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To Rolhoff or not?

19 posts & 10 voices | Started 3 years ago by giantjason | Latest reply from billysan

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giantjason - Member

At present i have my Kona Unit 26" setup as a single speed and was enjoying it over the winter with lack of maintenance. However now the summer is here and the trails are dryer i feel as if gears would be the way to go. i generally use the Kona for rides around Chilterns and Berkshire where it isn't massively steep.

i ride my kona to work everyday as well as a 30 mile cycle a couple of evenings in the week.. My other bike is an Ellsworth Moment which is awesome but i only use it for weekend rides as it is too much of a bike for the Chilterns.

Is it wise to get a Rolhoff (expensive at £900) or should i just stick with the simplicity of SS? i dont want a rear derailleur as during the winter it would be too much hassle to keep clean and free from mud. The rolhoff also keeps the bike looking clean and simple.

has anybody fitted a rolhoff and do they have any comments/pics/reviews on whether it is worth it or not?

Posted 3 years ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

Alfine?

Posted 3 years ago #
bigdugsbaws - Member

I have an Alfine on my unit 29er and have previously owned a Rohloff - save your money and go Shimano, the difference in performance is not reflected in the price difference

Posted 3 years ago #
Denis99 - Member

It's not for everyone, there will be those who like it alot (like me) and others who will tell you that you can buy an awful lot of chains, mechs, cassettes etc for the same amount of money.

Well worth having a demo with the rohloff though - could just be that its not for you.

I do like it, and wouldn't go back to conventional gears though. Dead simple to ride, no gears deciding that they won't work because of the gloop conditions etc.

Here's mine (again)

Posted 3 years ago #
snaps - Member

I don't regret my 'hoff conversion I did some 18 months (7000 miles) ago after killing an XTR front & rear mech in the same week on my 06 Marin Wolfridge.
On the plus side:
Simplicity
Lack of maintenence
Satisfying mechanical whirr of German engineering in the low gears
Much stronger wheel (no dishing required for cassette)
Resale value

On the down side:
Weight (about 400 grams more in my case) but you get used to it
Cost (but see resale value) more of an investment

I do still ride my derailuer bike sometimes but find its only in mech friendly terrain & weather!

Pic of early set up - I'm now using a Middleburn square taper crank after ISIS proved shite!

Pic of my home made Monkey bone to do away with the speedbone

Posted 3 years ago #
giantjason - Member

i heard that the Alfine involved more setting up and tweaking because it uses springs to go into the lower gears whereas the Rolhoff has no springs and only cables in both directions.

Has anyone had any problems with the Rolhoff system?

Would it be possible to have a rear Rohloff wheel and use it on two different bikes - the FS and HT - with separate gear shifters on each?

Posted 3 years ago #
snaps - Member

Alfine only has the range of a 1x9 set up so I don't think it is a good to compare them.
No problems but I've not heard Rohloff charging for any repairs!
I'm currently building up a Ti hardtail to share the hub so yes its easily done.

Posted 3 years ago #
Denis99 - Member

Can't comment on the Alfine - but have heard good reports from riders I've met on the trails with one fitted.

No problems with the Rohloff, and very few reported instances at that.

You could use the same Speedhub on different bikes, but depending on whether you use a Speed bone or the Rohloff torque arm you may have a little faffing to swap over.

Quite costly to get the shifter gear click box and necessary fittings though. Have a look at SJS website, they carry all the spares for the 'hoff.

Posted 3 years ago #
MidlandTrailquestsGraham - Member

Go for it, they are brilliant.

My Chameleon. The Rohloff works perfectly in these conditions.

My Blur. Full suspension so it needs a tensioner.

I'm thinking of building a downhill bike now. If I do, that will have a Rohloff too.
I've done a few marathons and I think I've only seen 4 Rohloffs amongst the thousands of derailleurs and singlespeeders.
They are ridiculously expensive, but I keep watching them on ebay and I reckon I could sell the one I bought new a couple of years ago for almost what I paid for it and the one I bought second hand for more if I wanted to.
Buy one second hand. If you don't like it (you will), sell it again for the same price.

Posted 3 years ago #
avdave2 - Member

I have a Rohloff on my do everything bike and really like it. I commute year round on it and for the last year that has been off road. The only maintenance I have done over and above a single speed is the oil change which is quick and easy. It really earns it's keep on a use every day bike.The only downside for me aside from cost is that it is heavy. However the bike is heavy all round so it's not all down to the hub. It's not really an issue on my commute but I did the Lazy Sunday South Downs route from the trail guide this morning and after 3 hours of 133 pounds of me pushing 32 pounds of steel up and down hill I was feeling it.

Posted 3 years ago #
bigdugsbaws - Member

Bear in mind that if you use it on a FS that there is a lot of weight out back, which I found ruined the sensitivity of the suspension on my bike. The Alfine is slightly easier to set up than a Rohloff and the cable is less sensitive to tight bends that can be problematic with the dual cable hoff setup. Definately test before you buy as there is a difference in drag between a gear hub and derailleur bike that some people cant stomach.

Posted 3 years ago #
Denis99 - Member

The drag is definitely there on a brand new hub, but it does decrease over time (miles). Changing the oil after say the first 500 miles seemed to help as well.

The drag is virtually gone now (or I've just got used to it).

The weight issue in the rear hub has never bothered me that much - but I do think the 'hoff is more suited to a hardtail than a normal full suss bike. Another reason why I chose the Nicolai , as the frame can be specced with all the cable routings, and the frame has been designed with the Rohloff user in mind.

You need to get a ride on one, it won't take long for you to decide whether it's for you.

Posted 3 years ago #
giantjason - Member

would i bet better getting one from new or 2nd hand incase there is something wrong with it?

does anyone have a rohloff near Berkshire for a test ride?

Posted 3 years ago #
snaps - Member

You're more than welcombe to try mine but I'm in Devon!

Posted 3 years ago #
billysan - Member

Did you ever manage to get a test ride Jason? And did you ever get a hub?

I have one and am in Reading if a rohloff is still on your radar

Posted 2 years ago #
simonfbarnes - Member

Has anyone had any problems with the Rolhoff system?

the cables that come with it are rubbish and mine rusted solid in 6 months. The instructions say not to lube the cable, but the teflon liner managed to extract itself into the shifter

edit:
Posted 10 months ago # Report-Post

good grief!

Posted 2 years ago #
brumsgrove - Member

Shimano gear inner cable & BRAKE outer cable works best on a Rohloff... Thorn cycles have been using this set up for years...

Posted 2 years ago #
giantjason - Member

crikey i can just about remember this post from nearly a year ago!!

billysan - in the end i just went for an Alfine and now have it on a DB Love/Hate. It has been great for trawling through the winter mud around Reading.

Although the alfine is cheaper i am wishing i went for the Rohloff as it gives a greater spread of gears and has superior build quality. I am also having issues with the hub bearings.....after nearly a year of use i am getting a lot of side play on the wheel.

Do you have a rohloff for sale? Email me on jsrwalker AT googlemail.com with info please.

Posted 2 years ago #
billysan - Member

Shimano gear inner cable & BRAKE outer cable works best on a Rohloff... Thorn cycles have been using this set up for years...

This setup leads to a very spongey and wooly feeling shifter. Because the indexing is in the hub and not the shifter, you loose a lot of the snappiness if you do this (brake outer cables change in length when bent, gear ones dont do this nearly as much). Im on XTR cables now with full length outers and its perfect.

Posted 2 years ago #