked at many years ago would never have sold a bike to someone with that kind of play in the hub.  I am a little surprised that a wheel with that much play in the hub left Rodriquez shop in the first place.  Or was everything tight initially?

I am curious, was it a belt drive or chain drive?  The reason that I ask is that a belt puts more tension on the hub than a chain.  And it sounds like the failure occurred near where I would expect more stress on the hub to occur with a belt than with a chain.

You occasionally hear of a Rohloff with a serious problem soon after new, but you usually hear of skipping gears instead of total failure.  Major bummer. 

I only know one person that tours on a Rodriguez, she loves her dérailleur bike, is not a Rohloff.

The bike has a chain. 13 and 40 so the gear ratio was good as well. The wheel have been great and zero broken spokes with rim breaks.

I picked up the bike new in 2015 and that was the third large tour on the bike. That tour was a ten week tour. The reason I had called Rodriguez was that the play in the wheel was very new started the morning I called.

The real shock to me was being told all was well finish the tour and then send it in vs the failure. Also I had never heard of a loss of the ability to pedal in any gear only of the loss of some gears.

[mickeg]

When I true up a wheel, if there is any play in hub bearings, I certainly notice it.  The bike shop that I worked at many years ago would never have sold a bike to someone with that kind of play in the hub.  I am a little surprised that a wheel with that much play in the hub left Rodriquez shop in the first place.  Or was everything tight initially?

I am curious, was it a belt drive or chain drive?  The reason that I ask is that a belt puts more tension on the hub than a chain.  And it sounds like the failure occurred near where I would expect more stress on the hub to occur with a belt than with a chain.

You occasionally hear of a Rohloff with a serious problem soon after new, but you usually hear of skipping gears instead of total failure.  Major bummer. 

I only know one person that tours on a Rodriguez, she loves her dérailleur bike, is not a Rohloff.

The bike has a chain. 13 and 40 so the gear ratio was good as well. The wheel have been great and zero broken spokes with rim breaks.

I picked up the bike new in 2015 and that was the third large tour on the bike. That tour was a ten week tour. The reason I had called Rodriguez was that the play in the wheel was very new started the morning I called.

The real shock to me was being told all was well finish the tour and then send it in vs the failure. Also I had never heard of a loss of the ability to pedal in any gear only of the loss of some gears.

Thanks for posting.  I would have assumed a belt, not a chain drive.  And I am surprised to hear that it happened a couple years after you got it with some good distance on the bike before the problem. 

With a 40 to 13 chainring to sprocket ratio, that is a hair over 3, the ratio I use for riding around home is 2.75 and for touring 2.25.  Thus I likely put a lot more torque on my hub than you put on yours.  Sounds like you just were very unlucky with a component that was probably defective but lasted for a few years before it finally decided to go.

[mickeg]

...
One of the really cool "value added" extras Thorn includes with every new complete Rohloff-equipped bike is a 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 bottom bracket eccentric tool. ...

I was unaware of that tool.  I assumed only those of us with an S&S Nomad got a special tool.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tools/thorn-s-and-s-5-in-1-spanner-wrench-special-coupling-eccentric-tool/

***

I have to remove the crank arms to get my bike into the S&S case.  Some of you might recall that I put self extractors on my square taper crank arms for my Iceland trip, thus no crank removal tool needed.  That is until one of the self extractors self extracted somewhere in the middle of Iceland.  Self extractors were a good idea, but failed in execution.

I recently bought a square taper crank arm removal tool that uses a 15mm wrench and 8mm allen wrench.  And the crankarm uses an 8mm long arm allen wrench.  No more lost self extractors for me.

I cut a short stub off of an 8mm allen wrench that I can stick through the 8mm box wrench on that Thorn S&S tool to use for removing crank arm bolts and then the 15mm wrench and 8mm stub will work on the removal tool.  Plus of course the 15mm wrench for pedal removal.

The crank tool is on the upper right, the 8mm allen wrench stub is under the inner tube rubber sleeve wrapped around the Thorn S&S wrench where it won't get lost.  Disregard the multi-tool in the photo, I cropped that photo out of a much larger one.

[sd]

If it was to happen to me my Santos's have the fittings built in for a change to deraillures.  I doubt I will ever have any problems anyway. I am riding regularly at the moment with rear panniers front and back. front rack is Surly nice v2. I fill all the panniers  (carradice super c) with logs a decent weight so I better not have problems. 
PS my latest Santos is belt drive.  Not fitted a Surly rack yet waiting for it to arrive.