The SPEEDHUB for frames with disc brakes. At present the speedhub is fully compatible with the disc brakes from Magura (Gustav M. and Louise) and Hope. Specially designed discs (discs with min. 160 mm) are required! Quick releases as above.
Submitted by
fokof
a Cross Country Rider
from Montreal Date Reviewed: August 23, 2009
Favorite Trail:
XC , climbing
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
Harris cyclery
Strengths:
Setup and forget. Changing gear while coasting is an invaluable advantage. Constant gear change. SS simplicity. Shifting in the gear box , no indexing.Mud/snow/dust/sand proof.
Weaknesses:
Shifting cable OEM is crap. Weight. Noise.
Similar Products Used:
Nexus,Alfine,Sturmey-Archer
Bike Setup:
Cannondale 1FG (SS EBB)
Bottom Line:
Second report after 4 years of intense usage;
-I changed the shifting Rohloff cables after the first month , those were very crap.
Since then I broke one cable on a trail , but you still can change speed with an 8mm. You have a variable SS...!
I setup my cables end with heat shrink , so no water gets in.
No troubles with those for the last three years.
- I change the oil every year , that's it. Nothing but 100% reliability.
- It gets smoother with age , I must have 7000km on it and it is better now than when new. Still a bit noisy to my taste on certain speeds ,but not more noisy than when in a cross-chain situation with a standard drive train.
-The shifting ability can be a bit long to get , I had 20 years of derailleur habit to forget, but once you get how to shift this thing , it the perfect drivetrain. I ride in some pretty extreme condition (mud & snow) and I'm always amazed how superior this hub is over traditional drive train.
-After 4 years , the cost of it is almost at par if I would have kept my XTR drivetrain.Very glad to have dicided to go with the Speedhub.
-I really don't notice the weight. When I installed it , It kind of bugged me , but not anymore. The advantages are a lot more than disadvantages. (price/weight/noise)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
lukenduro
a Cross Country Rider
from Poznan, Poland Date Reviewed: February 22, 2009
Favorite Trail:
any tricky and technical
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At:
official dealer
Strengths:
great marketing, smooth shifting in any weather conditions, possibility to change gear while stop or not pedalling
Weaknesses:
delicate "outboard" equipment (chain tensioner, gearbox), 7 to 8th gear change issue, changing gears under heavy loads, overpriced (sprockets)and hardly available spare parts
Similar Products Used:
shimano nexus 8, sram spectro 7,
Bike Setup:
specialized enduro 130 trail bike
Bottom Line:
First of all this hub was my dream since it came on the market in 90's. I finally managed to buy it and it strongly dissapointed me. I thought it will match my riding style (tricky, technical terrain i any weater conditions) perfectly but it did not. I switched to speedhub from the full deore xt M750 setup. It took me 5 hours (excluding the new wheel building) to have it setup on the bike. I took it as an time investment for promised "maintenance free use". First impression was great. I felt like switching form a car with stick shift to an automatic one. The “dark sides” I've noticed were: internal drag and a feeling of poor efficiency, noise, hard shifting under load, 7 to 8th gear change issue. I thought they will go away with time (after 1000 km). After over 3000 km they have’t dissapeared. Instead of being ahead off my buddies on technical trail sections, I got stuck in the hard gear many times. Next dissapoiment was very delicate construction of gearbox: wich hasn’t survived a little branch (broken adjusters) and a light crash (ripping off the cover, unfixable in the wild). After almost a year off giving it chances, I decided to sell it. For the money I got I bought a complete XT 770 set with Shadow deraileur and XTR SL-M970 shifters and a Nexus 8 equipped commuitng bike to get to work. And I am very happy with them. My conclusion: Speedhub is a great idea, but it's technology is over 10 years old. External deraileurs are way better now that they were than. I think it is good for rather calm style of riding, with no need of rapid gear changes, like tourism or commuting. Time for more changes, then only great lookin laser etched logos.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
zander13
a Cross Country Rider
from San Francisco, CA Date Reviewed: January 31, 2009
Favorite Trail:
MR Toads wild ride, Tahoe CA
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
bike dealer
Strengths:
Bomb proof, barely had to touch it in 7 years of riding
Weaknesses:
weight
Similar Products Used:
Nexus 8 spd hub, SRAM 9spd disc hub
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Blur LT 07
Bottom Line:
This is the best piece of bike gear I own. The performance and lack of required maintenance more than make up for the weight. Three of my other friends have gotten these since I did and they are super happy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
rodmai
a Weekend Warrior
from guadalajara mexico Date Reviewed: January 30, 2009
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1500.00
Purchased At:
crossmountain guadal
Strengths:
-Perfect shifting every time
-Always ready to ride
Weaknesses:
-Weight, maybe (I could loose the weight myself)
-Price
Similar Products Used:
Traditional shimano xt
Bike Setup:
ghost amr 7500, fullsusp
Bottom Line:
i have just 200km on the rohloff, its just superb. It took me some time to get used to grip shifting and not having to pedal to complete the shifting, but now its all joy. My bike is ready to ride every time. I can give my friends a hard time every time they miss a shift, ha... The chain is always on the correct place no matter what. No chain slap. I´m a bad mechanic, so not having to adjust a thing on the derailleur and be ready to ride every time is just glorious. I did extended search before buying so I knew what to expect, but its better than expected. Thanks Tomas and Neil at Rohloff usa, also thanks to Chetto at crossmountain for the installation. Regarding the price I know its high but I do believe that you get what you pay for.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
drcuzo
a Cross Country Rider
from Sunshine Coast, Qld, Australia Date Reviewed: January 25, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Anything without bitumen
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1400.00
Purchased At:
Flying Ball - Bike S
Strengths:
Everything - it is faultless. I love being able to crank up and down 3, 4 or more gears at a time (and without peddling) It is as robust as a single speed - nothing to catch, clog or break.
Weaknesses:
None. I think the price is good for such a miraculous piece of engineering. The weight is not significant given the benefits. I have never had an issue changing gears while climbing (while my derailleur mates are clunking, cursing and swearing trying to change down.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XT derailleur
Bike Setup:
Seven Verve
Bottom Line:
Cannot recommend it highly enough. I was almost put off by a review in which the reviewer claimed the hub was noisy and sapped the last ounces of power out of his legs. I have normal hearing and can only hear the hub over tyre noise in 7th but it is hardly noticeable. The power loss if any is made up for by efficiency in changing gears and the faultless operation
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jazzzy
a Weekend Warrior
from Basel, Switzerland Date Reviewed: December 2, 2008
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$1500.00
Purchased At:
www.fome.de
Strengths:
-Close to 0 maintenance
-Chain path is no issue, shifting without thinking
-100% reliable
Weaknesses:
-Weight
-Price
-Installation on bike
-More pedalling resistance (98% in comparison to normal chain shifting just can't be true)
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XT
Bike Setup:
Nomad, DHXA, FOX 36 talas rc2, saint-brakes
Bottom Line:
This is an follow up. I was getting used to my rohloff not really noticing it's advantages anymore. But lately I testrode my friends Maverick with normal XT-gear and had real troubles finding the right gears. And this is what i consider the rohloff's biggest advantage: shiftig is super easy, no thinking just turning the gripshift. No worries about the chain path, no chain suck, no need to pedal when shifting from one gear to another, shifting ten gear at once. Of course it's nice to know that it is basically indestructable and there is no need to adjust it - but the thing is really the ease of shifting. Now even in different anodized colors. It's perfect for anybody who rides a lot and doesn't race.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
rosscopeco
a Weekend Warrior
from Glasgow, Scotland Date Reviewed: September 10, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Anywhere off road
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At:
Kinetics
Strengths:
Does what it says on the tin. No hassle, just twist and go. No cleaning required. Fit and forget. Gets better with time and use.
Weaknesses:
Cost, but that's relative. The bike cost me £2K + so why stop there! None in terms of performance to date.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XT
Bike Setup:
Orange 5, Rock Shox Revelation, Fox RP23, Hope
Bottom Line:
I've now owned this for 13 months and it's used almost everyday (inc winter) for commuting on a 18 mile round trip across a mixture of trails / roads and most weekends for thrashing around local trails.
I’ve now competed in 2 x 50+ mile off road races through some of the worse terrain Scotland has (3G challenge) and it’s great to pass other poor souls who are cursing their fancy XTR / X0 systems that can’t shift properly because of the mud!
For those of you who commute through traffic you'll know that traffic dirt / film is far worse on a bike than good clean mud. With the old XT system, if I didn't give it some TLC every weekend it would jam by day 8 or 9. Now I never have to do anything other than hose down the bike and give the chain a wee wipe with a dry lub once it's dry. It's just something I never have to think or worry about now. Incidentally I swapped out to a single speed chain as it's a bit tougher more durable (and cheaper).
Perceived weaknesses
Noise: Yes, it does make a little whirring noise in gears 5 - 7 but if you compare that to a normal system when you try and change gear quickly or when it's full of mud, there's no comparison!
Weight: It’s a little on the heavy side but lets be honest here, why shave 10g off your bike when we all put on 5lbs over the xmas hols!
Cost: It's expensive and I spent ages making my mind up before I finally took the plunge and saw the light but it's more than paid for itself in terms of ease of use, reliability and peace of mind on the trail.
The more it gets used the smoother and quieter it gets, so in short, I'll never go back to the old way as it’s the best investment I’ve made.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
marek
a Downhiller
from pruszkow,poland Date Reviewed: May 23, 2008
sometimes hapens freewheel efect or different (higher)gear changes under power
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Terrence McAleer
a Cross Country Rider
from Philthydelphia,PA.,U.S.A. Date Reviewed: April 21, 2008
Favorite Trail:
too many to list
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$950.00
Purchased At:
Blienky cycle werks
Strengths:
the shifting is effortless and gets thoughtless too,it gets so easy to be in the correct gear and then just dooing it by instinct. city streets or back trails philly has the best and the worst!.
Weaknesses:
I can't find one after about 3000 miles and five oil changes it just gets better and better.
Similar Products Used:
stumy-archer 3 speed.
Bike Setup:
hybred 29er w/eccentric bottom bracket for easy adjustment of the chain which is a heavy BMX chain,avid jucy rear disc setup w/magura hydro/front rimbrake. pedals,seatpost,stem and bars are truvativ group and the seat is a specialized 155 milano.front hub is diore genny and both front/rear rims are velosity dyads w/maxxis crossmark 29s
Bottom Line:
This is the best thing since sliced toast no...this IS THE diffrence from manuel to AUTOMATIC shift that the bike world will see til this get's IMPROVED!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Les van der Roest
a Weekend Warrior
from British Columbia Date Reviewed: April 8, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Saturday night loop
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
It is rock Soid and works in all temperatures up to -30C. Single chain line. Shift anytime anywhere. Better clearance. Beter chain line. More even gearing and smoother transactions as you shift up and down through the gears.
Weaknesses:
Heavy!! Leaks oil. It is NOT as efficient as XT/XO set-ups. It seems to get worse in the really low gears under tough climbing conditions. My Hub leaks a little and now my DB are hooped. I have had trouble with spokes breaking but I think that is the wheel builders fault not the hubs. I am about to lace on a lighter x/c rim with new spokes so we'll see.
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
Kona Dawg Primo - XT/Mavic hubs/Rims, XT disc brakes, FOX Shock and Fork etc...
Bottom Line:
I like this hub in theory and like some of the aspects in practice but this is definately not a hub if you do lots of big steep technical climbing or if you want to race. I am going to keep this hub on my communter bike where it shines year round.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andy
a Weekend Warrior
from New Zealand Date Reviewed: January 13, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Pleney (the twisty one), Morzine, France
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
ebay.com.au
Strengths:
- Speed of shifting (instant!). You end up using all the gears, changing far more often and riding faster as a result. - Reliability - 2 years and it's been the most reliable part on the whole bike, over about 4000 km of snow, London salty roads, downhilling in France, touring with trailer. - Having a good gear ratio always available makes you a faster rider, especially off the line and in technical situations. - Toughness - In that 2 years it's taken some beatings including downhilling and been given very little love or attention (I weigh 92 kg too!). It's a great hub design in its own right even ignoring the gears, as it runs on a train of big sealed bearing units inside a sealed hub, in an oil bath! - Shifting without pedalling - changes the way you ride, both in technical mountain biking and in commuting in towns. You can go from gear 14 back down to 1 in two twists during a split second while not even riding. - The gear cables (being dual pull-pull rather than single pull-push) work fine even when gunked up - I'm on the same set after 2 years but had to replace deurallier cables every 3-4 months back in the old days. - The chain lasts longer and run smoother as it's kept straight instead of being dragged around gears and pulled at an angle. You can also use a 7 speed one instead of a weak 9 speed of course. - As you can reverse both the front and rear cogs for twice the life, it's ages between cog replacements. I've had the same set on for 2 years with one chain replacement, and it's about ready to replace now. - Works well with my Formula disc brakes (Needs a custom Rohloff disc, but these seem high quality) - Mine's a 2003 asssembly that's never really leaked oil like some people talk about, though it does get moist with oil at the cog end seal on a hot day. - Keeps on working fine even in rain, snow, mud, and sand! - The weight thing is okay!! I'm sold on that one until someone shows me a solution with the same benefits that's any lighter. It wasn't any heavier than my initial Deore kit either and it's just so worth it. -The lower stress spoking means that you break less spokes - none with the DT spokes from my second wheel build even on heavy downhill use.
Weaknesses:
- High cost but it will pay you back!!! - Takes a while to bed in and quiet down (about 1 year / 2500km for me), though it's been very nice the last year and getting better. Show me another mountain bike part that gets better with age!!! - Limited options for ideal mounting on a full suspension bike (without a chain guide / tensioner). I wrote asking Cove if they could make a G-Spot with a Rohloff/Single speed rear mount and they told me to get rid of the hub!!! I'd love to get a full suss setup without a speedbone or chain tensioner for ultimate mechanical purity. - I had the cable adjusters (Aluminium) seize in a London winter on salty roads. I turned up some Stainless ones to replace them on a lathe. - In the first few weeks it was new and when the temperature dropped below 0 Celcius, it used to freewheel slightly between occasional gear changes, before I gave it it's first oil change. It has never done it since though (it had been on a shelf in Australia for 2 years before I bought it on eBay, so no wonder the first oil round wasn't too flash). - I had to make my own 60cm long chain whip to remove the first rear cog in 2006 as it had jammed on - make sure you put lots of thread grease on the cog's thread when you replace it so it comes off easier! New cogs are pre-coated since about 07 anyway apparently, so the guys at Rohloff told me.
Similar Products Used:
- Sturmey-Archer 3 speed (this is in a different league!)
Bike Setup:
GT I-Drive 5 (old school design), Tora 130mm shocks, Fox rear coil shock, Shimano LX HTII crankset, Rohloff with Mavic 317 rear rim & DT spokes, WTB headset.
Bottom Line:
This is the only bike item I've ever bought that I'm glad I have every time I ride! It's kind of expensive but I think it's already saved me money after 2 years and made my one bike a nicer place to be, every day.
I can honestly say that for most riding it will make you go faster. This is because in both commuting and mountain biking, regular acceleration is required. In commuting because of red lights, intersections and hazards, and in mountain biking due to changing gradient and obstacles. Humans aren't very powerful machines and it's a huge help to be in the most efficient RPM range as much as possible, which means grinding in the right gear. It's so damn quick to change gears with a Speedhub that you end up using all of them, and being always in the right one. (This is also because it's always in full working order too, unlike a deurallier bike).
It takes about a month to master the shift technique (it's best to change at the top of a pedal stroke where power and torque are about zero for a split second). Once I did, I was finding myself in the busy London commute doing four gear changes before even crossing an intersection from a standing start, smoking 2 or 3 lycra wearing roadies in the process.
In mountain biking, especially technical stuff it's equally brilliant, as you can always be in the right gear leaving your mates behind especially on demanding up-down technical stuff. On downhilling of the sort found in Alpes and Les Portes du Soleil (Morzine), it ran perfectly and stayed tight over 11 days of black runs and extended missions to Switzerland and other nice places. To put this in perspective, in that trip I cooked 2 discs, 4 sets of brake pads, broke my crankset, dented and warped both rims, had spokes coming loose every day, wore out my rear shock bushings and wore the headset loose twice. It was a centre of attention too, people on V10s and Demo 9's coming up to ask how it is to own one which seemed ironic! Back in the UK it's also proved a weapon in muddy or rainy conditions as it will keep working perfectly and make you more likely to go out in the cold and enjoy a ride.
I've also taken it touring round Normandy with my Bob trailer. Once again it's great when taking off with a lot of weight, when you need the gears more than ever and Speedhubs are just as happy with a heavy load. More than anything though it's the reliability which sets it apart in touring. I did have the bob trailer arm initially grinding against the Speedbone - I had to file down the Speedbone to make some clearance but that was straightforward. I also pulled a shifter cable out en route and had to hunt down a Torx screw driver with very limited French - I've since replaced all the external screws with stainless hex head screws as they generally don't take any load anyway.
I was lucky enough to get a tour of the factory in Kassel, Germany in July 07 while van-touring Europe. Mr Rohloff and his wife Barbara, who live on-site, were both very friendly. The factory is a cool place, with even pool out front. They raise crows (like the Rohloff logo!) which hang out in a cage out the front. Inside, the Speedhub assembly room is clean and well organised. Every stage for every hub build seems to involve sophisticated checks with machines that double check things like spacing, gear tolerance, gear sequence, and overall running of the hub. Seeing the actual assembly process, it only makes the product seem doubly amazing.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Frankie Warnock
a Cross Country Rider
from Ogletown, DE, USA Date Reviewed: October 29, 2007
Favorite Trail:
York Heritage Trail, PA
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$850.00
Purchased At:
Wooden Wheels, Newark, Delaware
Strengths:
Incredibly smooth shifting, non-dished wheel, very little maintenance, rarely needs adjustment, staight chain line, no more derailleurs, 14 discrete gears all in one twist grip, enclosed/protected from the elements, shifts under load unlike other internals, bike as a whole is far easier to clean/keep clean.
Weaknesses:
Bike gains an additional 1-1.5 lbs, binding of seals, leakage.
Similar Products Used:
None comparable.
Bike Setup:
2002 Cannondale Scalpel, mainly used for rail trails, light mountain biking, and commuting.
Bottom Line:
A mechanical engineer's dream, this gear box is nothing short of revolutionary. After 4 years and 23,000 miles, I am getting ready to send it in for new seals. It does leak, but I can still drain at least 10 ml with every 5,000 mile oil change. I do not notice the drag in certain gears nearly as much as others have. It feels efficient - even more so than a derailleur system - in all 14 ratios. It may just be me, or due to the high mileage break-in.
I also built a touring bike 1 year later (2003) with the non-disk brake model, and after 17,000 miles, that hub is still not as efficient or smooth. There continues to be significant drag while freewheeling (the Scalpel is almost cassette smooth by comparison) and the leaking is worse, almost running out between oil changes. Enough drops will form a small puddle on the ground if I lean the bike over too far. The usual loud gears are still just that, and on a rare occasion it slips as though a pawl didn't fully engage before load. But I hope to see an improvement after I send it in over the winter for new seals and a checkup.
In summery, with about 40,000 miles between 2 Speedhubs, I am very satisfied and will never go back to the stone age with even the most modern derailleur system. Despite these flaws, I have ridden these miles (including a number of loaded tours) with total comfort, confidence, and no concern about failure.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kent
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Barbara, CA Date Reviewed: October 23, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
No derailleurs. No bending of deraileurs or hangers when you are between a rock and a hard spot. No debris in cassette (there is no cassette). Little to no maintenance. I can shift gears at any time. I run an 8-spd chain and it is very durable and less chain stretch with time. Has paid for itself (cassettes, chainrings, chains) over 5000+ miles.
Weaknesses:
weight, about a pound heavier than conventional derailleur drivetrain. Initial cost is a tough hurdle.
Similar Products Used:
Derailleurs which are not as durable.
Bike Setup:
Maverick, Rohloff hub, Rohloff tensioner, Fox Vanilla 140mm, Kenda tires.
Bottom Line:
Update: I had a lot of friction and some oil leakage issues, you can read back through the posts below. In August i sent the hub to Rohloff in California. And they were very nice about it. They replaced the internals of my hub, and the results were immediately noticable, even for a new hub. There was drag on the new wheel but much less than i ever had with the previous internals. And now that i have 300+ miles on it, it is getting better, less drag. The Rohloff is the only way to go for mountain biking. The race/weight weenies won't like it. But you can't beat simplicity and durability. It works everytime, everyday, every ride. No adjusting, just go pedal. I have a Maverick full sus and use the Rohloff tensioner, and i just oil the chain, wipe, and then ride. I would recommend replacing the oil in the hub every 4-6 months if you ride a lot. It gets 5 chili's for value. I'm going to still give it 4 hot chili's for overall. If they get the weight down, it'll get 5.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kent
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Barbara, California Date Reviewed: August 9, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Flawless operation on the trail. Works every day. Has paid for itself in cassettes, chainrings, and deraileurs.
Weaknesses:
Rotational drag on wheel. Rotational drag seems to very. Mine is the worst of all those that i have met. Might need to change oil in hub more often than the annual suggestion. Grip shift takes some getting use to.
Bike Setup:
Maverick
Bottom Line:
I purchased the hub 1.5 years ago, i probably have 3500-4500 miles on it. Before i go into describing my problems, i should say that the internal gear hub is the best way to go for mountain biking, and Rohloff is the only game in town. Rohloff makes an excellent product, but i have had some problems. Just before the 1 year mark i was noticing a great deal of drag on rotational spin, i then did the oil change and found no oil in the hub. After the oil change the oil just dripped/poured out of the hub. The seals must have dried up, i sent it to the California rep and after a period of time he replaced the seals. That was in March/April. And i still have quite notice-able drag on rotational spin. More than two guys that i know, and one guy's hub is brand new. I'm not happy about that. And then come to replace my oil last week and i only have 5ml (supposed to have 25ml) of oil in the hub after 3 months. What the hell? I'm not very happy about Rohloff customer care. But the hub does work. It works every day and shifts without problem. It takes a beating and requires no maintenance (other than increased oil changes, quarterly). I would recommend the hub, but i advise you to change the oil every 6 months or if you notice the rotational friction increasing. No more derraileur issues (adjusting or debris impact), no more drive chain issues. Just go ride. Because of the oil leakage problems and the poor customer support, i'll give 4 out 5, it's still the best drivetrain deal around for mountain biking. If Rohloff made a lighter hub that would fit a road bike, i'd buy one. If you race and are a gram weenie then this is not for you, but if you want a drivetrain that will take abuse and bring you home, this is the only way to go.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Phil Slack
a Weekend Warrior
from Palos Park, IL, USA Date Reviewed: June 30, 2007
Favorite Trail:
A - Line @ Whistler, Porcupine Rim
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Purchased At:
R-bikes
Strengths:
Very little maintenance once set up, perfect chainline, set it up and go. I have had this thing forever it seems like and have only sent it in once for new seals after they started to leak. It is now migrating onto my third bike. The chain tensioner is relatively compact and as such is much safer in a crash than a derailer. Add a chain guide to the front and you will never swear at your chain as long as you keep the tensioner cleaned. The 14 gears are equivalent to a standard 27 speed. The oversized housing makes for a strong wheel.
Weaknesses:
It's a bit heavy, which you get used to. There is a bit of internal drag that is most noticable in lower gears. Running a smaller front chainring seems to help this. Unfortunately they don't recommend going too small as this increases the leverage on the hub, making it more likely to fail. I weigh about 210 and haven't broke it yet. It's a bit more work to remove the wheel. Not too bad with the newer style dogbone attachment.
Similar Products Used:
There really are none to compare.
Bike Setup:
Intense Socom, Manitou fork, Truvativ cranks, Thompson stem and seatpost, E13 guide, Chris King front hub, Hayes brakes.
Bottom Line:
Get this hub if you don't like to deal with adjusting your gears all the time. I spend enough time fixing my friends bikes. It takes a bit of work to set up the first time with the chainline and the shifter. The extra drag will give you a bit more of a workout on the uphills, but means nothing when you are headed downhill. I just wish it was a little cheaper so I could set up a spare wheel with a different tire. They said that they were working on lightening up the hub a bit, which would be great.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Les van
a Weekend Warrior
from Valemount Date Reviewed: June 26, 2007
Favorite Trail:
satrday night loop
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Bombproof - road lots of creeks submerging the hub and it did not leak! shifts well - lots of gears at once and while peddaling or not. one chain line - supposed to be super durable.
Weaknesses:
cost
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Dawg primo - XT hydro brakes, bbracket and holoteck cranks, XT/XTR rims ft hub, TALAS fork, fox shock
Bottom Line:
Some initial reservation were washed away with the first rinse. This is a great hub but not for racing. There is some resistance in the hub that the rider can feel and will make you slower. It has a long break-in period but it is also supposed to have a long life! Love the chain line and the big clearance after removing the big ring! For an avid rider that wants low maintenance this is the ticket.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom Dibley
a Weekend Warrior
from Southampton, UK Date Reviewed: June 24, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Tunnel Trail - Santa Barbara
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1100.00
Purchased At:
Hargroves Cycles.co.uk
Strengths:
Unique! Nobody else I know has one. Everybody runs Sram or Shimano. Reliability, clean looks with zero chain slap.
Weaknesses:
Weight-ish, cost, bed in time.
Similar Products Used:
Nothing like this.
Bike Setup:
Yeti 575 w/DHX air shock. Marzocchi 66 SL1 ATA, Formula Oro Puro discs, Middleburn, Chris King, Brooks. Totally pimp build.
Bottom Line:
I've only done a few miles on this thing, but already the perfect chain line and no chain slap (even with a chain tensioner) is a big bonus. The gear spacing is quite large, but unless you are an XC racer, the gearing won't bother you. Same goes for the weight. It's odd to have all the weight in one place on the bike, but it only takes one ride to get used to. Doesn't seem to effect speed on the bike a great deal. The trouble free gears are yet to bed in, but i'm hoping this will be a near zero maintenance bike. The gears are noisey as heck in the lower ranges but should quieten down with time. Also, shifting is difficult when pedalling. Shifting when not pedalling or pedalling back wards is easy, but under pressure is really tough. This should also bed in after the advised 1000km break in period. The cost is quite huge, but not if you factor in the cost of a Chris King rear hub and a top drawer X.0 drive train. Little more really, plus when your derrailleur drive train wears out, your rohloff would have only just started to bed in. The Rohloff is a Volkswagen and the competition are Peugeot's and Saxo's. Go for German quality. Performance so far is ace, but value can only be a 4, because until it shaves a bit more weight, the cost is very high.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
kurt anderson
a Cross Country Rider
from glasgow, UK Date Reviewed: June 23, 2007
Favorite Trail:
heide
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
Generator Radsport, Dresden
Strengths:
you will instantly be in the right gear under any circumstance. doesnt care how much mud, grass, sticks, weeds you throw at it.
Weaknesses:
its heavy. at first there was a mild ticking noise in several gears, but this has become quieter over time. grip shift needs a firm wrist, may take some getting used to
Similar Products Used:
shimano deore, etc.
Bike Setup:
Rotor frame with custom tail for Rohloff, Marta SL brakes, manitou skareb fork
Bottom Line:
the rohloff speedhub totally rocks. it is extremely low maintenance and will definately pay for itself in derailers and chains over time (chains last much longer). no derailer = no chain lash = chain stays on. period. its an all round cleaner, quieter feel. wont mud up, doesnt need cleaning. here's the classic rohloff moment: you fly into a sudden terrain change, could be a gnarly uphill or maybe the ground goes marshy. bang! you instantly downshift and pull away while all around you hear ker-chang -twang (expletetive deleted) as your buddies struggle to find the right gear. yeah, it's heavy, no doubt about it, but in my view the raw, hassle-free performance is well worth the extra weight.
here's a quirky tip: with a normal derailer you have three rings in the front, and the largest one often functions as a pivot point for riding over logs across the path etc. you know, in low gear you hop your front wheel over and then pivot your weight forward on the teeth of the largest chain ring. well, with the rohloff you only have one chain ring on the front, and the chain is always on it. with the chain on the ring it is slippery as snot, you dont have the same toothy grip. the solution is to get a grippy rock-ring on the front.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bruce
a Weekend Warrior
from Eastern U.S. Date Reviewed: April 26, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Spring Heights Education Center's trails
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
Bulletproof hub. Grabbing as many gears as you need to all in one twist, is great. Before riding it, never thought shifting while stopped would be much benefit, but it's good to have the option.
Weaknesses:
Only thing I would change, given a magic wand, would be the weight. But really, it's good stuff inside, so not sure how it could be made lighter. Any objections to what it weighs, should be outweighed by all the benefits.
Similar Products Used:
None, and after getting used to this, can't imagine going back to the old derailleur system.
Bike Setup:
Jericho Goldrush, Marzocchi fork, 8" Avid front disc, 6" Hayes rear hydraulic, Chris King front hub & headset, Mavic disc rims w/ green nipples, Titec Ithys-Gove on Thomson post, Easton bar w/ Yeti grips.
Bottom Line:
This is an awesome hub, and is the heartbeat of my bike. The only problem, is after having this bike built up, discovered it's too small for me, for cross country trail riding. I'm 6'1", and the frame is more of a medium, might be OK for downhill racing, but I just can't get comfortable negotiating our trails, so am selling it on Ebay, auction ends on May 2, 2007. Very happy with the Rohloff hub, and the bike in general. It has outstanding parts, hand-picked to be just the way I wanted it, no compromises like often come up when buying a complete bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Barry Bradley
a
from Belfast, Northern Ireland Date Reviewed: April 13, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Ae Line, Ae Forest, Scotland
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1500.00
Purchased At:
Real Cycles in Carryduff, Northern Ireland
Strengths:
Fit and forget. You only need to change the oil once a year, and clean it now and again, and even that's just to maintain your chain, not the hub.
Weaknesses:
Initially expensive, and more unsuspended mass.
Similar Products Used:
Most of Shimano's drive train solutions
Bike Setup:
2004 Kona Coiler, Pikes, Juicy 5's, XM321's on Rohloff and Spindoctor
Bottom Line:
It is the schizzle, frankly.
There's the initial outlay, but that will be recouped well within the 10 year Rohloff warranty period (beat that Shimano) by not having to change front and rear derailleurs, chains, cassettes and rings annually. Then next 10 years are all free. It will last that long. That's why I give it 5 chillies for value.
There's the additional weight, but it's only 1-2 pounds more than a full XT setup. Not a huge amount, no more than a set of DH tubes.
Then there's the benefits. It changes the way you ride, for the better. You can shift at any time, mid climb, mid descent, mid trackstand, mid corner, mid huck and be certain that when you start to pedal, the back wheel will turn, no jumping, no messing.
There's no worrying about crashing dérailleurs off rocks. There's no worrying about matching chains to cassettes. There's no worrying about maintenance... at all.
It's perfect for almost every biker, whether your a climber or descender, or like me, just ride your bike. The only people it won't suit are racers (either xc or dh) who don't want the extra weight and can afford to go through a couple of drive trains a season.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
gert-jan
a Cross Country Rider
from utrecht ,netherlands Date Reviewed: April 11, 2007
Favorite Trail:
houffalize,bali
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Strengths:
it runs allways,no chainsuck,no problems in mud,rain,snow etc.perfect for mechanical nono's.shifting while standing stil.
Weaknesses:
weight,price
Similar Products Used:
sram x.o,xtr
Bike Setup:
Id Worx Mountainrohler Hardtail xc.Look Fournales fork. Magura HS33 Firmtech
Bottom Line:
Can't wait what Rohloff brings next year,half of the weight of the old one's,shifting faster,no noise en competetative to X.0 and XTR. mmm I no what I want for Christmas!Iam a busy man and don't like to clean my bike after a heavy bike ride.So just brush my chain before WD 40 on it and go!10000 miles and stil the same chain .
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kent
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Barbara, CA, USA Date Reviewed: January 2, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Smooth, easy shifting, reliable, very little maintenance no cassette issues, no derailleur issues, no derailleur hanger issues, no more shifting with the front and rear derailleurs to get the gear i want, just flick the wrist.
Weaknesses:
weight, initial expense, slight wheel drag
Similar Products Used:
I tried the NuVinci at interbike. It is over twice as heavy and is difficult to change under load.
Bike Setup:
Maverick, Fox Talas, Rohloff, XTR brakes, XC bike set-up
Bottom Line:
I have 2000-2500 miles on the hub. I recently cracked my frame and had to have it repaired, so for a couple of weeks i was back to using my Ellsworth Truth with XT drive train, cassettes and derailleurs. And after several rides on the Truth i was very happy to get back to the Rohloff hub. The Rohloff is just a better gear system. It is smoother, quieter. No chain slap with the Rohloff tensioner. Down-sides are that it is a pound heavier, there is a slight drag on the rotating wheel (noticeable when it is new, and when you spin the wheel by hand, barely noticeable now), it is more expensive (initially). Up-sides are little to no maintenance on the bike drivetrain, i just wipe and lube the chain and ride, less missed shifts than my buddies, i can shift 1 to 14 gears as fast as i can flip my wrist, no problems with cables, or spokes, or dropping the chain, or debris in the gears. The Rohloff works. For mountain biking it is the way to go. It is quiet and smooth. If Rohloff comes out with a lighter version that will fit a road bike i'll buy it. There was a lot of apparent wheel drag at first. And it was noisier, but not more than a cassette system, just a different sound. I replaced the 8-spd chain at the 1800 mile mark, it had stretched a 16th of an inch. The chain ring (38T) and cog (16T) are still fine. The Rohloff hub takes a beating and keeps getting better and smoother and quieter. I will have had the hub for one year this March. I have not changed the oil in it yet. I will in March. Derailluers are dinosaurs, i'm going to mail mine to the Smithsonian.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO, USA Date Reviewed: October 30, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
$1,000.00
Strengths:
Gears Never Skip, No maintenance on the hub except an oil change once per year, No derailleur adjustments, Great Customer Service, Less Gear Shifting while riding, Can shift standing still
Weaknesses:
Shifting/Cabling System needs to be better sealed to prevent sand/dirt from entering cables
Similar Products Used:
SRAM X.0 and XTR derailleurs, Truvativ and XT Cranks
Bike Setup:
Ellsworth Id, Fox Float 140, Fox Float RP3, Hope Mono M4's
Bottom Line:
This thing is sweet except for the fact that I've had to replace my shifter cables 3 times in one summer. The Bad: My experience has been that when riding in sandier soil/rainy conditions, the sand and water enters the cables fairly easily. This then makes the shifting nearly impossible. I must add that one of the times that my shifting "seized" was during the 2006 24 hours of Moab where the desert was a flood zone. However, I still feel Rohloff needs to find a way to seal the shifting/cabling system better to prevent sand/dirt/etc from entering the cables - the Rohloff shifting system does seem to fail to operate much sooner than a traditional shifter/derailleur system would in similar conditions. The Good: As for the hub and gearing, the Rohloff is great. No skipping gears, no derailleur adjustments and no broken chains (essentially set up like a single speed) EVER. I ride 3-4 times a week so no maintenance is great with me. With a 16 tooth chainring in the rear and a 38 tooth chainring up front, you get all the gears of a traditional derailleur system save the biggest gear. Since you usually don't need your easiest gear, I simply switched to a 42 up front and it's great. The Rohloff is a bit heavier...however, I do not race competitively so it works great for me. Also, I find myself shifting through gears much less to find that perfect gear. Okay... this thing will get 5 stars when the shifting/cabling system is perfected. As for value I will give the Rohloff 5 stars...it really is unbelievable what is packed into the hub to make this thing work. Also, buying top of the line traditional components would cost more and I would be replacing those parts more often.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
all mountain
a Weekend Warrior
from Thunder Bay, Ont, Canada Date Reviewed: August 15, 2006
This hub was purcahsed because I had become tired of the time I would spend maintaining/fixing my bike between rides. I realized that the bulk of the time spent working on the bike was drive-train related. I installed the Rohloff hub, and all that changed. Shifting gears is now more reliable. Chain drop and chain suck are a thing of the past. No gear overlap. No thinking about getting into the granny ring for a big hill - just shift to the next lower gear. I have noticed that the hub is a little noisy and has more internal friction in the lower 7 gears. I do not have anywhere near 1000 miles on the hub so I will have to re-post to indicate whether it goes away. Even if it does not, I would have a hard time going back to a derailler system. The price of the hub is a relative drawback. I have spent alot on drivetrain parts on bikes because they don't last. If this hub lasts 3 to 4 years it will have paid for itself. Another way to reduce the initial price per bike that is equipped with a Rohloff hub (if you have several bikes you ride but just can't decide which to put it on) is to by shifter kits for your other bikes and to swap the wheel onto the bike you are riding that day. The price per bike drops dramatically. Weight? There's no getting around it. On a single-speed, or road bike this may be an issue, maybe even an xc-moutain, but on an all-mountain, freeride or DH bike the weight difference is virtually un-noticable and well worth it even if you do notice. If there is a place for anything other than a Rohloff drivetrain - it certainly isn't on a bike used off-road.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rain Man
a Cross Country Rider
from Australia Date Reviewed: July 31, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Local singletracks.
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Fully enclosed 14 speed gearset that runs in an oilbath. Almost zero maintainence required apart from changing the oil every year. Shifting gears in all modes, standing still etc...is easy. The ability to go to any gear instantly is priceless.
Weaknesses:
Weight. Initial cost. Run-in.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano Nexus, Sturmey Archer.
Bike Setup:
Sir 9 and One Nine from Ninerbikes. Various other bikes.
Bottom Line:
Incredible german engineering in a sealed system that is impervious to conditions that reduce derailler systems to useless junk. This Rohloff Speedhub is the ultimate set-it-up-and-forget-it gear system.
Change the oil once per year. That's it.
You can change gears anywhere in any conditions whether you are moving forward, backwards, standing still or upside down !
The Rohloff Speedhub is a little tight and a little noisy in some gears when new, but after about a thousand miles have gone under your wheels, this hub is just sweet. It quietens down and gets smoother with age. I have ridden Rohloff hubs with 40000 miles on them and they are as smooth as silk and wonderfully silent. These hubs just keep on getting better with every passing year.
Is there a downside to them?
Yes, there are three, imo.
One is the initial cost. Two is the run-in time. Three is the weight.
The Rohloff Speedhub adds around 5 lbs in weight to my single speed Sir 9.
That includes all cables, speedbone, shifterbox, everything. The majority of that weight is centered over the rear tire.
:Does it make a difference to the ride?
:Only when I want to pick up the bike and carry it.
Under usual/normal riding circumstances, the added weight is not noticeable, and does not affect the handling of the bike nor jumping with it. The bike feels the same, the added weight is barely noticeable.
This hub is absolutely "magic" when it comes to mud, slush, snow, dust dirt and anything else that can wreck normal derailler shifting systems. It is completely unaffected by the outside enviroment, unlike others. Try riding a derailler setup through a few miles of sticky gluey deep mud and you will see what I mean. These sort of conditions do not affect a Rohloff at all.
The ability to shift to any gear ratio instantly under any circumstances is something that has to be experienced to believe just how valuable this feature with the Rohloff is.
There is a small "step" at gear 7 where the hub shifts from low to high range that takes a little pause when pedalling, but apart from this, it is a seamless transition through the gearset from gear 1 to gear 14.
You can select any gear instantly, and *click* .... you are in it. Just like that.
A millisecond pause in pressure on the pedals lets you change to a lower gear whilst pedalling up steep hills almost without thinking about it. You can change from gear 14 to gear one with a flick of your wrist...beautiful.
:Is this the perfect gearset?
:No, it's not ... but it's very close to it.
There are Rohloff hubs spinning across the earth with 20-40 thousand plus miles on them, and still going strong. Reliability is beyond question.
:Is it possible to have this solid reliability with a lighter / cheaper hub?
:I don't believe that it is ... at present. Maybe in the future, it will be.
So, apart from the three mentioned downsides, two of which go away with a few miles on the hub, what is left?
Just the weight...and this is a minor thing anyway.
Presently, there are other companies beside Rohloff looking very closely at the internal gear hub. Sometime soon we may see a rival or two emerge, but for now, nothing can touch this finely engineered hub from germany.
Riding off road in steep, rocky, rooty, muddy ..... whatever type of conditions you encounter will not affect the Rohloff, it just keeps on going.
Bottom line:
Excellent engineering, very low maintenance, 100% reliable wide ratio gearbox with 14 gears that run in a sealed oil bath hub, capable of thousands of miles of hassle-free riding in virtually any conditions.
What more could you ask for. An outstanding hub.
Gotta give it 5/5.
R.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ian
a Weekend Warrior
from Balikpapan, Borneo Date Reviewed: June 21, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Sideways Cycles
Strengths:
Shift gear whenever you want & it is virtually maintenance free. Stronger rear wheel, perfect chainline.
Once you take the plunge, you will not go back. It is quite pricey, however, it is quality kit & for me the lack of tinkering plus the reliabilty make it worth it. After over 1500 km I have had to do nothing except clean & lube the chain.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kent
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Barbara, CA, USA Date Reviewed: June 12, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Low maintenance, just grab your bike and ride. No more worries about deraileur problems or hanger alignment. shift up and you can go faster (if you got the legs), shift down for easier. No worries about chain position (chain ring vs cassett cog).
Weaknesses:
It takes a while to get use to the shifting. Most of the time, no problems. But under crank load it hangs up, won't let you shift or goes to the highest gear. But cassette/chain-ring systems have similar problems. At first it seems noisey (grindy noise). Weight. It weighs about 1.3 pounds more than the XT drive train that i was using.
Similar Products Used:
3-speed on old 1970 Schwinn, similar idea
Bike Setup:
Maverick frame, SC-32 fork, XT crank, e-thirteen 38T chainring, Rohloff disk with 16t cog, Shimano XTR disk brake, etc.
Bottom Line:
I think the internal is the way to go for mountain biking. And the Rohloff gives you the same gear range as the Shimano or SRAM 44/22 34/11, almost, do the math. No more deraileur issues! I like working on my bike, by i do a lot less of that now. I just make sure the chain is clean and go pedal. I ride agressive single-track cross-country, and i would always be tweaking this or that on the drive train. Because i had hit a rock, tree, twig, squirrel, etc. No more tweaking the drive train. it always shifts now. You just need to develop/learn a new way of shifting when under load. A slight muscle twitch and you are good. With chainring/cog you have to shift in advance or shift when not under load. Now you can shift under almost any condition, and at any time, pedaling forward, backward, standing still, and you can shift a hand full of gears at a time. and your drive train stays clean, dirt and plant-material free. no more digging dirt and debris out of the cassette cogs. no more bent hangers. I have a full suspenion and use the Rohloff tensioner, if works great, no chain slap, i hate the rattling chain, i gave my chain stay pad to my buddy. If they could reduce the weight by one pound everyone would have one. And unless you are a podium position racer, this is the way to go. My bike weight went from 26.5 pounds to 28 pounds. Still live-able. And the price is a one time thing, i was replacing cassette and rings every six months (i ride, 3-6 days a week). With 600-800 miles now, the hub is much quieter and smoother. And it is supposed to last 50k miles. Now my girlfriend wants one on her bike, she had problems with her drivetrain on Romero this past weekend. I'll give it only four flamming chili's, taking one off for wieght and cost. But it is the only way to go. Leave the derailuers for the shave-legged roadies. If Shimano develops an internal hub the drive-train world will change for mountain biking.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jan Zbinden
a Cross Country Rider
from Switzerland Date Reviewed: April 12, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Anything that rocks
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1300.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Shifting ist incredibly smooth and easy. I found myself changing gears back and forth much more often than with my old XT-stuff. It's so easy to maintain your pedalling rate. The other thing ist that you don't need to pedal to shift gears. Stuck with a too high gear? Just turn the gripshift and keep on going.
Weaknesses:
Rather hard to put on your bike, heavier than my XT-stuff, too expensive. Cable stuff that comes with it is cheap sh*t (use the shimano ones instead, they work much better).
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
SC Nomad, Marzocchi Z1 FR SL, Saint-brakes
Bottom Line:
I wouldn't go back to a standard gear anymore. Once you spent your future to get one, it's garanteed to satisfy. You need to decide yourself if you want to spend 100 bucks per gear to get the perfect shifting experience. Well, it's supposed to last forever and a day (survived a 65'000 miles testride on a tandem). That better be true...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
spatter
a Weekend Warrior
from london Date Reviewed: February 17, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
999
Strengths:
Bomb proof, reliable, fire and forget thing
Weaknesses:
price, weight
Bottom Line:
Great. I just use it for my 10 mile commute each way across the mean streets of London and it's great. Always in the right gear at the lights and I donn't have to read the road as much in terms of gearing which lets you concentrate on riding...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeffrey Spahn
a Racer
from Dubuque, IA Date Reviewed: January 17, 2006
Favorite Trail:
The Farm, Platteville
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At:
Free Flight
Strengths:
Easy of use
Weaknesses:
Weight
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher Rig. Avid Mechanicals. Stan's Olympic Tubeless rims
Bottom Line:
I like the hub. Tired of chainline issues on past bikes. Missed shifts while climbing. Worn out cassettes are a thing of the past. Mud, no problem. Indexing issues in levers, gone. Perfectly spaced gearing. Huge gear range. My 40/16 setup on this bike gives me better gearing than my Cannondale that has a 44/30 front and 12/34 rear. I get more top end and more low end with no cross over. You get a little "gear" feel in the lowest end and at gear 7 (where the hi/low transition takes place). Still works great. No problems so far and I have been pulling my bugger around to boot.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stef
a Cross Country Rider
from Montreal Date Reviewed: October 11, 2005
Favorite Trail:
X-Country
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
1000
Strengths:
Perfect shifting, even stuck in 4 foot of mud or snow !!!, stronger rear wheel ,
Weaknesses:
Weight , twister only , cheap housing.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano Nexus, Sturmey-Archer
Bike Setup:
Cannondale CAAD5,Ultra Fatty, RaceFace Next, Hope mono mini rear / CODA front, had XTR/XT/Cross-Max setup
Bottom Line:
-I had a pretty light bike: XTR / cross max/ carbon cranx / etc... This setup added almost 1.5 pounds to my bike ( with speedbone ) , but I think it's worth the weight penality . -I change chain/cogs/small plate every year , this year I had to also change the rear XTR der. and the shifters , so for the cost , it's not an extra spending. I'll get my money's worth after a couple of years ... -With the 14 speeds , it covers a little more range than my ex setup ; 44/29 front 11/34 rear so nothing new there . What is new is the shifting ...... wow...... Once you're used to it , you can't conceive to get back to derailleurs. To have the ability to pass from your biggest to the smalest without pedaling is awsome.You have to get used to the concept that the shifting is not occuring in the shifter themselves but in the gearbox, so a little play in the shifter doesn't change the shifting. -The setup is pretty straightforward , and the wheel building is easy since both flanges are equaly spaced . My rear wheel is now stronger than it was with the CrossMax. -The braking is better now with the disk provided by Rolhoff than the stock Hope mini. -My only gripe is that it's twister only. I'm sure there is a way to do 14 speed trigger..... -It changed the weight distribution to the rear of the bike , you get use to it pretty fast. -Before you install this beast , go buy SIS housing. The ones provided is pretty cheap.....
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Phil
a Downhiller
from Baltimore, MD, USA Date Reviewed: September 27, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Western Territory, Snowshoe, WV
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
Fleet Street Cycles
Strengths:
Reliability, Smoothness, Pimpness
Weaknesses:
Unless you're a damn wizard or good with technical detail and small parts, pay someone to put it on your bike for you.
Bike Setup:
Intense Uzzi VPX, Fox 40RC2, El Camino's, Pink seat with sparkles, Rohloff
Bottom Line:
If you need technical detail, look to other posts. If you need reassurance as you're about to drop some bling, look here. I wanted flawless shifting, zero maintenance, and absolute reliability. The Rohloff delivered. I have gone too fast through the hellish Rock Garden Road at Snowshoe, cased the freaking crap out of very large doubles, rocks, and have done stupid stair gaps with this thing. The ONLY maintenance I have ever done is when I watched my friend Marvelous Marvin put the thing together. Props, M-dog. Anyway, it really annoys my friends when I say, "Wait, let me shift to a better gear" as I'm sitting still, or, even better, when I need the granny gear on an uphill (when I'm spandexed out), I can shift seven gears while slightly spinnning the cranks backwards. That really agitates the derailleur crowd.
I love my frame, I love my fork and shock, I love my brakes, and I even love my pedals. However, the Rohloff is the best money I ever spent on any biking equipment ever.
5 Flamin' Poos all around. Just buy the thing.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Leon
a Cross Country Rider
from Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia Date Reviewed: September 22, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Malaysia
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$950.00
Purchased At:
Santos Holland
Strengths:
Solid design, no external parts (except sprocket / chain / tensioner), strong spoke set-up.
Weaknesses:
Weight, price.
Similar Products Used:
Standard Shimano drive train
Bike Setup:
Santos customised, FS - Marzochi, Fox RP3
Bottom Line:
Bit pricey but in muddy conditions, the best your money can buy. Virtually maintenance free which is an important consideration if you are far from any service centre. Couple of thousand KM done and the hub is getting smoother all the time. Shifting gears can be very fast which is a major advantage in unfamiliar terrain. Overall reliable piece of kit.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gerd Wichers
a Cross Country Rider
from Vriezenveen, Netherlands Date Reviewed: September 1, 2005
Favorite Trail:
mount Hermon
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$950.00
Purchased At:
ligfietsshop Tempelman
Strengths:
This thing has no outward moving partikels but the one that moves the chain.That makes it maintenance free. NO RUST, NO PARTS OF THE FOREST, NO IRREGULARITIES ON THE BACK WHEEL WHATSOEVER!! It only rolls and it rolls great!
Weaknesses:
In the beginning I had the idea that I had to "roll off" some tuff thing on the inside and I started doubting the name being German instead of being English but this, after half a year, appeared to improve a lot for the benefit of my knees that started saying:"No, no not again more than 175 km in a temperature of minus 6 Celsius." Nowadays it rolls great
Similar Products Used:
Some sort of derailleur ever, which isn t to be called simmiliar. I d rather mention my army service, when I was in the infantry and was sat in an YPR.
Bike Setup:
Recumbent Challenge bike,named:"Hurricane"(a name given by some ignorant boy), xtr brakes, SON Dynamo, Rock Shocks SID rear shock, 20 inch wheels.
Bottom Line:
Get this thing if you only want to ride your bike and want to keep on going.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave a.k.a. uriedog
a Downhiller
from mississauga, ontario, canada Date Reviewed: March 5, 2005
Favorite Trail:
rockcliffe, waterdown Ontario
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1500.00
Strengths:
clean shifts, less noise then a regular deraileur set up. (only make noise in like gear 7) 14 different gears, better then any deraileur setup I have ever had. This hub is da bomb!!!
Weaknesses:
i can only afford one! but as soon as I can I'll be putting one on all my bikes!!. once you have one you'll be hooked!
Bike Setup:
04 Brodie 9-ball w/ fox vanilla rc. 03 Monster T. 24" rear, 26" front sun DBL track.
Bottom Line:
best money spent, awsome shifts, trouble free in any conditions. not one complaint yet!!!!! Dave Flather of Extreme sports group is the best place to buy one in north america. unsurpassed service!!!!! always full of sugestions, and almost always available to answer your questions. www.freeridehubs.com www.bikefilms.com
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Martin Geliot
a Cross Country Rider
from Faulconbridge NSW Australia Date Reviewed: February 11, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Linden Ridge
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Reliable, durable, user-friendly. Transmission is no longer a bag of short-life consumables likely to play up and spoil a ride. Bike handles crud and sticks with no problems.
Weaknesses:
Gear indication (not that I need that).
Similar Products Used:
No serious competition.
Bike Setup:
Dual suspension aggressive XC bike.
Bottom Line:
After about 5,000km I am full-on rapt with this thing.
It is smoother than new, have to brake to stay behind derailleur drivers pedalling in front, I nip past people buggerizing with lousy changes and just enjoy my riding with no hassles.
Not having this would be like not having suspension or disc brakes.
If you ride enough to have to fork out for replacement derailleurs & sprockets then stop wasting your money and time... get one of these.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dennis
a Weekend Warrior
from Maple Valley, WA, US Date Reviewed: October 22, 2004
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
See my earlier review
Weaknesses:
Have broken two springs on the chain tensioner. The new design spring is better and easier to replace but still broke. Luckily I had them ship me two. If you have a longer travel bike I'd recommend purchasing and carrying a spare as your chain will fall off on every bump if it breaks on the trail. Seems they could make this more reliable. I've never had a deraileur spring break and it does the same function.
Bike Setup:
Bullit with 5th element and zoke Z1 FR. Mavic 823 tubeless rims with 2.3 UST Vert pros
Bottom Line:
Stilil no maintenance on the hub. The noisiness has really died down and shifting is somewnat smoother but it's still difficult to down shift on an uphill. You really have to back off any tension on your pedals. I think I'm sold. Looking for a Rohloff design for a commuting bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a Downhiller
from Chilliwack, BC, CANADA Date Reviewed: August 22, 2004
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
Extreme Sports Group
Strengths:
See my review below....they have not changed
Weaknesses:
Longish break-in period.
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz VP Free
Bottom Line:
If you look below you will see my previous review of this hub. I recently switched from my Bullit to a VP Free and could not mount my previous quick release hub. So I purchased the bolt on axle version of the Rohloff and with a ton of help from Dave Flather at Extreme Sports Group (ESGI.com) who machined some spacers and adapters so this hub would work with this "thru axle" frame, I know am able to continue riding Rohloff on this wicked new frame.
My views on this hub have not changed, hence my forking out for a new one. I just cannot go back to derailleurs. My previous hub never caused me a moments grief and this new one hasn't either. The only thing that I did notice when switching to a new one was how much better my old one rode. This is due to it being broken in by almost a year of ridding. The new one does offer some pedaling resistance initially which will free up once broken in. Unfortunately the break in period is longish (3-6 months).
I am presently selling my nicely broken-in hub (see my ad on this site or email me for details).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Randy
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, Maine, USA Date Reviewed: August 13, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$950.00
Purchased At:
Bikeman
Strengths:
Little maintenance required, extremely durable, quiet in most gears, ease of shifting.
Weaknesses:
Weight. 2 lbs. 10 ounces heavier than without the Rohloff hub. The biggest disadvantage to the weight is the increased risk of pinch flats.
Similar Products Used:
What else is similar?
Bike Setup:
Cannondale hardtail and Titus Racer-X.
Bottom Line:
I set this hub up on both a hardtail and full suspension. In both cases the hub and associated parts added 2 lbs., 10 ounces to the weight of the bike.
The biggest problem was the pinch flats. Neither bike had a problem with pinch flats prior to the installation of the Rohloff hub as long as the tire pressure was 35 psi or higher. I usually ran them at 38 psi. After I installed the Rohloff on the hardtail I immediately began getting pinch flats on every ride until I increased the tire pressure to 45 psi or greater. On the full suspension I would get pinch flats if the air pressure dropped below 40 psi. I'm sure the extra weight of the hub contributes to the pinch flat problems.
Both the noise level of the hub and the effort to shift between gears was reduced significantly after the first 300 miles of use.
I will continue to evaluate this hub but will not use it for long rides or racing until I resolve both issues. Compared to the v-brake version of the Rohloff, the disc version adds about 1 pound due to the Speedbone, disc, disc bolts, and disc caliper. I may convert to a v-brake system and see if the weight and pinch flat issues are resolved.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jonowee
a Weekend Warrior
from Perth, WA, Australia Date Reviewed: June 21, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
Demoed on friend's bike - Smooth - Gears 1-14 in one motion, no guessing ratios when going up or down gears. - Lower maintenance (I think) - Sealed system (even better for mucky terrain + disc brakes) - All the useful ratios in one motion - Reduce chance of chain suck (like a singlespeed)
Weaknesses:
- Price - Weight to the rear (noticeble only when picking up bike, especially this bike) - I notice it runs a 44T. For DH riders, bolting on a bigger chainring reduces ground clearance. - Shifter not as visually ergo as SRAM's
Bike Setup:
Specialized Epic S-Works with CODA rear disc, Hayes front disc. + Rohloff. Rohloff+Epic sus. set-up+Disc brakes= weight dis. to the rear.
Bottom Line:
For trail riding, if you pay up front for the Rohloff vs. triple chainrings, front & rear derailleurs, casette and derailleur hangers. This a good buy, less maintainence (change oil and chainring and chain, if needed), smooth one motion shifting, climb without lossing momentumn from wrong ratio or mis-shift.
Riders with powerful legs can blast from 1 to 14 in one smooth continuous sprint, tradi. set-up will lose some time.
To put it simply: Fuss-free transmission.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Doggycam
a Cross Country Rider
from Scotland Date Reviewed: June 3, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Innerleithen (Traquair )
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$750.00
Purchased At:
E Bay
Strengths:
Reputation for reliability, ease of maintainance, rapid shifting.
Weaknesses:
Weight, tricky to setup, twist shifter could have less play and be easier to read.Noisy in the first 7 gears I have some shifting problems, but it could be me, needing to learn when and how to!
Similar Products Used:
Blur, Mr XC, single speed Inbred
Bike Setup:
Orange Sub 5, Vanilla's up front, Hope brakes, Azonic bits, Thomson bobs, etc ,etc
Bottom Line:
When you pick up the Sub it is so much heavier then my Blur.
With 125 Vanillas up front the bike is now pefectly balanced when held in the middle of the top tube.
That was the static test, now for the ride:-
The weight disappears when you ride it. During a climb ,I can change gear at any time and am using them more often. eg There might be a few short downhill slopes on a climb , on the Blur I would stay in 1st, but the Rohloff allows you to change up and back down again rapidly with no problems.
Another good example is a downhill corner turning into a steep climb. You can carry the "bigger" gear deeper into the bend, keeping the power on for longer then change down 3 or 4 or more gears in one twist of the wrist !
Whilst airborne, the bike is better balanced, flying and landing level. I am no jump jockey, but the bike is flattering me !!
In the mud ,there are zero shifting probs, so again you use more gears.
Downhill, the bike inspires confidence, I am def quicker on the Sub than on the Blur. I don't know if this is caused by the extra weight and balance of the Rohloff, or the Sub 5 just easier to ride than the comparitively sprightly Blur.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dennis Stumpp
a Weekend Warrior
from Maple Valley Date Reviewed: May 11, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Preston RR
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$925.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
looks cool. single shifter, simple cable routing. doesn't clog up with mud. Hopefully longevity and decreased maintenance. No chain skip on shifts. Speed bone set up was easy.
Weaknesses:
weight, no big deal unless you're a XC racer. Poor downshifting under load. You really need to anticipate your shifts on steep uphills. Better to grab a handfulll of downshifts early since it's easier to upshift. Problem is especially apparent between 4-5 and is death between 7-8. I generally try to shift past 7 on uphill sections to avoid the ugly 14th gear transition. This seems to be getting easier. Noise in 5th and 7th gears is no big deal. Actually provides feed back where you're at. Don't notice 1-2% loss in efficiency. Black on black numbering on the shifter is impossible to read in the woods, difficult everywhere else. I'm going to paint the letters white. Rohloff should do this from th factory.Rohloff USA had Speedbone backordered and htere were delays in shipping. Didn't find them as responsive or helpful as others have. Kept asking me to call them back
Similar Products Used:
None comparable.
Bike Setup:
SC Bullit, aggro trail bike with 5th element titanium, Marzocchi Z1 FR. Thompson seatpost and stem. Hussefelt crank with 38 tooth chainring. Hayes 8" discs.
Bottom Line:
I think I'm gonna like it. Geting used to going from a NRS 2 to a long travel setup. A bit more weight and not setting any uphill records but oh, so sweet screaming down the trail. Giving it a four for now. Value will show over time. It's expensive but if you're gonna do a sport, you gotta be a sport. Will review again after some miles on it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steven Platteeuw
a Cross Country Rider
from Ronse Belgium Date Reviewed: January 8, 2004
Favorite Trail:
flemisch ardennes
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Cheetah
Strengths:
* reliable * easy to maintain and problem free * i like the sound and the mechanical feeling * better changing under heavy conditions (but you need to pull hard) * no problems with lower temperatures * no more confusion or miscalculating gears before taking your obstacles * farewell to chainsuck and bending sprockets * lesser moving external parts
Weaknesses:
* heavy, but i don't mind this at all (i weigh 95 kg for 1m89) * still not used to overcome the shifting problem inbetween 7-8 * price ,but I prefer to pay more for a quality product * be carefull when dismounting the rear wheel ( don't loose the screw)
Similar Products Used:
nothing similar excists, but i used to have STX, XT en XTR on my previous bikes
Bike Setup:
Cheetah King Artus, Manitou (marathon bike)Minute One (bad fork for heavier people)SPV 4 way rear shock, Rithey components, Magura Louise FR disc brakes
Bottom Line:
it's a personal choice you have to make...For me i am convinced that I have taken the right one. Due of my body size, heavier and longer than the competition riders, i needed something stronger and more reliable. I think I am faster with the heavier Rohloff than with the XTR light components on technical tracks, but that's what mtb is all about. Now I enjoy cycling much more then I ever used to do. I feel much more confident of not braking the rear derailleurs or snapping my chain somewhere out in the woods. Now I can get out on my bike over and over again without having to adjust the gears like I used to do on the Shimano parts. Changing gears even under heavy load is now possible, that was for me impossible to do with Shimano. I could never lower a gear or change the bracket rings while climbing more than 20%. I dont believe in perfect ratings so i give the speedhub 4 chilis , but i give my other mtb bikes equipped with XT and XTR maximum 2 chilis...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a Downhiller
from Chilliwack, BC, CANADA Date Reviewed: January 4, 2004
Favorite Trail:
anything on Vedder Mountain
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$890.00
Purchased At:
CBO
Strengths:
high quality construction, simplicity of use, nearly maintenance free
Weaknesses:
Price, can be difficult to do initial setup if you are not mechanically inclined, removing and installing rear-wheel can be finicky. Oh ya, it will not fit a large thru-axle type axle on the rear, just the standard quick release type (this is sad and hopefully Rohloff will rectify this soon). Also cannot be fitted with aftermarket floating disc brake kits (ie. Brake Therapy) (again this is sad and hopefully Brake Therapy is rectifying this soon).
Similar Products Used:
nothing
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Bullitt with 8 inch Hayes hydraulic brakes and Boxxer forks
Bottom Line:
I had some trepidation about making the move to this product. I had considered it for my cross-country bike but the weight penalty was unpalatable. This weight gain was of no consequence with my downhill bike. I was essentially tired of snapping off derailleurs and breaking b-tension screw plates following big drops while in the wrong gear at Whistler Mountain Bike Park. I am also fairly particular about having my derailleur setup and working properly and it seemed that I was constantly tinkering with it and it still did not work as well as I would have liked. I was also snapping chains because of heavy load shifting and the resultant side-plate load on the chain. Well, guess what; this gearbox is so completely excellent at addressing all of my concerns and others as well that it has exceeded my expectations. Shifting is instantaneous (you do have to modify your pedal stroke when climbing because it doesn't like heavy load shifting but heck, derailleurs suck at this as well). The nice thing with the quick shifting is that you can simply put it instantly in what ever gear you deemed best for the conditions you find yourself in. I used to suffer in the wrong gear because I was reluctant to shift in certain situations because I knew the shift would be slow, or I could not get in enough pedal strokes to complete the shift.....no more. I do a whole lot more shifting than before. The chainline is perfect so my chain stays on well despite not running a chainguide (only the rohloff stock tensioning device).......the perfect chainline with no sideload on the chain means that I have not broken or otherwise mangled a chain since using this hub. The hub is also very quiet which is more of an aesthetic thing than a purely functional issue. And finally, I have never done so little maintenance as I have since making the switch to this hub. I can now just jump on my bike and ride. I never give a second thought to how it will shift or if it will shift. It works great all the time.
Some people have asked if this conversion has caused my bike to be unbalanced because of the weight shift toward the rear. I have not noticed that this is the case. There is some weight shift back but my bike still has its balance point about 4 inches in front of the bottom bracket which seems pretty nicely balanced to me....if you were running a heavier fork on this bike (ie. 888r or Dorado, the balance point would be even further forward). I can only say that she flies beautifully and I cannot wait to mach-off the stunts and drops at Whistler Mountain Bike Park next season on this setup.
If you are a downhill racer and want perfect shifting everytime, this is for you. If you are a freeride type and never want to break another derailleur on a skinny, this is for you. If you ride in mud and crud and other derailleur munching conditions, this is for you. If you do not like maintenance or are goofy with tools, this is for you.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
næstep
a Cross Country Rider
from SF Bay Area, California Date Reviewed: July 4, 2003
* 14 evenly spaced gears, available in a single twist while pedaling forward, coasting, backpedaling or standing still.
* Covers the equivalent of a 24 speed drivetrain.
* Seems to get better with age.
* Annual maintenance involves adding a rinse solution and riding 10 miles, then performing an oil change. How cool is that?
* Internal indexing means no periodic adjustments or tuning.
* Symmetrical non-dished wheel build. _
Weaknesses:
* Needs some time to break in. Brand new, the hub can be a touch loud, shifting can be a bit stiff.
* The aforementioned weight increase. I figure about 1.5 pounds on my typical full suspension disc setups (compared to an LX/XT/XTR component mix).
* Stock cable housing has an inner lining that kinks easily. I've since switched to lined brake cable housing which is working well.
* Have to purchase special 4-bolt disc rotor from Rohloff (does not come included with hub).
* You had better like twist shifters. _
Bike Setup:
Giant NRS (Speedbone) Iron Horse Hollowpoint (Speedbone) Van Dessel Buzz Bomb (Speedhub-specific dropouts) Marin Mount Vision (Speedbone)
Bottom Line:
Installation is involved, but the Rohloff manual takes a step-by-step approach and lots and lots of pictures make up for the slightly broken English.
Least favorite installation step is cutting the shifter cables, which much be trimmed to a very specific length. This is painful early on while experimenting with various cable routings — each time the cable is disconnected from the hub, the cable & housing must again be trimmed to length.
The wheel build is all but impossible to screw up, even for the beginner wheel builder, due to the symmetrical build, the wide, tall flanges and the 2x lacing pattern.
Smooth & light shifting action is dependant on proper cable routing. Each bend in the cable adds just enough friction to affect the shifting; the straightest run is best.
With my Hollowpoint and my wife's Mount Vision, I picked chainring and cog combos that optimized the suspension. In the case of the single-pivot Mount Vision, the chain remains aligned with the main pivot in any gear, minimizing any chain torque effects.
With a conventional triple ring crankset with a 47.5mm chainline (middle ring), the big ring position is perfectly aligned with the Speedhub's cog (54mm). No new crank or bottom bracket necessary.
Riding these hubs is so nice, and they only get smoother and quieter with age.
The Speedhub doesn't shift well under pedal load, so a modified technique needs to be used just prior to the "dead spot" as the crank approaches the 12 o'clock position.
Unlike a derailleur system, a Speedhub shift doesn't need to be "followed through" with a pedal stroke. The shift is more-or-less instantaneous and needs to be initiated a little earlier in the rotation than normal.
Shifting milestones are gone. "I'm going to finish this hill in the middle ring" goes away with the Speedhub.
The hub can be geared as low or lower than what's currently available in derailleur systems. * 44x16 Speedhub = 22x29 derailleur (low) * 40x17 Speedhub = 22x33 derailleur (low) * 34x15 Speedhub = 22x36 derailleur (low) The second two are both lower than Rohloff's recommended range, but workable. (Anything below a 2.40 ring:cog ratio is below Rohloff's minimum.)
One caveat is that high gear is tied directly to low gear. The high gear will always be 526% of the low. * 44x16 Speedhub = 44x11 derailleur (high) * 40x17 Speedhub = 44x12.5 derailleur (high) * 34x15 Speedhub = 44x13 derailleur (high)
...so in order to get the low granny we've become accustom to with 27 speed derailleur setups, it's necessary to loose a small chunk at the top end.
With three Speedhubs under the roof now, I have no plans to go back to derailleurs except for on beater bikes that I might want to lock up somewhere.
While I didn't pay full retail for any of these hubs (one imported from New Zealand, one spec'd with my Buzz Bomb, one purchased used), I'm convinced even the high retail price will pay off in reduced drivetrain maintenance costs as the miles pile on.
After a little more than a year on my original hub, and with 6 months of winter riding on my Buzz Bomb, I'm noticing increased chain life, no remarkable chainring wear and the cogs are in great shape. I expect to get tens of thousands of miles out of these hubs which should result in a whole host of chains, cassettes, rings, derailleurs and shifters that I won't have to purchase along the way.
As if the singlespeed chainline and absence of abrasive shifting action wasn't already enough of a good thing, the rings and cogs are reversible for double the life. The Speedhub can easily be the poster boy for Drivetrain Health magazine.
Room for improvement? Yes, so I can't give it a 5 chili score.
* Lighter weight (I can't say I'm bothered by it, but it's nonetheless tough to swallow this big an expense and a 700g weight gain.)
* "Mindless" shifting (As I mentioned, it's something new to adjust to. To do away with pedaling sweet-spots and give us truly mindless gear changes would be shifting nirvana.)
Even so, these points are minor and the Speedhub offers me enough advantages over a derailleur drivetrain that I'm not looking back.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ken Yokanovich
a Cross Country Rider
from Roseville, MN, USA Date Reviewed: July 3, 2003
Favorite Trail:
anything will do...
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
USED
Strengths:
No drivetrain adjustments... the hub is internally indexed. Very easy to clean. Less wear on drivetrain due to straight chainline. Even gear spacing from 1 all the way through 14 on ONE shifter. Shift at any time, coasting, pedaling forwards or backwards. Great for technical situations where you might be balanced and not pedaling but need a lower gear. Did I mention No chainsuck. No need for anything $himano on my bike.
Weaknesses:
There is a slight weight penalty. I am not sure the exact difference, but it is about 2 pounds over the singlespeed setup I was running on the same bike. Odd condition between gears 7 and 8 where it can temporarily be in 14. There is some noticable drivetrain noise from the gears inside, but not a big deal.
Similar Products Used:
Dating back I have tried LX, Deore, old Deore XT, and many iterations of newer XT and XTR. No way am I going to 2003 XTR.
Bike Setup:
Phil Wood/IF PISSOFF with eccentric bottom bracket, vertical drop outs. Hayes disc brakes front and rear.
Bottom Line:
I will never go back to a traditional drive train for multiple gears! Since I am able to run without a chain tensioner due to the eccentric bottom bracket, there is no chainslap while decending or coasting over rough terrain. Makes for a very quiet ride. The strange phenomenon where you sometimes find yourself in the highest gear when shifting between 7 and 8 is not a big deal after about the first ride. You really re-learn how to shift the bike, like whenever you want to, not just when you are pedaling.
I don't notice any significant increase in drivetrain friction, some while coasting, but none when pedaling. The weight penalty is not a big deal because it adds SO MUCH to the riding experience. I think of it much like the rigid/suspension argument. Adding a suspension fork over a rigid will add a pound or two, but it also adds so much to the riding experience.
The extra initial expense will likely be insignificant over the lifetime of owership. How many cassettes do you have to replace in a given year of riding? For me, it was at least one new cassette per year at close to a hundred bucks for an XTR. If you are the type of person who "likes" to replace cables, derailleurs, cassettes, and chains on a regular basis due to crashes, wear, this is NOT the product to buy.
I would buy another one in a heartbeat. I would give it more Flamin' chilis if I could.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bevan Pratt
a Weekend Warrior
from Taupo, New Zealand Date Reviewed: June 30, 2003
Favorite Trail:
The Flume, Rossland, BC
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
Lahar, NZ (price includes frame)
Strengths:
Bombproof, low maintenance, quick shifts, long drivetrain life, cost effective!!!
Weaknesses:
Weight, though less of a penalty on my bike (0.75lbs) over XT. Twist shifter tends to wear out gloves, can't change while braking as easily as levers.
Similar Products Used:
none.
Bike Setup:
Lahar Softail, Rohloff Speedhub, Hayes 6" discs, Marzocchi MXC ECC forks (or Z1 QR20 Drop-offs, depending on trails), Raceface I beam cranks, Pace 42t chainring, Rohloff 8sp chain, Mavic 519 rims, Stans notubes.
Bottom Line:
Bearing in mind my frame (Lahar Softail) was built for this hub, with horizontal dropouts, etc, the weight penalty is less than a conversion (no torque arm or tensioner to worry about). So weight is still an issue but not as much - my frame was overbuilt for freeride, still only 3.5lbs of carbon fibre... Service from Rohloff awesome - sprocket was seized on (riding to work in London in winter, salt on roads), sent it to factory, got it back in less than a week, with a note to say "Sorry you had a problem with this hub"!!! I've been riding this thing hard to the last two years, commuting, summer and winter riding in UK, NZ, Canada, no problems. Chain has never come off (horizontal dropouts, no tensioner or chain guide), done around 15,000kms on it (half on trails), and the transmission just keeps getting smoother. I have never had a mechanical breakdown on a ride since getting this bike - unbelievable! (bugs your riding buddies though!). If you do lots of trail riding and aren't too concerned about the weight, and can afford the initial outlay, (and have insurance!) then I think its worth the money.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John Cheves
a Downhiller
from Stone Mtn. GA Date Reviewed: March 20, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Hard Rock
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$860.00
Purchased At:
Bike Tech, Macon GA
Strengths:
1) Go ahead; beat the hell out of it. It won't break. Trust me. 2) Even ratio spacing, without ratio duplication of 3x9 driveline setup. 3) You can roll right up to the bottom of a hill, dump five gears, and immediately start mashing, with no shifting delay. (It's in gear as soon as the shift is made). 4) Thomas the Rohloff rep. (Superb customer service). 5) Since the gearing is all internal, shifting is totally unaffected by mud. There is only one very tough cog on the hub, which has, incidentally, lasted me two years, and which I just flipped over, and I don't plan to replace for at least another year. 6) I've really done no maintenance, other than changing the oil in the hub once a year.
Weaknesses:
1) It's expensive, but not significantly more than an XTR setup, if you build a bike from scratch, as I did. 2) It's about a pound heavier than a typical 3x9 drivetrain. 3) As it shifts from 7th to 8th gear, it passes through 14th. (It's really not a big deal. That shift just feels a little different). 4) Chain jumping (see below).
Similar Products Used:
None.
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Billit with Fox RC (I wanna 5th Element), Marzocchi Super T (mine's 6", & I want 7" travel), Hayes Hydraulic, 8" front, 6" back, Rhino-Lite welded rims, 2.5" Maxxis Mobster 50 durometer tires, Monkey-Lite riser bar, Thomson post & stem, Race Face bottom brkt. & Turbine LP cranks.
Bottom Line:
Would I buy it again? Yes, for my bike. I've beaten the hell out of this bike in the last couple of years, and the only mechanical failures I've had were from parts I've broken in crashes. The bike has been used for urban, downhill, dirt jumping, and a little dual slalom. The only problems associated with the Rohloff were caused by crashes and banging the chain tensioner against walls, stairs, & such on urban rides. Even though I've repeatedly missed landing my rear tire on walls, and landed on the tensioner instead, it's so so tough and over-built that I've managed straighten it out each time. The only other problem I've had was a slow oil leak, which was cured by Rohloff replacing a seal. This hub has been ideal for my bike. I run one chainring, and still have a full 3x9 gear range, so when most of the downhillers I ride with are pushing their bikes uphill, I can pedal mine to the top. I did have to make a little guide to keep the chain from coming off of the single cog on the hub while back-pedaling on bumpy surfaces, and I use a Tooth-Fairy rock ring and a 53-tooth road ring with the teeth removed on either side of the chainring, to keep the chain on the front. (It's lighter than a chain guide & rollers). All in all, at 37 lbs, I'm satisfied with the bike as is, and wouldn't use anything other than the Rohloff. I've flat-landed 7 foot stair gaps, and routinely do 4 to 5 foot drops onto concrete, and haven't damaged the hub yet. I really recommend this hub for hard riding under rough conditions. It gets alot of attention, too.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Clint
a
from Atlanta, GA Date Reviewed: January 7, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Laurel Mountain, NC
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
Fat City, PTC, GA
Strengths:
As per previous submission
Weaknesses:
Weight, the skip between 7th and 8th. I had problems with chain throwing. The tensioner tht came with it was not enough, nor was the chain guide they will try and sell you. After a new set of cranks and a home made chain giude my bike has stopoped throwing the chain. The cost.
Similar Products Used:
XT, LX
Bike Setup:
Titus Loco-moto, built heavy for XC/Free ride
Bottom Line:
This is the most forgiving transmition I have ever used period. Simply put, if you don't like the gear you're in just twist your wrist. You don't have to think aabout pre-shifting, soft peddling or mis-shifting. Once you get use to the skip between 7th and 8th it's all good.
Bottom line. If I had it to do again would I? No. I love the performance of the hub but I could have bought multiple drive chains for what I spent on this hub. I think this is the system of the future but I would wait until they figure out how to make it light and smaller. I give it a "3" for value but the performance is the best out there.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Frank Warnock
a Cross Country Rider
from Elkton, MD, USA Date Reviewed: December 8, 2002
Favorite Trail:
North Central Rail Trail, Cockeysville, MD
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
Wooden Wheels Bike Shop, Newark, DE
Strengths:
Instantaneous shifting all in one twist grip, can sweep gear range at standstill, low maintenance, solid construction, beautiful design, paving the way to the future.
Have not noticed the slight loss in efficiency as others have posted, however, my style of riding may be a factor. I am now shifting far more frequently, which probably more than makes up for any such loss.
Weaknesses:
Few, but some notables. Added about 1.5 pounds to bike over Deore XT setup, which is fine for my type of riding (suburban, non-technical, rail trail, doubletrack for the most part). Hits into 14th gear between 7th and 8th if shifting under load, but you adapt by lightening up a little. Some whirring sounds in certain gears when brand new, but has already subsided somewhat with break in. Torque arm design could be improved somewhat - I had to cut mine down (shorten) and drill a new hole in it in order to avoid attachment in the flexing area of the chain stay (rear suspension).
Also, the torque arm fastener has to be modified if the chain stay is square or rectangular, as mine is, or it will rotate around a little under the tightening of the hose clamps. It's shape is for round stays only, with a "V" indentation, so cannot mount flush to a flat surface unless very wide.
Also, pay special attention if you're using disk brakes; Magura Julie didn't clear the hub lug nuts and Louise didn't clear the disk lug nuts - both could be easily adapted with some minor filing, however.
I'd like to see the price of the hub come down, but in the meantime, I'll enjoy being one of the very few to own one, thus the wild-eyed gawking from those still using antiquated derailleur systems.
Similar Products Used:
Sturmy Archer 3-speeds as a kid. Am considering an SRAM 3X9 setup for a road bike, or another Rohloff.
If you have an appreciation for mechanical engineering and want to make a step toward the future, this arrangment is for you. It's hard for me to get back on a derailleur system since making the switch. I believe Rohloff will eventually produce some newer versions and/or improvements on top of what's already an outstanding piece of technology. Do it - you won't regret it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Marcus Simons
a Weekend Warrior
from Wellington, New Zealand Date Reviewed: August 8, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Mt Victoria / Makara Peak
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
www.groundzero.co.nz
Strengths:
So many where to start !
First make sure you read all the posts below - most of them I can agree with the positives they talk about and have many good points.
Let me just go over a few particular ones here myself:
Improved Shifting: I've not missed a shift, dropped a chain or had chainsuck in more than 3 months of winter riding here in New Zealand - and we get lots of mud ! Some of the guys I've been out riding with have gone from clean bikes with near new drivetrains to chainsuck and big cleanups needed in one ride - speedhub just cruised thru....
Reduced Maintenance time and outages: I've also only cleaned the bike twice in that time and spent about 25 % of the time I used to on drivetrain maintenance. With the Cannondale headshok and hydraulic disc brakes its a use it and forget it proposition !
Good cost/benefit ratio if you include maintenance: Some people are saying it costs a lot. But I looked at how much I spent on drivetrain gear, looked at the costs expected with running the speedhub and worked out my annual drivetrain maintenance cost would only be about 10 % of what it was with a regular drivetrain. It should only take me about 3 yrs to break even ! With an estimated 80,000 km life I suspect the thing will last 3 yrs !!!! Your maintenance costs might not be so high though, esp if you live somewhere dry all year or where you don't ride in the winter (we ride all year round with nightlights). I was using 2 chains, small and middle chainring every 12 months, cassette every 18 months and shifters/derailers every 24 months.
Installation and finish: I found the instructions were good and easy to follow - I did the installation myself in about 2-3 hrs - and that was taking it very slow and easy to make sure it was all right. The finish of the components is wonderful. Even the chain tensioner is a work of precision engineering. No pressed steel or molded plastic here - quality german stuff.
Being able to shift without pedalling: You can shift while pedalling. Of course the less load on the pedals the better the shift. Even while standing still - which is great for really technical riding or even just coming to a sudden stop when the lights change ! One thing I was told before buying and I must agree with is that you learn to shift differently too. With a speedhub you learn to shift when the cranks are straight up and down and there is less load on the hub. It shifts so quick (1/100 of a second at 60 rpm) so you can shift virtually instantaneously at the bottom of the pedal stroke. When you get this right the 7/8th gear shift issue doesn't even really bother you !
Sequential shifts with one lever: There is nothing so nice as being able to switch back and forth between ratios. An undulating piece of track you used to ride in one gear (grunt, spin, revout mode) you can now switch up and down. One local track I used to do with 3 or 4 shifts and much pain I now do about 30 or 40 shifts and have a hoot !!!
Weaknesses:
Weight, slightly lower power transfer efficiency and the noise/feel.
I weighed my bike before and after the change to Rohloff. Bike went from 23 to 26 pounds. That was removing a Hope XC rear hub, XT cassette, XT derailers, LX shifters and a Sachs PC99 chain. Could be more if you were using XTR gear.
According to docs from Rohloff the efficiency varies from gear to gear depending on the number of planetary gearsets engaged to achieve the output ratio. Worst gear is third with efficiency (= power at wheel/power at pedal) of 96 % compared to 98 % for regular drivetrain.
You notice the extra weight on the uphills, more as it gets steeper. And the slightly lower efficiency comes into play when the going gets steeper - when you'd normally be in the granny gear chainring.
In terms of noise and feel you can feel the gearsets in the speedhub meshing thru your pedals - this makes it seem less efficient than it is. It is also quite noisy in some gears - 5th and 7th for example on mine - although that is supposed to get better when it wears in, unfortunately that can take 6 months (most of my previous shimano is worn out after 6 months not worn in !!!!!)
The noise/feel is best if you spin the pedals. Then it is merely a whirring sound. If you stand up and grunt in a big gear its more like a grinding sensation you feel in your pedals.
Luckily the speedhub makes it so easy to shift that you never need to get out of the saddle - you can always get into a spinning gear.
I've never had much trouble with the 7/8 th gear shift issue unless I go out to try and make it happen. Most of my hard shifts under load are in the last 6 gears.
Questions: When you do buy a speedhub you've got to add 5 mins to every ride as people want you to stop and talk to them about it - mainly they are people into biking who've heard of it but never seen it and want to know more....
Similar Products Used:
Over last 15 years a variety of Shimano LX, XT, XTR derailers, shifter units and cassettes - from back when they were 6 spd thru to curent 9 spd versions. Sachs chains. FaceFace and Avitar Werx chainrings.
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Caad4 hardtail with Fatty DL 70 mm fork. Frame and fork disc specific with Hope Mini discs - 185 mm front and 165 mm rear.
Bottom Line:
I've raced XC in the past, competing in the NZ nationals in 1998. Nowadays I go less racing and more enduro riding - including 12/24 hr teams races.
In terms of XC I'd probably not recommend the speedhub to a top level XC racer but I would recommend it to most others -for riders like me who are out riding all year in different conditions its the bomb. Great for those trips away where you ride day after day and don't want maintenance issues.
On a light bike then adding the 3 pounds of the speedhub and taking a small (2% ) efficiency hit is not so bad - puts you on an even weight footing with people on heavier bikes but the gain you get in terms of reliable sequential gearing etc is bloody awesome. Certainly if I already rode a heavy bike I'd think twice about adding this as well ! But then I'm a little light fella at about 160 pounds
If I was seriously racing XC and doing well I'd probably still use my speedhub most of the year and then swap to a 2x9 drivetrain setup with tubeless wheels and V-brakes for the racing season. The loss of weight and improved efficiency would be great at race time. The ablility to train all year off road with no maintenance with the speedhub would make messing around with two sets of gear worthwhile.
However relearning to use derailers again may be a bit tough. Can you say "shifts gear in 1/100 of a second at 60 rpm..."
For me this thing is the bomb !!!!!!!!
Also I can recommend www.groundzero.co.nz to purchase your speedhub. Best prices on the planet plus they specialise in only a few product line including the speedhub so know what they are talking about with the speedhub - unlike the big mailorder places maybe ?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pete Cresswell
a Cross Country Rider
from Paoli Date Reviewed: April 23, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$906.00
Purchased At:
WebCyclery.com
Strengths:
- Wide shifts: Probably a substitute for proper technique, but I can clean inclines that I couldn't before. Hammer in to it in, say, gear 8, then jump down to 4, then to 1 as needed.
Also, on long climbs I like to alternate in and out of the saddle which, for me, is a 3 or 4 gear shift on each change. With the der I used to do it a lot less frequently that I really like and in the spirit of "Gee, I sure hope I don't miss this shift and take the saddle horn up my butt (again...)". Now I just snap those wide shifts without even thinking about it. Any time, any place.
- I'm always in the right gear, since shifting is essentially trivial; seems like shifts take less than a fiftieth of a second.
- No more bent rear cogs or ders.
- No more vines/small branches/grass wrapped around the cog.
- It *seems* pretty-much bombproof. Time will tell, but I was spending more time than I cared to adjusting my der and bending a cog wheel while riding was a PITA.
- Greatly-reduced frequency of missed shifts. "Reduced" and not "Zero" because there is a 'gotcha' between 7 and 8 dumps you into gear 14 if you forget and shift under load. It pops back into the intended gear as soon as the load comes off, but it's not anything you want to make a habit of doing.
- Ability to shift down when stopped. I think I make more than my share of sudden stops and I used to have to lift up the rear wheel and rotate the cranks to get down to a starting gear. Also, my technique sucks and probably won't get any better and it's nice to be able approach an object and slow way, way down before negotiating it if I have any doubts - without worrying about getting stuck in too high a gear to get over it.
- Now I have only one front ring and it's smaller (38 instead of 44) and I can put a bash ring on the inner spyder and try doing the thing where you lift the front wheel, set the chainring down on a log, and then sort of caterpiller over on the chain.
- I don't have to keep mental track of which chain ring I'm on. Sounds trivial, but I don't have any brain cells to spare.
- Maybe not so much of a strength, but it should be mentioned somewhere that 14 speeds are enough. Moriginal 44-32-22 setup took me from 18.5 to 104. With the Rohloff on a 44 I get 19.9 to 104.9 in nice even, uniform 13.8% increments. That's only one less gear and, since I never used 104 it's a wash for me.
Weaknesses:
- It costs an arm and a leg. If my wife ever finds out I spent close to a grand on a rear wheel, she'll start to doubt my sanity.
- This hub weighs a *lot*. It added 1.9 pounds to my already-heavy bike - same rim/tube/tire/spoke gauge. Anybody who says it only adds a pound must be using a really, *really* heavy cog/hub/der/shifter setup. I was using SRAM 9.0 with twist shifters.
- The installation instructions could use a re-write. I'm no rocket scientist, and after studying them long enough I pulled it off - but it could have been a *lot* easier.
- It's heavy.
- The torque arm mounting that came with it was decidedly un-German (downright kludgey, I'd say...). Hose clamps! Also sometime during the first hundred miles the little clevis pin that held it all together disappeared. Wasn't a catestrophic failure because the normal riding pressure pushes everything together.... I probably installed the c-ring keeper wrong or something - but it seems like a weak point. Replaced it with a marine shackle set in LocTite.
- It's heavy.
- It's noisey, especially in gears 1-8. Supposedly this mitigates with age.
- It's definately less efficient in gears 1-8. There's a web site somewhere (in German) that supposedly graphs a Rohloff against one of the Shimanos and claims no loss in most gears and 1-2% in the lower gears. Maybe it will get better with more break-in, but right now I would disagree with that web site's figures.
- Did I mention that it's heavy?
Similar Products Used:
(none)
Bike Setup:
Ellsworth ISIS FS
Bottom Line:
This is definately not for everybody and the torque arm thing bugs me.
Having said that, I find that me and the Rohloff are a perfect match. I've quickly gotten so used to getting any gear I want any time I want and never having to stop and pull brush/branches out of my rear der that I can't imagine going back. It also appeals to the exhibitionist in me...
You, on the other hand, might hate the thing.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Robert Hollingsworth
a Weekend Warrior
from Eagle Rock, Ca. USA Date Reviewed: October 18, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Red Box to JPL (Gabialeno Trail)
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
Supergo of Santa Monica
Strengths:
Compactness. Design. Adaptability. Build quality. I have good support because I live in LA, so I'm lucky there. Dependability. 3000 mile service interval!! Change the oil and go another 3000 miles!!!
Weaknesses:
I don't consider the weight a weekness because I've ridden heavy bikes for close to 30 years, for today's folks that would be it for them. Doesn't like deep water for a long time.
Similar Products Used:
I've only used internal gears. Coaster brake to 3-speed Stormy archer, to Shimano Nexus-7... Nothing compares to the Rohloff...
Bike Setup:
2001 Intense SLX (med frame), Shiver DH fork, Sun Rhino rims, Race Face crancks, isis BB Truvitan, Hayes 8" fr - 6" rear, Intense front 20mm hub, Easton bars, stem (magns.), seat post, SDG saddle, Shimano flat peddals and an MRP chain guid with top roller only.
Bottom Line:
I've ridden internal gears only so I can't compare the different phylosophies here, I can tell you that I don't get caught out when I need a much lower gear. I've ridden on average 3 to 4 times a week since May, I ridden the trabuco climb, the climb up to tunnel in Santa Barbara, The Big Mtn. resort in Montana, Fernie in Canada and the whole time this hub has never let me down. I did hit the tensioner and that took me out, I was lucky to be on a downhill to the trucks, the good part is that I could fix it back at home and the replacement that I carry on trips now was only $25 bucks. If you have a hardtail this is the gear system to have, period. If you race the drawbacks of lightness could be weighed against dependability and performance. If you have a hardtail you will NEVER chain suck, and the serenity of a quiet ride will be worth the investment alone! I'm giving high ratings because it works for what I ride.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David Walkerden
a Downhiller
from Sydney Australia Date Reviewed: October 16, 2001
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$850.00
Strengths:
sealed unit is perfect for a weekend of competition without having to constantly adjust/repair conventional systems. Much stronger wheel. Gear spread allows DH bike to be ridden harder out of slower sections. SHIFTS WITHOUT PEDALLING!!!
Weaknesses:
Too expensive to carry a spare wheel if yours folds, you have to rebuild. Carry 72 spare spokes! and two rims. Unsprung weight is at the end of the moment arm, which works the shock harder. Shifter box is a little exposed
Similar Products Used:
conventional XTR stuff.
Bike Setup:
KHS dh100 (8" travel), DNM usd 180's, Fox Vanilla RC shimano discs (Grimeca pads) 24" rims (5'4" rider), intense tires, easton bars/post and Azonic zero stem. Koobi saddle
Bottom Line:
Just like the way suspension forks added two pounds to an XC bike yet made it faster, the Rohloff hub's advantages far outweigh any weaknesses. 14 close ratio gears can give you leverage off the start line, with enough gearing to pedal at 60 mph. Fly into the technical section hard on the brakes, roll through, and shift down 9 gears without having to pedal, saving you seconds at every section. This is to MTB, what paddle shifters are to race cars. If Rohloff ever build their gearbox into an oversize bottom bracket, it's over for derailluers.
This one paid for itself twice over in a year of competition through faultless, uncanny reliability, and crash survivability
DH racers should buy one, actually, every MTB'er should buy one. Once you've had one, you can never go back to the old chain-dog again.
NOTE: The shifting gets better with wear, expect a lengthy running in period of about 6 months!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Scott
a
from Phoenix Date Reviewed: August 22, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Geronimo
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$850.00
Purchased At:
Rage Cycles
Strengths:
No dereailleurs/cables/shifters to break or maintain. As stated before 'Bullit proof' Makes rear wheel very strong. Shifts very smoothly under load & without spinning the crank
Weaknesses:
Weight-adds more than Rohloff claims, maybe as much as two add'l lbs over XTR. Chain tensioner nearly as vulnerable to rock damage as a rear derailleur is. Twist grip shifter has poor visible gear index (I'm accustomed to Shimano). Because you have to shift through all the gears to get to what you want, it would be nice to be able to know what gear you are in at a glance at speed.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XT & XTR
Bike Setup:
SC Bullit, Psylo SL, Mavic 321 with Hayes, Easton carbon riser & post, King headset, Fox RC
Bottom Line:
For its intended purpose, this gear system works well. If the side effects noted in the Product Weaknesses above are ignored then this is the best system out there. I was looking to reduce maintenance and increase component survivability on the trail (mtn usually) and it does that very well. Never have shifting adjustment problems or instances (very important) where the chain slips and your knee smashes into the stem or bars. Broken chain tensioner, required for FS bikes only, strands you as a broken rear derailleur would. Weight penalty disturbed me at first but have adapted. Rear wheel still as true as new. Do your research and buy it with with your eyes open and you'll love it. Can give it only four steaming pony loaves cause I was misled by Rohloff ads about the weight and the required tensioner for FS.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tyrone Arnold
a
from Sebastopol Date Reviewed: March 12, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Pauly Creek (Downieville)
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At:
Cambria Bicycle Outfitters
Strengths:
No freakin dirty cassette and derailleurs. Two less chainrings. Onw less shifter. Builds a wheel without dish. Can shift while the bike is still. Looks tight!
Weaknesses:
Less efficient than clean cassette with a good chainline. Must learn how to install a completely new system- not for the weak of mind. Chain tensioner has not provided enough tension to keep my chain from coming off on hard hits.
Similar Products Used:
nexus, sturmey archer
Bike Setup:
2001 Enduro Pro. I have made a sweet setup to attach the torsion plate to my frame and so it looks much nicer than it would with a torsion bar. The torsion bar could not be used with my bike anyway.
Bottom Line:
I am still trying to get the chain problem ironed out so I can take an uninterupted ride. It seems to work fine for now- although there are definitely gears that have less drag (an noise) associated with them. I love the look of my bike with the black hub though. I have hated dirty gears for years and this is a good alternative if you can spend the money and you don't mind having to do a little custom work. Don't buy this bike if you are a fool who thinks that it is OK to shift under load- it works worse than shimano in this respect. It does seem to shift faster though.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul Preston
a Weekend Warrior
from North Bay Date Reviewed: January 24, 2001
Favorite Trail:
the one I'm on
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
Ed Rust III
Strengths:
#1.No Chain Suck - yes there is a mountain bike god! It's name is Rohloff and it has conquered the evil chain suck monster! # 2.No Chain Suck #3.to 100000. No chain suck #100001. smooth equal shifts, low/no maintenance, bullit proof,
Weaknesses:
small weight increase but this is all in the rear of the bike, I find it much easier to lift and manipulate the front of the bike as the bike feels more balanced around the rear hub
Similar Products Used:
there aren't any
Bike Setup:
SC Bullit, Hayes Discs, with the Rohloff -- it is a thing of great beauty, simplicity, and bombproofness!
Bottom Line:
Guys hear it now, this is the future of mountain biking! --just like disc brakes have taken over -- and for the same reasons, they work better, they're stronger, they misfunction less, and are not vulnerable to obstacles, mud, water, sticks and stones the way an exposed chain and deraileur system is. An obvious choice for anybody who really mountain bikes, not needed if you're a poser riding on streets and hanging around lbs.
GO FOR IT DUDES!
(By the way you can get it with a Hayes compatible disc, I had to wait but got one of the initial ones produced in Sept.00.)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
DaBinChe
a Weekend Warrior
from san jose Date Reviewed: December 8, 2000
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
zero maintainace (almost, oil change once a year), stronger wheel (zero dish), no chain suck, evenly spaced gears, faster shifting and in all conditions (back pedalling or static)
Weaknesses:
about a pound heavier than an xtr setup, can't be used with horst link suspension (not completely true, read below)
Similar Products Used:
there are no similar products or nothing that even comes close
Bike Setup:
tracer, grimeca system 8, z1-xfly, chris king hub & headset, thompson seatpost & stem, stratos xc-pro w/on the fly lock out, seven cycles custom ti bar, flight trans am, bontrager mustang & valiant rims, phil wood ti bb, turbine cranks, time attack carbon ti pedals
Bottom Line:
I've used the hub for a few months now and it's performance is better than any derailler system that I've ever used. I don't feel the weight because it's in the middle of the wheel. The bike doesn't feel back heavy either. I had to make a custom torque arm cause the stock setup can't be used with a horst link suspension. At first the hub seems to be pretty pricey but if you take into account the cost of having say a xtr set up including everything that is needed to run a derailler set up the cost is about the same. Awsome German engineering!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
What's New
»
BEST OF MTBR - Check out the highest rated bikes, parts, & gear!
»
LED BIKE LIGHT SHOOTOUT 3 - We test all the newest products and latest light and battery technology in this comprehensive guide»
$
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
