[perryr]

I am looking at a Rohloff speedhub. I am pretty much over the hurdles, accept a couple. 1st is how does the hub feel on the bike in aggressive single track. I like to have the feel that I can throw the bike around, hop, and kick the rear around in the technical stuff. Does the hub feel like a brick in the rear, or is it pretty negligable?

2nd would be any lost efficiency in the climbs. Are you working against the hub any?

 

[itsdoable]

Been on the hub for a couple of years. You definitely notice the weight shift on the back, just like you did when you switched from a rigid fork to a suspension fork. You get use to it pretty quickly, then it's just like any other bike, except the shifts are quicker.

As for efficiency and climbing, you get that strait-cut gear grinding feel and noise when you are under load on the lower gears, plus the ratchet clutch noise. In certain gears, it can be pretty loud, and definitely has a psychological effect that makes it feel like your grinding a gear. But some real world measurements show that this is not so (especially if you are not using a chain tensioner), and I've long gotten use to the noise. I don't seem to be any slower (or faster) than my deraillure & SS friends, but like the SS'ers, I have not had to adjust, replace, fix, etc... a deraillure in a long time.

Cheers,

Tom

 

[frank n. beans]

As for efficiency and climbing, you get that strait-cut gear grinding feel and noise when you are under load on the lower gears, plus the ratchet clutch noise. In certain gears, it can be pretty loud, and definitely has a psychological effect that makes it feel like your grinding a gear.

You say "feel" - can you actually feel some of this grinding? Through your pedals, I'd assume? Really love to try one out someday.

 

[Mr.Bob]

You say "feel" - can you actually feel some of this grinding? Through your pedals, I'd assume? Really love to try one out someday.

I wouldn't call it grinding but you can definitely feel and hear the gears mesh in low gears. I actually kind of like it as feedback for all the hard work.

As for efficiency, my feeling is that the extra weight and any frictional disadvantanges is an order of magnitude less than what you gain by having flawless, incredibly fast shifting over multiple gears. If you do a lot of long steady climbs maybe it would be an issue but in rolling terrain, it's awesome. If you include maintainance and field repairs as part of efficiency, then there is no contest.

 

[itsdoable]

You say "feel" - can you actually feel some of this grinding? Through your pedals, I'd assume? Really love to try one out someday.

As Mr. Bob says. You can hear and feel it. Chains & cogs also have a noise & feel, as the chain comes off each teeth - same thing, only different.

One of the places the Rohloff shines is in ugly conditions, it's much more efficient than a mud caked derailure system.

Cheers,

Tom

 

[VernDog]

Only gets...

Only gets better with milage and after the 1st oil change (initial run in period), I've been using mine for 3 seasons of hard xc racing, and love it, get to the top of a lung buster climb, then dump a pile of gears and hammer down! the little bit of extra weight is worth it, stronger (dishless) wheel, 14 "real" gears/ no crossovers. simple singlespeed drivetrain, consider what replacing your drivetrain over and over costs, this will pay for itself in no time! Also, read the product reviews under the Rohloff speedhub, Quite interesting a
and truthfull!

Vernon VernDog
"Roll the Load"

 

[perryr]

Thanx for the Input, I am working on getting a frame Rohloff ready (EBB and Disk). By By Derailure!