I’m looking for a steel hardtail with sliding dropouts so I can fit a Rohloff. On One don’t seem to make one any more, so what are the other options?
Ta

Thorn?

An Orange P7? link

I have a Niner SIR9 with a Rohloff. I like it generally but hate the EBB so like you I’m keen to try sliding dropouts. The Nicolai looks great but not steel. Cotic simple should work or the Spot brand bikes. The P7 looks like a good option since you can get specific Rohloff dropouts.

I use it a lot for commutting and I’m keen to at least have the option to try the carbon drive. As per Brant’s helpful post the other day On-one has no intention of going that way. So next years P7 model is looking like the front runner for me.

A rohloff fitted to an On-One slotted drop out frame (Ti29er) using a refashioned speedbone for torque transfer. A monkey bone would also work with post mount calliper. I have a design for a better but similar torque bone which I may get round to forming sometime.

I would recommend the Thorn, SJS cycles may still have some Enduro frames left, at half price! Lifetime warranty 853/725 rear triangle. I’ve had mine for three and a half years, as my main bike , really like it, it’s both strong and twangy as you’d expect from that tube combo.

I know its not steel but the Santa Cruz Chameleon with the EBB works well with a Rohloff.

Thanks for suggestions but it has to be steel as I already have three aluminum bikes. Also Thorn use EBB which I’m keen to avoid.

I’m pleased with my Thorn Enduro frame. It’s 853. No problems at all with the EBB, it does what it should.

They were selling some off not so long ago for less than £200. (It’s now a discontinued frame I think). I picked mine up secondhand.

(My Rohloff has been brilliant. There’s hardly anything to say about it, because it just goes. I’ve done 5000 KM on mine over the last year. – And with the wet mud bath I ride into every morning, for me at least it’s paying dividends:)

Won’t an evil steely do the job?

Another one riding a Thorn with no issues with the EBB. I know there are several different designs of these, but the Thorn one just works and is very simple and quick to adjust. Given the money I might look at the Van Nicolas Zion which has a Rohloff option.

Surly Karate Monkey has sliding dropouts and loads of mud clearance. Great winter bike with gears would be even better with Rohlof option IMO. 29er tho.

cotic simple?

Some good ideas but as I see it the problem with track dropouts as opposed to sliding dropouts is that the brake disc doesn’t move with the wheel. This isn’t a problem with an EBB but Googling has revealed quite a few complaints about these.

BTW 29er and other niche bikes will get special consideration

I’ve just fitted a Rohloff to my Cotic Simple. I love it!!!
Took a bit of guesswork to fit the speedbone, and wheel removal is a bit of a faff, but it’s not too bad.

There are at least three types of EBB. It might be looking carefully at your google results to check what type people are using. Also have a look at the Thorn forums, you’ll see threads there where people assume they have a problem with their EBB only to find after checking everything that the problem is from somewhere else in the drive chain. You need to follow up your initial searches to establish exactly what type of EBB they were using and also check there is follow up information to establish that they really did have a problem with the EBB. A report of a problem EBB doesn’t mean much if other possibilities haven’t been eliminated.

Good point. Any pointers to good sites with information on EBBs appreciated.

Don’t know about specific sites about EBBs but I’ve seen a lot of discussion on them on the MTBR site. (Lots of americans on there tho keen to show how well lined up their big fat ducks are). They have manufacturer specific forums, single speed forums etc so you can narrow the search and I found the search facillity is quite good.

For what it’s worth my experience seems to be people recommend wrapping in PTFE tape, grease and other variations on that theme and torquing to the recommended setting. Works for some people, usually the lighter people, not for others inc. me. Mind if I ask what weight the folks sucessfully using the Thorns are? The theory seems to rely on slight deformation as well as friction stop the EBB turningMy. Just seems fundamentally wrong to me that something you need to stop from slipping that you would fill it with friction reducing stuff like grease or ptfe so that when it does move it doesn’t creak.

Niner uses two grub screws to bite into an alu EBB – crude and ugly. Works for some including me for about 5okm which isn’t enough for an everyday bike. I replaced it with a carver EBB which expands (Think the Bushnells works the same?) It’s far better but still not perfect. I’d think the clamping type arrangement with a split ENN shell and two flanges being pulled together with dirty great bolts would be better but I don’t know.

While you’re researching creaky EBBs you’ll probably come across plenty of referances to creaky sliding dropouts too so I’m not sure there’s a perfect solution. Eccentric chain adjuster work fine on motorbikes but weight isn’t quite the same issue I suppose.

As for niche alternatives – you don’t see spot brand on every corner and with exchange rates as they are it’s unlikely to change. How come the country that started this financial mess has such a strong currency at the moment?

Sorry for the long post

Kona Unit?