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Source for Rohloff oil?

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#2 ·
I just bought a liter each of the cleaning and all-season oil from HarrisCyclery- Sheldon Brown's shop. Split the cost 4 ways with other friends with Rohloffs. Cheapest way to go. But they also sell the little bottles. If you don't see what you need, call- they'll get what you want.
 
#4 ·
I believe it was $55 a liter.
They had one in stock and it took a week for them to get the other oil shipped in.
It wasn't on the website, I had to call to place the order.
Its the way to go if you have more than one hub.
 
#8 ·
Would there be a problem with using a good automotive oil. My hub is due an oil-change. I don't understand what's so special about the Rohloff oil? Surely auto engines and gearboxes are far more demanding on the quality of the lubrication.
Seems like one of those situations where a company is hoping to make a mint on it's aftermarket products and accessories. Or am I being unfair?
Anyone using auto oil?
 
#9 ·
The problem with using something other than Rohloff would be the unknown compatibility with seals, with the polymer inserts, or other metal interaction in the hub. Many guys experiment with additives for engine oil against manufactures warning with potentially harmful results. If you are a tribologist, then you might have the knowledge to improve upon Rohloff oil, but if not it would be wise to heed conventional wisdom and stay with what is prescribed.
 
Discussion starter · #10 ·
Rohloff oil and cleaner for sale

I put paid spam up this a.m. on my Rohloff wheel and list my unopened 1 liter cans of Rohloff oil and Rohloff cleaner. I'd be willing to split it into 1/2 or 1/4 liters if people were interested.
 
#11 ·
Frame said:
Would there be a problem with using a good automotive oil. My hub is due an oil-change. I don't understand what's so special about the Rohloff oil? Surely auto engines and gearboxes are far more demanding on the quality of the lubrication.
Seems like one of those situations where a company is hoping to make a mint on it's aftermarket products and accessories. Or am I being unfair?
Anyone using auto oil?
Click to expand...
Automotive oils are probably not a good idea, the performance envelope is completely different. Engine oils are designed for high temperatures, and gear oil is designed for higher loads, power, and rpm. Plus they often have seal swelling additives.

A bicycle gear hub is a low speed, low power transmission, which works better with lower viscosity oils and MFR additives like moly.

As for the cost, it's not bad if you compare it to the hub cost, but I do find it expensive. But if you consider the relative small volume speciality manufacturing costs and stocking, and the little amount we use per year, I don't see them making much of a profit on it. Look at it from the corporate side, if you let people put their own mixture in the hub, warrantee issues can become a nightmare for a company that usually fixes anything that goes wrong internally in the hub.
 
#12 ·
itsdoable said:
Automotive oils are probably not a good idea, the performance envelope is completely different. Engine oils are designed for high temperatures, and gear oil is designed for higher loads, power, and rpm. Plus they often have seal swelling additives....
Click to expand...
What about automotive automatic transmission fluid? I've convinced myself it's a good fit. I'm running my Shimano Alfine/Nexus and SRAM i-Motion 9 on Mobil 1 for about 1 year now. Shifts quicker and smoother, esp in the cold.
 
#13 ·
itsdoable said:
Automotive oils are probably not a good idea, the performance envelope is completely different. Engine oils are designed for high temperatures, and gear oil is designed for higher loads, power, and rpm. Plus they often have seal swelling additives.

A bicycle gear hub is a low speed, low power transmission, which works better with lower viscosity oils and MFR additives like moly.

As for the cost, it's not bad if you compare it to the hub cost, but I do find it expensive. But if you consider the relative small volume speciality manufacturing costs and stocking, and the little amount we use per year, I don't see them making much of a profit on it. Look at it from the corporate side, if you let people put their own mixture in the hub, warrantee issues can become a nightmare for a company that usually fixes anything that goes wrong internally in the hub.
Click to expand...
That makes sense. I suppose I should use the Rohloff oil. I live in South Africa, my nearest distributor is many miles away, and is out of stock anyway. Speedgoat is also OOS, apart from the fact that ordering from overseas doubles the cost due to courier charges. I'll just have to be patient!
 
#14 ·
Frame said:
That makes sense. I suppose I should use the Rohloff oil. I live in South Africa, my nearest distributor is many miles away, and is out of stock anyway. Speedgoat is also OOS, apart from the fact that ordering from overseas doubles the cost due to courier charges. I'll just have to be patient!
Click to expand...
St John Street Cycles in the UK always seem to have some in stock (http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/).
CycleMonkey seems to be the place to get it over in my part of the world (http://www.cyclemonkey.com/).

pursuiter said:
What about automotive automatic transmission fluid? I've convinced myself it's a good fit. I'm running my Shimano Alfine/Nexus and SRAM i-Motion 9 on Mobil 1 for about 1 year now. Shifts quicker and smoother, esp in the cold.
Click to expand...
Shimano & SRAM hubs are grease hubs (except the new 11-speed Alfine), so you can use any gear oil on them. ATF is basically mineral oil, so it works fine. Because grease hubs are usually not very well sealed, you need to use a relatively viscous oil so it does not all run out. The Rohloff is an oil bath hub, designed to run a light oil.
 
#15 ·
pursuiter said:
What about automotive automatic transmission fluid? I've convinced myself it's a good fit. I'm running my Shimano Alfine/Nexus and SRAM i-Motion 9 on Mobil 1 for about 1 year now. Shifts quicker and smoother, esp in the cold.
Click to expand...
Huh? Please explain... I can't even keep the stock factory grease in my i9; it bleeds out both sides and even drips on the rim from time to time. Where are you putting the tranny fluid that it's not just spilling out?
 
#16 · (Edited)
Sorry for the hijack, I was asking why Rohloff users don't consider ATF? I can't imagine the Rohloff oil is a special blend. I assume it's whatever the local supplier recommends and Rohloff repackages it for a nice profit. The load on an automotive transmission is much higher than any IGH.

Speedub.Nate said:
...Where are you putting the tranny fluid that it's not just spilling out?
Click to expand...
I didn't overfill it. Doesn't take much, I put 2 capfuls in. Did you know the disc attachment holes aren't blind but rather are open to the internal cavity of the im9 hubshell? If you don't put screws in 'em, water gets in and oil leaks out like a sieve....

I've run old Sturmey Archer 3 speed hubs in oil for years, they aren't nearly as well sealed as the im9 or Alfine/Nexus. German users have been running the Nexus and various SACHS/SRAM hubs in oil. There is a slight amount of weapage on the Alfine/Nexus, a little more with the im9. It's not pouring out or reaching the rim. Oil bath isn't imersion, just takes a little pool in the bottom of the hub then the oil disperses when ridden. Centrifugal forces helps too.
 
#17 ·
pursuiter said:
...I was asking why Rohloff users don't consider ATF? ... The load on an automotive transmission is much higher than any IGH.
Click to expand...
wrt Rohloffs, that's one of the reasons - when your power output is so low that friction becomes a significant loss, you want to use a low viscosity oil with some sort of MFR. ATF's often have some seal swelling additives, which increase friction, and are not nice to composite parts (which are not an issue in auto transmissions). Nexus/Alfine/i9,.etc... are a different story.

Speedub.Nate said:
Please explain... I can't even keep the stock factory grease in my i9; it bleeds out both sides and even drips on the rim from time to time. Where are you putting the tranny fluid that it's not just spilling out?
Click to expand...
Shimano has an oil dipping kit for the alfine - take the unit out of the hubshell, clean, then dip the whole thin into an oil can, drain, reassemble. Sturmy-Archer users have been doing this for decades. There is enough residual oil on the metal surfaces to last a year of "regular" use.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=27229
 
#18 ·
[QUOTE = "pursuiter, post: 6745513, membru: 383520"]
Dar fluidul pentru transmisii automate pentru automobile? M-am convins că se potrivește bine. Îmi rulez Shimano Alfine / Nexus și SRAM i-Motion 9 pe Mobil 1 de aproximativ un an acum. Se schimbă mai repede și mai lin, mai ales în frig.
[/CITAT]

Buna ziua,

Mă gândesc la un tip de ulei care s-ar potrivi cu succes.
Pentosin F11. Acest ulei este hidraulic și este utilizat, de exemplu, în suspensia mașinii.
Rezista la temperaturi ridicate, este fluid si am observat ca are un grad ridicat de lubrifiere.
Ce crezi ?
 
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