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Submitted by
scholty
a Cross Country Rider
from Eastern PA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | White Clay | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | I work at a shop | | Strengths: | Shift on the fly, in a rock garden, last minute before a climb, perfect chain line, perfect shift increments. Looks Bas-ASS! New black-ano w/monkeybone looks a lot more modern than older versions. No maintenance. With modern adapters, any stock singlespeed looks like it's made for the hub. | | Weaknesses: | Gripshift style shifter, weight, noisy in bottom 7, feels light slight drag in bottom 7. RIG with above setup and stock FOX fork weighed in at 29.2 lbs! Recently removed FOX and replaced with rigid fork. Including wheelbuild, hub, monkeybone, Avid rotor, adapter plate, and install for the new version you are probiably looking at $1,600-$1,900 for the upgrade. | | Similar Products Used: | nothing like it. | | Bike Setup: | 08' Fisher Rig, Avid BB7's with Rohloff monkeybone, bontrager switchblade carbon ridgid fork, thomson laid back S/P, Bontrager carbon bar, race x-lite stem. | | Bottom Line: | I only have about 250 miles on the hub and have noticed some resistance on the lower gears. This thing isn't even supposed to break in for 1500km - -and if it does I'm SOLD. Two words best describe the hub - 1) Simple (from the users point of view) 2) Marvel (how this thing works blows my mind). Also, the back of my bike is HEAVY. Usually, the weight is in the front so log-overs and leaving the ground takes a little getting used to. I'll never sell it but will probably still keep other bikes around for light-weight alternatives. Well worth every penny! If you want something different with no worries, this hub is for you. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy G
a Weekend Warrior
from Wellington New Zealand
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$516.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay UK (came from a German owner) | | Strengths: | I wandered into the Science museum in London a while back and found a 1950's road bike. Stuck on the back was a deurallier, and a cluster. It was so similar to bikes you see today that it made me feel let down by the whole industry. But it's worse, the 9 speed deurallier you buy on a bike today comes with the weakest, most stretchy chain ever created, and the shifter has more tiny parts in it than a poppyseed loaf. And it's all supposed to work on the roughest trails ever seen in the history of the bicycle. Well it does, for several minutes at least. Has bike design gone completely backwards?
Not entirely. The Rohloff Speedhub 500/14 seems to solve a whole barrel-load of these problems. It's absolutely brilliant to ride with. The best single change you could make to your bike, bar none (as long as you pedal it). The key benefits for me are:
-Changing gears when not pedalling or even moving (emergency stop at intersection, rip back 8 gears, off you go, or the same a split second before hitting a steep uphill section)
-Gear changes are instant and quieter (if you think deuralliers are also instant then you need to try a speedhub. It's especially good in start-stop riding - you can shift two gears each pedal stroke and always be in a good gear while accelerating a way, where you just wouldn't bother on a deurallier bike)
-Rear end feels luxurious, comes off drops and curbs silently instead of the percussion section that preceded it when I had deuralliers
-No more deuralliers committing suicide on rocks (has affected me three times in the past)
-No more shifters clogging with mud (it's indexed inside the hub - no problems yet anyway)
-The chain's a lot more happy being kept straight, and doesn't cause as much hassle in the mud (does need some good chain guides or tension somehow to not come off though)
-You can upgrade to a 7 or 8 speed chain from your rubbish 9 speed - immediately feels more solid (I did try 9 speed for two weeks when I got the rohloff)
-Thought it would make my bike heavier but mine weighs the same on the scales. (It did replace mostly Deore components and cheap hub/rim in my case but don't forget you're ditching a shifter, front deurallier, 2 front chainrings, rear cluster, rear deurallier, a bit of chain and a partridge in a pear tree. Then you can build a nice bonfire and burn it all to celebrate)
-Felt immediately tighter than my previous hub as a rolling hub alone - I guess it might be to do with a few large high precision ball bearing races running in a shallow oil bath instead of two cheap ones running on grease.
-Rear wheel is stronger in theory due to not being dished. Mine's now taken a good few hits and no trouble yet anyway.
-Comes off the bike easier than a standard wheel. (Yeah so lock it up!!!) | | Weaknesses: | -Price. Try 2nd hand - mine took a bit of playing around to get it set up with a couple of missing bits but saved more than half the retail price. Don't forget that they get better with age, or so people say. And don't forget to include all the replacement bits you're not ever going to have to buy again - that is how the big players make their money after all.
-A lot of people say weight. Well, I'm not convinced. If you are replacing a superlight component set then your bike will probably be a bit heavier but the weight is an insignificant problem in the scheme of things.... it's a lifestyle upgrade after all. You'll probably lose a few kilos yourself in extra riding.
-On the CC version, the bits that hold the cables ends aren't too secure. I've re-engineered mine with some bigger cap screws instead of the stock grub screws.
-The first time, cable installation is slightly more fiddly than a deurallier because you have to set twin cables on the correct setting on the shifter and the hub. I ended up cutting one cable slightly too short but it still shifted fine. | | Similar Products Used: | 3 speed sturmey archer on my childhood BMX | | Bike Setup: | GT I-Drive 5 (frame now deceseased due to crack at seatpost and awaiting warranty replacement), a pair of Judys, stock gear apart from removed components. Speedhub built with DT spokes, Mavic XC 717 joe-bloggs rim. | | Bottom Line: | -Start saving up now and then get one and welcome yourself to the 21st century.
-Don't buy one if you're addicted to bike maintenance, wear Shimano t-shirts, or are a sponsored XC racer who gets everything replaced and serviced for them.
By the way:
-Mine felt significantly better after an oil rinse and change - Not sure how long it was sitting idle before I bought it but could have been a while. The oil isn't your standard motor oil - looks and smells a bit like lithium grease but is much more runny than that.
-I had to replace the sprocket provided due to chain skip and decided on a 15 rather than 16 tooth so it's now 44 to 15 front to back. This gives a better range on 26" wheels I think, unless you spend most of your time on extreme uphills. The sprockets aren't cheap at £20 but they are steel I think unlike the rubbish Aluminium ones on your average cluster's larger rings.
-Mine is still whirry in gears 3 through 7 but it's not unpleasant at all. You tend to spend most of your time in higher gears and in these lower ones it kind of feels like you're doing something.
-If you've got access to a CNC mill then don't make your own OEM2 torque arm out of Aluminium, or it blows to bits on a steep uphill, the hub turns in the wheel, and then your cables get ripped up and your frame gets scratched. Speaking from experience. If you're going to make an OEM2 torque arm yourself do it out of a single bit of Stainless Steel. You could also buy a Rohloff originall!!! Luckily the Speedhub survived all this without any permanent damage despite my best efforts. Clearly a well engineered piece of kit. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim
a Weekend Warrior
from Vienna, Austria
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Strengths: | Easy, hassle-free shifting, even under challenging circumstances (mud, snow). Low maintenance reuired. With approriate frames no chain tensioner required. Chain line is always straight. | | Weaknesses: | Weight, price. During the first 500km the Speedhub will settle in. In the beginning low gears (especially 5 and 7) are quite noisy, but this gets better during time. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Bergwerk Mercury Rohloff, Magura HS33, Skareb Comp | | Bottom Line: | I won't go back to derailleur systems. I shift at least 2-3 times more frequently since it is so easy. For bikers (1) spending lots of their time in mud and snow or (2)for touring oriented people who require worry-less and low maintenance shifting this is the perfect system. Race oriented people who need to squeek out the last bit of performance are probably better off with lighter a derailleur system. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alberto
a Cross Country Rider
from Turin, Italy
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Strengths: | will work in extreme conditions (mud and snow), can go through the complete gear range in a twist, you can forget twisted/bent chains and misaligned derailleurs, will last 100.000 km (a lifetime on MTB?) | | Weaknesses: | heavy (prepare to save weight on some other component), shifting under heavy pedal-load is better with traditional systems | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Nicolai Helius CC full-sus frame w/ Bergman Elia's fork, Stratos XC Pro shock, Crank Bros pedals, RooX seatpost, FSA Afterburner cranks, XMAX, SRAM 9.0 v-brakes, Dedaelementi stem-bar: 27lbs | | Bottom Line: | The transmission of a modern MTB is still at stone-age, compared to its brakes or suspension, so I thought I needed something better than a 3x9 cog-and-ring system. The Rohloff hub is great: with a 38x16 you cover the complete range from 22x34 to 44x13 (enough for what I do) and you stop worrying about bad chain-cross or bending the chain during a race. If you keep riding also in the bad season, you'll enjoy being able to change gear while your friends are stuck with unusable transmissions or frozen cassettes: sweet!. The Rohloff is just superior if you happen to find a steep climb you didn't expect just after a fast downhill: going from the big ring to the small one and passing all the cogs is a pain in the neck, with the R. the opposite gear of the range is just a twist away!
The drawbacks: weight (you add 500g or more compared to an XT, but I think it's ok if you get a bomb-proof transmission with that) and some shifting problems around the 7-8 gear under heavy load (sometimes it just doesn't shift.. although I've been told it gets smoother after 1000 miles, let's wait and see). I recommend this product to everybody riding technical trails, fed-up by the limitations of current transmissions and looking for a different system that really works. XC riders racing on short distances or on flatter courses are probably better off with more traditional Shiamano or Sram components. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jerry
a Cross Country Rider
from Austria
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | straight through the woods | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$900.00 | | Strengths: | Durability, low to no maintenance, no shifting problems, no chain suck, almost don´t notice it anymore | | Weaknesses: | weight (save some on other parts), no extremely low gears possible, torque arm is dead ugly. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Trek OCLV97, avid ultimate, chris king, tune, DT swiss, mavic, eggbeaters, thudbuster, LP turbinate,nokon.. | | Bottom Line: | Worth the price, runs even better after 1000miles, will never go back .. this is it | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond, VA, USA
Date Reviewed: January 4, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Simple. Tough. Easy setup. Superfast shifts under any condition. Very low maintenance. Gear range is identical to a 22-44 chainring/12-30 cassette, with uniform jumps. | | Weaknesses: | Heavy. Mild internal friction in most gears. Expensive. | | Similar Products Used: | Sturmey archer 3 speed 30 years ago. There is not comparison! | | Bike Setup: | Steel frame with knobbies. | | Bottom Line: | FUN!!!!
Great in the mud - easy cleanup, unlike derailleurs.
Every shift is perfect and almost instantaneous - a real plus in technical situations when there is a need to drop a lot of grears fast to ease ahead. This hub can shift from top to bottom or any other way in a fraction of a second, whether coasting or pedalling. Amazing. The weight is only a minor annoyance. The internal resistance is real - reported to be up to about 3% in certain gears. So, I don't race with it, unless it's really muddy and I don't want a big cleanup afterward. I hardly ride my very nice derailleur bike any more - having too much fun with the Rohloff. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jerry
a Cross Country Rider
from Austria
Date Reviewed: June 26, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | straight trough the woods | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$900.00 | | Purchased At: | local bikeshop | | Strengths: | No shifting or chain worries, good support | | Weaknesses: | Weight (add 1.5# min.), pathetic garden hose clamps for torque, gear ratio for uphill effectively max 20/28 (supposed to get better over time, however max 20/30) | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Trek OCLV97, C King headset Mavic 618CD rims, XTR brakes, Race face LP turbine cranks, Nokon, crane creek thudbuster, Eggbeaters 02 cromoly, SID world cup 03, tune skewers, Schwalbe black mud shark tires | | Bottom Line: | 1.) try to figure out if you could get rid of 1.5# befroe you get the hub, so you don´t add too much weight, since
2.) uphill efficiency in the first 5 gears is BELOW a normal drivetrain and you wind up with something in the range of 20/28- 30max. Once you start carrying 1.5# more on a bike where the weight shifts to the back on a hill that you before climed in a hush, you will notice the difference.
2a) start weight lifting to compensate for the gear ratio loss.
3.) Be prepared to forget about shifting - it´s not a problem anymore.
4.) forget mud, branches, high grass, water related problems, they cease to exist.
BOTTOM LINE: you have to adjust to it like you have to with a nice Harley, but I would do it again.
In a year I will post a follow up, 4 stars so far, since I lost some of the hills | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Vern (up the Irons!!) Dog
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | any xc singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$900.00 | | Strengths: | bomb proof, sweet fast shifting, no chain suck,slip or derailers to get fouled up,dishless rear wheel, shifting while not pedaling and great customer service | | Weaknesses: | noticeable weight difference (oh well, doesn't bother me), noisy in the lower gears, but gets quieter with time, not that much of an issue though)Price, but think of how many chains, cogs, deraillers you have gone through in the last couple of years..you could buy 2 xtr gruppo's for the same price as the rohloff,buy why? just a guess on the above, but the hub will certainly outlast any derailler technology | | Similar Products Used: | single speed set up with spot and philwood hubs, but kept tearing apart freewheels, now i just use the rohloff hub for all my xc racing/riding, sometimes get out the singlespeed for funruns | | Bike Setup: | KHS cro-moly hardtail, Bomber atom 80 fork, Rohloff speedhub, Raceface cranks, mavic rims, michelin tires,raceface riser h-bar, and xtr v brakes-levers | | Bottom Line: | I wouldn't even consider going back to some 27 + speed set up, I've raced this bike with the speedhub at mtb races/24 hour events with no worries, well worth the money, and fairly easy to set up and maintain. Lots of people will think your bike is set up as a singlespeed, that is up to you to let them know otherwise!!..yes, I still and will ride my true singlespeed, but this set up is the way to go,Excellent and well made hub and accesories that come with the hub, And, be prepared to talk to others,(answer questions) as I found out at the races/rides this past season, If you decide to get the Speedhub, enjoy the ride, as I sure am...VernDog | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Cor Tonkens
a Weekend Warrior
from Veendam Netherland
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere but near here | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$990.00 | | Purchased At: | Stappenbelt | | Strengths: | durability, easy gearchanges | | Weaknesses: | weight and costs | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano STX, LX and XT ??? | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale SuperV500, marzochi Z1 Freeride, Fox ALPS4, Fir 400 | | Bottom Line: | have used the speedhub about 800 km now. have had no problems with the speedhub itself sofar.
rode it in december last year in the snow with a temperature of about -1 °C. I had no problems anyhow, in contradistinction with some others I passed. After two hours in the snow I could still use the full gear range. Even with the XT rear derailleurs it happend that about half of its range in bad weather conditions couldn't be used anymore after a while.
The noise the hub makes in 7th gear in the beginning is irritating loud. It starts to fade now, just like mentioned in the user manual.
Gearchange is simple after getting used to taking the pressure of the chain when operated.
However one needs to use a chainguide on the front chainring if applied on a full suspension bike, it is a b'ch when te chain drops of in rugged terrain for the umpteeth time.
It's a no worry solution, little maintenance, just clean the chain (which has a lot longer lifespan) regulary.
It's an expensive solution which I should have applied earlier.
It looks odd.
It's no solution for weight freaks and people who like to do repair and maintenance works. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bevan Pratt
a Cross Country Rider
from Palmerston Nth
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Deliverance | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | OEM on bike | | Strengths: | reliability, strength, almost perfect shifting, ALWAYS | | Weaknesses: | SLIGHT weight increase | | Similar Products Used: | whatever...
| | Bike Setup: | Lahar Softail, Z1 Drop-off 20mm axle, Hayes Hydro brakes, Middleburn cranks | | Bottom Line: | I reckon it weighs about 300-350g over XT, but then this frame has been designed for it, so no torque arm or tensioner is needed. It would be nice if the shifting was a bit lighter, but its a small price to pay. I've now ridden about 4000kms on it, mostly over winter, and it has just got better - I reckon I would've already worn a conventional drivetrain out! It definitely loosens up in the lower gears over time, and as about 2/3 of the miles if done have been on-road, I probably haven't used them enough to have loosened them up fully yet. An the service I eceived from Rohloff Germany when I damaged the hub (my fault - sprocket was corroded on due to salty roads) was exceptional. This is truly an engineers piece of kit. The only problem I have, is I don't have anything to maintain on my bike any more - I fix my friends bikes instead! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard Daggenhurst
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles
Date Reviewed: April 29, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Flume Trail, Lake Tahoe | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | perfect chain line, no derailer worries, great build quality, zero dish makes for stronger wheels, ability to change gears whilst riding uphill at slow speeds. | | Weaknesses: | see previous posting dated 11/29/01, this is an update to that posting | | Similar Products Used: | shimano nexus 7 | | Bike Setup: | mtb hardtail | | Bottom Line: | This is an update to my posting dated 11/29/01. I'd concluded there that rohloff stated that the hub loosens up after about 800 miles and the power losses that i had complained about in gears 1 to 5 would diminish significantly as the hub bedded in.
i can't comment on that, as i returned the hub to rohloff in early january of this year. what i can comment on is just how well i was treated by rohloff usa and rohloff germany. they listened to my complaints, urged me to be patient and when i said that i wasn't willing to give it a try, they took the hub back no questions asked, just really good customer service from a company that stands 100% behind its products and cares about its customers being happy. thanks for that!
i can say that i've been contacted by a number of people who've all told me that rohloff is right in claiming that the hub does loosen up after 1000 or so miles. the review immediately below mine notices some power loss, though not comical, going up hill, i'd be curious to see how much this lessens as the hub beds in. he's certainly spot on, on the benefits of changing gears whilst seated and grinding, i weigh 205 and get too tired to stand on long 2 to 3 mile offroad climbs such as the ones you find around colorado springs, colorado, and seated, slow speed gear changes are really helpful, particularly if you lose momentum and are stuck in the wrong gear, that's a real killer.
on balance, i probably made a mistake in not keeping the hub and bedding it in, all the other benefits, such as no derailer worries, perfect chainline, zero dish etc etc are there from the get go and they make a compeeling argument for someone who wants a really reliable set up. for the way that rohloff stood by their product and their great customer service, as well as the many reports that i've received on the hubs' characteristics after bedding in, i'm revising my opinion, the hub gets five chillies. just be sure though, when you get the hub, to be patient with it while it beds in!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael McCauley
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, Australia
Date Reviewed: January 21, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Mt York | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$925.00 | | Purchased At: | Rolhoff Australia | | Strengths: | Smoothest gearchanges you will every experience. No chain suck. Ask Polaris challenge riders from Sunny Corner about chain suck. No maintenance-none. Once a year oil change if you call that maintenance. No stuffing around with deraileurs that won't quite adjust. straight chain,less wear on everything. Get a ride on one it will change your life.. | | Weaknesses: | 7-8 and 8-7 gear change. But this complaint is only compared to the other gears in the hub. It is still better than derailuer systems. You just back off the power for 1/10 of a revolution and it is as smooth as silk. Not one complete revolution like a derailuer. | | Similar Products Used: | Sachs 24 speed with twist grip. Shimano 27 speed.
nothing really compares. | | Bike Setup: | Porsche "S" Hardtail,Aluminium frame,Votec GS4 Shocks,Magura HS33 Brakes, Rolhoff 500cc14 Hub and Chain!!! | | Bottom Line: | My bike weighs in at 500 grams heavier than the latest model of my bike. I would carry around heavier turds than that!!!
I weigh in at 117 kilograms or close to 18-19 stone (6' 4")so I'm looking for unbreakable components. This is it!!!
I rode in the 2000 Polaris Challenge at Sunny Corner (some sick dude thought of that name) and it was a Mud bath. I had no gears (I was using a derailuer system back then) chain sucked every four turns of the chain. Eventually the mud got so thick I couldn't turn the wheels.
I wish I had of had my Rolhoff then.
I am climbing hills now that I found impossible before, I haven't noticed "comical" power losses in low gears, although i have noticed some loss. It doesn't worry me at all. When I'm 30 kms from the nearest phone and it starts raining I'm going to be singing all the way back while I ride my bike, not carrying it becasue the bloody deraileur is gummed up with grud.
I also love changing gears while going uphill or on some single track when you hit a blind corner and your in a gear which is way to high, no problem just grab a hand full of grip shift and turn, presto instant gear change and power out of the corner. When your a large lump like me it helps as I find it hard to grind out of uphill corners in high gears like 60kg pissants.
By the way if you ever get the chance to go to Kassel in Germany where these wonderful units are built, call in and visit Her Rolhoff and friends as they are great people and love showing off their factory. Take a six pack of Pils with you.
I love this thing...
Get one NOW! you will wonder why you didn't sooner!!!!!!!
Picture of My bike in "Photo Gallery if you're interested.
"Porsche/Rolhoff "S". | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter Berg
a Cross Country Rider
from Kassel, Germany
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Lago di Garda, Italy | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Rohloff directly | | Strengths: | Durable, Fool proof usage, Ultra low maintenance, No chainsuck ever, One shifter for all gears, can be shifted while not pedaling, can be shifted under load (not 7-8 or 8-7), fast gear changes, makes symmetric sturdy wheel, perfect equal gear spacing | | Weaknesses: | Up to one pound heavier than 27speed, not cheap at first but you save Chains, Chainrings, Sprockets etc. because of minimal wear | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano '88 18speed to '98 XTR, but then: similar? Not even close... | | Bike Setup: | Steed hardtail, Judy SL, XTR brakes
Tried several Chainring-Cog combinations and can now run without Chain-tensioner on my hardtail for about 2000 miles before wear lenghtens it too much | | Bottom Line: | Once you get used to it theres NO return! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard Daggenhurst
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles
Date Reviewed: November 29, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Strengths: | great if you want to avoid chain suck and being stuck with a broken derailer far from home | | Weaknesses: | comical power losses in gears 1 through 5 whilst climbing hills, both on and off-road | | Similar Products Used: | shimano nexus 7 sp | | Bike Setup: | mtb with track end d/outs | | Bottom Line: | this hub is great for downhillers and anybody who is worried about chain suck and derailer damage on long rides. However, if there's a lot of climbing involved on that long ride, forget about buying this hub, 'cos the peace of mind that you get from not worrying about chainsuck and broken derailers is NOT worth the power consumed by the hub in gears 1 thru' 5 while climbing. The subjective impression is that the hub is filled with mollasses and objective testing over familiar road and off-road courses shows that times to complete lengthen by between 10 and 12%. Rohloff says that their claims of 95-98% efficiency in all gears (similar, therefore, to a derailer system) are independently proven by a lab in Holland. I would suggest that you ask to review these tests, or better still, see the results of tests done by a lab here in the US, before you make your decision. The bottom line is that a downhiller doesn't need to worry about power losses in gears 1 to 5 while climbing, but a XC rider or expedition tourer needs to give very serious thought as to whether the benefits of no-derailer etc are outweighed by the significant detriment of the hub's power consumption whilst climbing. Lastly, to be fair to Rohloff, their distributor told me that it takes at least 500 to 1000 miles for the hub to reach peak efficiency. Again, you decide whether you want to spend 800 dollars in the hope that in two or three months, the hub will work fine. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Racer
from H Town
Date Reviewed: September 2, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Nut Buster | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$890.00 | | Purchased At: | Cambria | | Strengths: | Ultimate shifting, No chain suck, No chain slap. Smooth and quiet riding. Any Gear any Time any Where. Set it Up and forget it. No maintenance. Produces a stronger rear wheel (shorter spokes) Seek out someone with one and ride it to appreciate it. | | Weaknesses: | All said and done. There is about a .5 lb increase over the stock (Shimano 27 speed) set up. The initial cost to own one of these beauties is a little steep. | | Similar Products Used: | Nothing Compares. Similar products don't hold up. | | Bike Setup: | Intense Uzzi SL, Raceface crank and TI BB, Mavic Rims, Rohloff CC DB hub, Shimano XT front hub, XT Levers, Hayes Mech disk brakes, Thompson stem and seat post, Monkey bar | | Bottom Line: | Bottom Line: Start saving some jing and ride one. You will appreciate the performance you get. I could spout a ton of stuff about this hub but it will ultimately do you no good. Before you lay out this type of cash go ride one. Not just a two minute ride and thank you very much. Really go ride it, look at it hard and talk to the owner.
If your a weight weenie don't get one. If your into performance go check it out.
Unfortunately the Speedbone is not available. In order to use the unit with a Horst rear end (like on the Intense and Specialized) you have to be a little creative. A simple mod is all you need and you can use all of the kit parts including the torque arm which will be run up along the underside of what would be a seat stay (upper tube).
Excellent support from Thomas at Rohloff USA and Mike at Cambria Outfitters. For some detailed info check out WWW.harriscyclery.com
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Timo
a Cross Country Rider
from Germany
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Poison Spider, Moab | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | 650 | | Strengths: | - smooth and easy shifting no matter how rough the conditions
- very low maintenance, mount it and forget it
- indurance, probably the last shifting system I'll ever buy | | Weaknesses: | - weight
- shifting from 7 to 8 is kinda critical, sometimes | | Similar Products Used: | XT. XTR | | Bike Setup: | GT XCR 1000, Bomber Z2 Atom, Magura HS33 | | Bottom Line: | If you love to shift easily an hate to mess around with misadjusted derailleurs this is the hub to buy. That thing is designed to last a lifetime. In the long run it's way cheaper than XTR. So F**K Shimano and get yourself a decent piece of German engineering! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Darret Black
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 15, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Whatever | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$550.00 | | Purchased At: | Second hand from a friend | | Strengths: | Perfect fast shifting all the time, No chain suck, No chain slap, No derilleurs to snap off, Any gear @ any time even when not pedaling, Perfect gear range and spacing. | | Weaknesses: | Weight. About 1-2lb heaver then xt. | | Similar Products Used: | Only in my dreams. | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale F700. Avid brakes. Hugi front hub. Mavic rims. Race Face crank (only need one ring). | | Bottom Line: | Any one who wants perfect shifting needs a Rohloff Speedhub. This is the best shifting system of all time. No adjusting. Perfect shifts. You can shift from 1 to 14 in no time. Gear range is as good as a 27 speed. This kicks ass on XTR!!!
Cheeper then XTR. Easy to set up. Strong rear wheel.
This is one of the best bike products of all time!!!
I bet the big "S" will come out with there own coppycat hub soon.
Rohloff is king!!!!
Buy it now!
If you have more ?????? e-mail me! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Billy Craft
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas, TX USA
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Bar H Ranch - St. Jo | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | GroundZero...New Zealand | | Strengths: | Simplicity, reliability, ease of use... | | Weaknesses: | Are you kidding? | | Similar Products Used: | XT and XTR are the closest things but they don't even come close! | | Bike Setup: | Homegrown Hardtail, Z2 Bomber up front, Avid Ultimate L Brakes...basically anything that is "bomb proof" so I don't have to fix a lot of stuff... | | Bottom Line: | The Hub is awesome. The set-up was easy - especially compared to a derailleur system. It is maintenance free, works like a charm in all conditions and has basically made life much nicer. The only snag I had was the chain tensioner that came with the system. The spring was not very tight so my chain came off a few times - very frustrating. The solution to that was very simple though - I got a bigger chain ring for the front that took up the slack - now there is no need for a tensioner and my bike is very clean looking and even less likely to "break down". Another benefit to the larger chain ring was that it took me "up" in my gearing range so that now I do use my lowest gear on monster hills and don't outrun my highest gear on the flats and slopes. I am not a big fan of the grip-style shifters but the reliability and ability to shift at any time have more than made up for that. It is soooo cool to shift going up a hill! If you are like me and don't want to worry about breaking down and are tired of adjusting your stuff all of the time then this is the way to go. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Grant Salter
a Cross Country Rider
from Grand Rapids, MI USA
Date Reviewed: February 14, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Fort Custer | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Village Bike Shop | | Strengths: | This thing has everything going for it. Who wants to shift all the time coasting, peadling, and even pedaling backwards. This thing is the ultimate hub with the same gear ratio as you 27 speed chain crossing, derailleur, breaking wish I had A Rohloff riders. Seriously though wiht a range of gears of 526% and an even 13.6% increment change between each gear it is litterly perfect. and its quick release. I have only put about 1100 miles on it and thought that I should change the oil So I called Rohloff and talked to Thomas who by the way will talk you friggen ear off, great guy. He told me I was crazy to change the oil after that many miles they recommend an oil change about every 3000 miles. Those Germans if their not building a nice car their building 14 speed internal HUBS.
I am a 7 yr mechanic and the directions are a snap they are very detailed but if you are a backyard mechanic DON'T EVEN TRY DOING IT YOURSELF!!! OH YA DID I MENTION THAT THIS WAS A BIRTHDAY GIFT FROM MY BOOOYS AT WORK, THAT WHAT THAT MEENS TO A POOR COLLEGE STUDENT LIKE MYSELF FREE FREE FREE FREE. TRUST ME THOUGH EVERYONE HAS HAD THERE CHANCE TO RIDE MY LUCKILY I'M SHORT SO MY BIKE REALLY DOESN'T FIT ANYONE. SO any way if you don't already have one BUY IT RIGHT NOW!!!! | | Weaknesses: | IT'S WEIGHT BUT WHO CARES 14 SPEED INTERNAL. CAN I JUST SAY WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW. | | Similar Products Used: | ARE YOU KIDDING ME. XTR WHATS THAT | | Bike Setup: | SPOOKY METALHEAD SLOTTED DROP OUT WHICH MEANS NO DERAILLEUR. | | Bottom Line: | IF YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE ONE GET UP AND GO TO YOUR LOCAL BIKE SHOP AND BUY ONE. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bryce
a Cross Country Rider
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: February 11, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$900.00 | | Purchased At: | NZ Distributor | | Strengths: | Instant changing, reliable, you will never get chain suck, easy maintainance, bullet proof, takes off heaps of stuff that I always seemed to break such as changing pods, derailleurs, or wear out such as small/middle rings. You can easily modify the gearing up or down depending on the trip by changing the sprocket or ring.Should save a fortune in parts | | Weaknesses: | Heavier than I'd hoped, got to watch the shift between 7-8th, there is a safety mechanism that will take you to 14th under load.Slightly noisy in lower gears | | Similar Products Used: | Been XTR for years | | Bike Setup: | K@ Razor Back, 100mm Sid tripleclamps, XTR cranks, easton monkey lite bars, easton | | Bottom Line: | Not for everyone, ie gram counters (which I used to be), but I'm sold on functionability, reliability and ease of service. It gets boggy in the winter over here, and this is the only system that has never chainsucked and always changes no mater how deep the water or mud, or dust or whatever.... Easy to set up, just make sure the cable lengths are accurate (not hard to do), you'll never have to worry about cable tension etc, all the changing is in the hub, not the shifter. You can hear it working in the bottom seven gears (presumably they have been beefed up to cope with the extra torque at low speeds) but the top seven are dead quiet. The noise is only really noticable on tarmac, on the trail this is the quietess system you'll ever use. If using a full suspension bike be aware that as you are only using a big ring up front you may induce a bit of pedal bobbing if, as I discovered, you have a bike such as a Razor Back which is quite active in the big ring, and designed to semi lock out in the small ring. It's not a big deal, but the Noleen air-rear lock-out shock fixed this issue.
In use the hub is a delight, you will often get changes you would never get normally, you can preselect changes without clocking the pedals, and changing is instant. There seems to be no noticable loss in climbing power, sometimes it seems so, but I think it could be mainly pychological as everyone tells you it can't be efficent! But when running downhill, there is no drag, and seems to roll better than a conventional system. Putting a Rohloff onto your bike will add weight, despite what Rohloffs website says. I changed from xtr and it probably put an extra pound or two on (I find the four pound mentioned earlier hard to believe). It's hard to be accurate, as I have the disc version, but having run the hub over a winter and summer feel the extra weight isn't an issue. You can race on this hub and I guarra |
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