What's your Rohloff combo (chainring, cog)?

[Danneaux]

Is there an alternative the the Chainglider?
Something that fits to the frame rather that sit in the chain?

Matt, our friend Andre has the most experience with a variety of chaincases compared to anyone else who is vocal on the Forum. Moreover, he has been generous to share those experiences with us in a variety of articles. Some samples here:
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=2467.0
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=2233.0
No doubt he will be along shortly to expand further on your question.

Matt ( who knows little but is eager to learn )

 <-- Matt, this is the sign of a supremely intelligent individual; asking = a mind open to learning. In my opinion, the only foolish question is the one left unasked.  

All the best,

Dan. (...who thinks an open mind beats an open mouth, but sometimes one leads to t'other with revelation bringing the same result)

[Andre Jute]

Sorry to jump in here at the tail end.....
Is there an alternative the the Chainglider?
Something that fits to the frame rather that sit in the chain?

Matt ( who knows little but is eager to learn )

Sure, there are alternatives. There's the Dutch plastic enclosed chain case but it needs one or more frame-side fittings. It is not generally suitable for touring. There is also the Utopia Country, which works much better while it works, but isn't suitable for longrange or rough road touring. See the articles Dan has referenced.

i've tried both of those and settled instead on the Chainglider as the sturdiest and most effective of the lot.

Andre Jute

[revelo]

Regarding all this talk of extra-long chaingliders, I simply ordered what is on the sjscycles website and it seems to work. There's some lettering on outside of the front part, near the chainring, 350 38/N. If anything, this version is slightly long. Long enough to make installation more difficult than if it were a few cm shorter, though not so long that I need to cut it.

I was already placing an order with sjscycles for those special shifter cables Dave Whittle discussed, so additional shipping cost was not an issue for me. If I was only ordering the chainglider, it would be a different story, since syscycles international shipping is quite pricey (though all their other prices are very reasonable).

If it turns out that the chainglider doesn't protect the drive chain from dirt, either because I'm using a 36T rather than 38T chainring or because it is simply ineffective against the kind of dirt I encounter regardless of which chainring is used, I'll nevertheless continue to use the front part to protect myself from the chain. The front part alone weighs just 175g and provides much better protection than the 135g Thorn chain guard, so on that basis alone I'd have to recommend the chainglider.

[Barry Webber]

Hello everyone,

I have recently received a quote for a Nomad from Thorn bicycles.
Part of the specification I selected was for a Hebie Chainglider.
Thorn have replied saying they do not recommend the Chainglider:-

"We do not recommend the Heebie chainglider because there have been instances where it  has worn grooves in the Rohloff hub shell. (no warranty for this)"

It this really a problem?
Surely when dealing with such expensive kit it is designed to fit and not cause damage to the hub?

Anyone have any views on this?

I hope I have posted in a relevant thread, I searched for Hebie Chainglider and this thread was top of the list.
If there is a serious risk of damaging the Rohloff hub and nullifying the warranty by using the chainglider it's enough to give me the Hebie Geebies!?!

The benefits of lower chain maintenance using the chain cover seem obvious.

Regards,
Barry.

[Danneaux]

Hi, Barry!

Take a look at this thread: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=5051.0 I think it will answer many of your questions.

Hebie have modified their Rohloff-specific Chainglider end pieces so they now clear the Rohloff hub by an adequate margin; Hebie now say no damage will occur if a current model with Rohloff-specific end piece is used.

Congratulations in advance on your impending Thorn ownership; I can just feel the excitement in your post, and wish you all the best. I'm sure you'll find it a wonderful machine! Have you chosen a color and spec/handlebars yet? Looking forward to seeing photos of your new ride in the gallery after you place an order and it arrives.

Best,

Dan.

[Barry Webber]

Hello Dan,
Thanks for your reply and link.

It seems to confirm that Hebie makes a Rohloff specific case which should not damage the Hub.
I wonder why Thorn are still very cautious about this?
Also I have not placed an order yet I am just trying to figure out what spec I need and how much it will cost.
The answer is a phenomenal amount!?!
It is so dear it gives me a headache thinking about it.

The way I am looking at it is that it would be like a voluntary health insurance to try and maintain fitness as I move into older age.
In 20 years time I would be 75 years old and looking back at my 20 years of marriage to my dear wife, that has absolutely flown by!
It still seems as though we have just met!!
So the Nomad, if I can use it properly, may help prevent me being an expensive burden on the UK NHS as I move into "old Gitdom"

Part of the difficulty for me is that while enthusiastically using my Ebike to complete over 12,000 miles since Oct 2010 I don't know if when push comes to shove that unpowered touring would be feasible and enjoyable.
It is a very expensive experiment to run particularly if it did not meet my optimistic expectations.

I have been reading avidly about cycle touring and it all sounds fantastic and the freedom and self sufficiency seems very attractive.
Currently I am on the 2nd volume of Thomas Stevens 1884 tour around the world which I have found to be a fascinating and riveting read.
He was a wonderful writer and terrific fellow, I took him to be an American but it seems he was born and later died in the UK.
He lived into the 1930's so his life overlapped with my own Father who was born in 1930.
Well it is getting late and I have to be up at 4-45am to Ebike into work tomorrow so I wish you and everyone here a very good night.

Thanks again for your helpful posts and wonderful Stewardship of this great forum.
Barry.

[Danneaux]

I understand your concerns, Barry. Thorn bikes are a great value and a lot of money, all at once; Quality costs in the short-term, but is cheap in the long-run.

One thing that might ease your mind is Thorn's generous trial period. If you're in the UK, you really do have the option to try the bike for a long period while deciding if it is for you. Perhaps that will take a bit of the pressure off.

Barry, I had a Sherpa Mk2 and now own a Nomad Mk2. If you have any questions about either bike, just give a shout.

Also...several of our members have electified their Thorns, so if it doesn't work for you to ride it purely on muscle power, you have the future option of enjoying the same bike with an assist.

Thanks so much for your kind words!

All the best,

Dan.

[JimK]

Maybe I shouldn't be encouraging others to follow in my path of extravagance... but...

One of my guidebooks of late is Younger Next Year. The authors recommend very strongly that folks over 40 or so should be exercising vigorously an hour most every day, 6 out of 7 anyway. 4 days of aerobics and 2 of weight lifting is best, they say.

This really means, for most of us, a significant change of habits. How to motivate that? One trick they suggest is to use a "kedge". Indulge in something extravagant that forces the change. Maybe register for some event, like a tour, that requires training beforehand. Buying a nice bike, that is one of their suggestions.

My sweetheart still thinks I am totally crazy for spending THAT MUCH MONEY on a silly bicycle. But then... I rode 13 days in January, 14 days in February. Let's see how March goes. See, I have to prove to her that the money was not so stupidly spent. Maybe it's a silly game but if it gets me exercising... whatever!
   

[John Saxby]

Welcome, Barry, and enjoy your new bike!  I think that Dan's link speaks to most of the issues on the chainglider--good luck with that!

On the Big Question of aging (dis)gracefully, and the place of 2-wheelers in All That, no worries so long as your health holds up, and bikes will help with that -- "You're always young on the bike."

Cheers,

John

(as of mid-2012, officially an 'Mzee', as the Swahili term has it -- nice connotation of respect for the elders, homage to wisdom/forgiveness for forgetfulness, freebies from The Younger Tendency, etc.)

[Barry Webber]

Thanks all for your comments.
I am going to open a new thread to give my anticipated Nomad spec as it is so far.

Barry.

[Andre Jute]

Barry, I don't know what's up with Thorn and the Chainglider. Their attitude seems to be about five years behind the facts, which are that Hebie redesigned the Chainglider to make a special non-grating Rohloff specific rear enclosure. As long as you fit the correct Chainglider sections for your hub gearbox, the gearbox case is in no danger. Period. The Chainglider is the nearest thing to a fit and forget component you can come to.

I don't think you can put a price on your health. I gave up the car in 1992 and got a bicycle, and my physicians are convinced it's the only reason I'm alive.

Andre Jute

[martinf]

The Chainglider is the nearest thing to a fit and forget component you can come to.

At first I was sceptical about a chaincase that just sits over the chain/ring/sprocket and is therefore permanently in contact with moving parts.

After 7 months with a non-optimal installation (chain ring thicker than recommended, probably also the fact that I use 1/8 chain on that bike) I can confirm that I no longer notice the Chainglider when riding my old 5-speed hub-geared bike.

But I do appreciate not needing to clean the chain after use in muddy/wet conditions.

I also have a Rohloff-specific Chainglider on the Thorn Raven I bought in November 2012. The installation on this is as recommended by Hebie (thin Surly chainring, 3/32" chain), so I didn't experience the (slight) rubbing sounds I had with the 5-speed at first.

But due to a change to a much more demanding and interesting job, I haven't had much time to ride the Thorn.

[julk]

Having read the eulogies from Andre, I fitted a chainglider to my Thorn Rohloff bike.

I cleaned the bike recently and was amazed at how much muck was on the outside of the chainglider - runoff from mudguards and spillage past mudflaps. It certainly keeps the chain very clean and should help the transmission parts last a lot longer.

I changed my tyres the other day and found another benefit of the chainglider - removing the rear wheel is much easier as most of the chain is encased in the chainglider. Only the 2 rear sections need to be removed to allow the cleaner chain to be unshipped from the rear cog.

Anyone found any other hidden benefits?
Julian.

[Barry Webber]

Barry, I don't know what's up with Thorn and the Chainglider. Their attitude seems to be about five years behind the facts, which are that Hebie redesigned the Chainglider to make a special non-grating Rohloff specific rear enclosure. As long as you fit the correct Chainglider sections for your hub gearbox, the gearbox case is in no danger. Period. The Chainglider is the nearest thing to a fit and forget component you can come to.

I don't think you can put a price on your health. I gave up the car in 1992 and got a bicycle, and my physicians are convinced it's the only reason I'm alive.

Andre Jute

Sorry I did not spot this post sooner after moving my Nomad spec to it's own thread Andre.
Thanks for your reassurance that the Chainglider is unlikely to cause any problems for the Hub case.
It's good to hear that your cycling has proved beneficial for your health as I am sure it is for all of us who regularly indulge in this fun activity.
Before I started Ebiking to work back in October 2010 I felt sure that my circulation in my legs was suffering due to a lack of exercise and the passing years.
More than 12,000 miles later and I feel a lot better thanks to my regular commuting workout.
I still need to lose more weight and introducing new unpowered cycling is likely to help me achieve this especially if I can cut out the bad parts of my diet!

Best wishes,
Barry.

[Trikenomad]

52/15 on a HPV Scorpion FX recumbent trike, which means a really long chain.  Will be trying to figure out the ideal combo depending on load, terrain and other variables, but as a new owner it will tame me some time and longer distances.