|   Paging næstep! Can I pick your brain? | Festively Plump
Jan 22, 2003 5:29 PM | | about the Rohloff Internal Speed Hub you use? I have a SPOT single speed that I absolutely love and I'm thinking about getting a Rohloff Hub. What appeals about me about the Rohloff is that it is a very reliable system. Although I do most of my local riding with the SPOT setup as a single speed, I hope to take part in some long epic races this summer and would love to have a transmission that I can depend upon for the duration. Would you mind giving me your impressions? Is it worth the $$$$?
Thanks! |
| The Rohloff Speedhub is everything it's claimed to be... | næstep
Jan 22, 2003 7:03 PM | | ...as long as you're willing to accept the price plus the weight, and coming from a single speed I imagine it's going to be a bit more than the two pounds my NRS gained when I converted it over.
You'll save precious grams by not having to running the chain tensioner, and if you stick with the non-disc "CC" version, you'll save a few more.
If you've already read through the reviews, all the "negatives" are listed. The gear 7/8 thing is real, but really not a problem once you get some saddle time and develop a shifting technique. There is a perception of it being less efficient in some of the lower gears due to a "buzz" through the drivetrain, but that feedback lessened and almost disappeared on my tensionerless setup. The gear range is wide, but not "27 speed wide" you can duplicate an 11-30 24 speed drivetrain, but if you go for a 34T equivalent wall-crawling gear, takes a chunk out of your high end. Setup is a little less forgiving than I'd like there are some specific length cable cuts required but once set they're not touched, and the second time around installation becomes much easier and more familiar.
So far both of mine have proven to be reliable, but the NRS I've only been riding since March with the better part of the summer off, and the Buzz Bomb a couple times per week since Thanksgiving, so it's a little early for me to judge longevity. The hubs definitely get smoother as the miles pour on both drivetrain smoothness and shifting smoothness have increased notably. Proper cable & housing prep is a must. My chains and rings are definitely lasting longer, but you're already used to that with your SS setups.
Worth the price? Your call. I still choke when I see the sticker price. While I can run the numbers and prove to myself that the Speedhub pays for itself over a few years compared to an XTR or even XT drivetrain, it's still a gawd-awful amount of change to drop all at once.
So has it been "worth it?" Yes, to me it has. I'm putting a lot more miles in this winter than in years past, mainly because I'm not so concerned with cleaning out the mud from the cassette and derailleurs after dirty rides again, a throwback to your single speed. I've completely avoided the shifting problems a lot of NRS owners have claimed to have due to crank alignment, Shimano chains and flexing shock stays. No more drivetrain adjustments, Period, and that makes me happy. When my chainring finally begins to wear out, I'll get to take it off and FLIP IT OVER and use it again, and same with the cog. What's not to like?
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If you're aprehensive I was email Rohloff and find out if there's a dealer somewhere near you. I needed a test ride on a Superlight to convince me it was the right way to go, and I probably wouldn't have made the jump if I hadn't.
næstep |
| jeeeeez, man | Henry Dorset Case
Jan 22, 2003 8:32 PM | | you are really making me regret selling mine......I parted out the FSR before christmas due to the whole needing cash in a hurry to pay for home improvements thing. Justified it to myself because I was not riding it too much, and had at that time four (I know!) other bikes, but.....
now the only bikes I really like riding are my single speeds....I have a SS commuter bike, and a SS off road bike. I just need bigger legs and lungs.....the thing that really peees me off after having a speedhub and going back to 27 speed is that you have to think about gear changes all the time.....do I need to change the front or back?, will the chain drop off the middle into the smallest chainring this time? or will it come off altogether?, Do I want to ride where its muddy because it will take an hour to clean the drivetrain?, Are my cables full of crud (again)?, etc etc etc. The only bonus is that the 27 speed bike is lighter.
When I am solvent again I will be looking for a second hand, probably CC one. That 24 pound Lenz framed bike with speedhub is looking pretty darn nice I have to say.
Take it easy....by the way, like the hardtail. |
| HDC, say it ain't so! | næstep
Jan 23, 2003 8:43 AM | | Did you keep the FSR frame after going through the trouble of ordering the new rear end for it, or did you sell it as well?
Yeah, the hardtail... I wasn't looking for a new bike, it found me. I just couldn't pass up the deal, and now it's getting more trail time than the NRS. It replaced the 1x9 I rode last year.
Kind of a sad commentary on the price of a Speedhub when it can pay for "home improvements" but I guess ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I'm writing mine into my will.
næstep |
| That speedhub thing.... | makalu
Jan 23, 2003 9:26 AM | | Is that like an internally geared hub??? Eliminated the need for the traditional cluster cassette???
I checked out the website, and sorta understand it, but sorta don't. You use a Speedhub shifter to change gears, and within the hub itself are the different ratio'd (word made up??) cogs???
I can see the benefits of this system clearly. A lot less mess to clean too!!
Also, jsut curious, how much is it???? |
| Yes, it is an internally geared hub ... with 14 speeds | GlowBoy
Jan 23, 2003 12:24 PM | | The shifter has 14 evenly spaced gears and ONE shifter ... inside the hub is the magical mechanism that sorts it all out. Like the 3, 5 and 7 speed hubs, but with more gears ... and reportedly with much better efficiency and durability than the Nexus, SRAM or Sturmey hubs. And yes, if you can run it tensionerless you can kiss mud induced drivetrain problems goodbye forever. Oh yeah, it costs $800.
The Rohloff is an incredible device but is far beyond my needs (or means). If Mr. Rohloff ever decided to put his engineering prowess into a 3-speed hub that's as off-road worthy as his 14-speed (and in my case, BOB-towing), I would gladly pay $250-300 for one. I'm not holding my breath though.
- Dan |
| I WANT ONE | makalu
Jan 23, 2003 12:40 PM | | Those things are super cool.
Of course at $800, that costs more then the original purchase price of my bike!!!
Thanks for the info and link.
Oh yeah, did I mention I WANT ONE!!! |
| When you break the price down... | næstep
Jan 23, 2003 1:16 PM | | ...it almost becomes reasonable when compared to purchasing a brand new derailleur based drivetrain. If you're replacing a derailleur drivetrain that's already in use, it's harder to justify.
Figure out how many $35 cassettes, $15 chains, $50 rear derailleurs, plus the occassional chainring, shifter, front derailleur, etc. you go through, in addition to the "buy in" when you assemble the bike initially, and you'll see the dollar difference favors the Speedhub.
Keep in mind that chains used with the Speedhub are lasting me at least 4x as long and I expect longer, and the chainring and cog show hardly any wear. Annual maintenance involves draining the oil, riding the bike a few miles with a rinse solution, then refilling it with oil.
Think of it this way: Install a Speedhub doubles the original value of your bike!
næstep |
| Not only that, but | Henry Dorset Case
Jan 23, 2003 1:22 PM | | I can attest to the fact that they hold their value very well, in terms of second hand value. |
| Here's a link for more info, BTW | GlowBoy
Jan 23, 2003 12:31 PM | | http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/rohloff.html |
| sad but true! 8-( | Henry Dorset Case
Jan 23, 2003 1:07 PM | | we are (still!) re-doing our bathroom and I ran out of money majorly.....a long and boring story, but suffice to say I needed money quick.
I parted out the FSR, sold the new rear end with the frame (and BB, and front der) for $800NZ, say $400US
that, my nearly new Psylo's, and the speedhub and some other bits and pieces paid the builder most of the plumber.
Of course the money I thought I had last year has now come thru, just over a month late....
c'est la vie!, but like I say, when I am financial, I will be looking again....goal would be a 27 pound, disc equipped FS bike with rohloff. |
| Well the Buzz Bomb ain't that... | næstep
Jan 23, 2003 1:23 PM | | It's actually a 30 pound pig. Considering the "parts on hand" build, the cheap 29" rims and steel beaded tires, and my old square taper crank, I definitely have room for improvement, but for now I'll keep my money and pull a few extra pounds around with me.
But you're right that sub-24 pound Lenz Sport is a gem. I laid eyes on it at Rohloff's shop a few months back, just after interbike. It appeared to be a stout build for such a light weight cycle. Supposedly MBA will review it in an upcoming issue.
Of course, I'd want to add discs and a burly fork, so right away I'd blow the weight savings.
næstep |
| Did you guys see this on ebay? | meloh1
Jan 23, 2003 9:29 AM | | Van Dessel, Rohloff Hub, 19 Inch, Upgraded
Item # 2701804163
Looks very nice and I'm tempted. A 19inch would fit me just fine. |
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