New Vivente - I am excited

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rifraf
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby rifraf » Sun Apr 16, 2017 7:59 pm

ridingboots wrote: Ask me about horses and that is different matter.
Shallots or brown onions?
How many cloves of garlic to the pound?
Served with salad or roasted veggies?
Red wine or white?

Yes I'm in one of those moods today.......
and I'm a bit peckish :)
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ridingboots
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby ridingboots » Sun Apr 16, 2017 8:19 pm

Hahaha Rifraf

Hope you planning on eating young one other wise bit tough or maybe you should slow cooked :wink:

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rifraf
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby rifraf » Sun Apr 16, 2017 8:32 pm

Congrats on the Vivente.

I think you'll enjoy it.

So much of the considerations are already taken care off for you and its only personalising it and the odd tweak that you might decide to do.

You can now concentrate on the touring instead of mucking about with an unsuitable bike for touring trap that it might have been easy to fall into whilst trying to save the pocket.

Enjoy :)
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ridingboots
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby ridingboots » Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:12 am

Thank You Rifraf

Hardly a thing that needs modifying but will have lots of fun in the mean time

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geoffs
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby geoffs » Mon Apr 17, 2017 4:09 pm

Thats really good that you're exited.
We were touring in Tassie recently and one of the guy's that we were riding with had a Vivente with the rohloff hub and gates belt drive. We were amazed that it weighed nearly as much as our steel tandem with S&S couplers. I think he said it was around 18kg with pannier racks. It felt nearly the same as our tandem when i picked them up. The vivente must be loads of fun in the hills
I recently built up a Habanero Ti touring bike for my wife to use as a commuter which weighs 8.5kg without pannier racks. It does have a 1x11 Sram groupset but changing it to a 2x11 wouldn'e add that much weight. It was custom made for her measurements and not an off the shelf bike. Much cheaper than a Vivente

ridingboots
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby ridingboots » Tue Apr 18, 2017 7:51 pm

I would not know the first thing about setting up a bike hence puchasing the Vivente.

They little heavy but still great quality

robbo mcs
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby robbo mcs » Tue Apr 18, 2017 8:05 pm

geoffs wrote:Thats really good that you're exited.
We were touring in Tassie recently and one of the guy's that we were riding with had a Vivente with the rohloff hub and gates belt drive. We were amazed that it weighed nearly as much as our steel tandem with S&S couplers. I think he said it was around 18kg with pannier racks. It felt nearly the same as our tandem when i picked them up. The vivente must be loads of fun in the hills
FWIW the vivente with rohloff and belt drive weighs 16kg as delivered in my frame size. I also have a 7.5kg road bike. The road bike goes up hills easier for sure. Both are great bikes, built for a purpose, which they do very well. Both are equally fun to ride in different ways.

It would be easy to take weight out of the Vivente if you wanted to. Take off the kick stand, the steering stabiliser, the dynamo hub and lights, the extra accessory bar, put on lighter tyres and seat. With that you would be looking at 2-3kg guesstimate. However, that would be defeating the purpose of the bike. Kind of like putting racks, dynamo and kickstand on the road bike :roll:

For me, if I am touring, carrying gear or it is wet I take the Vivente. If I am going out to attack a PB time up a hill I take the road bike. If I am going for a sunday morning solo sightseeing ride I can choose to take either, which is a good choice :D Lately it is often the VWR because I just find it a delight to ride :D

Congrats to the OP on your new bike, I understand your excitement :wink:

Bobsled
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby Bobsled » Mon May 01, 2017 8:12 am

First time writer, long time follower.

Ridingboots, I am glad that you are happy with you new Vivente.

My partner purchased a 2017 Gibb 8 weeks ago, and like you, she was very excited to start touring on this bike. Unfortunately, our experience with the bike and Vivente has been very disappointing.

After only a couple of weeks the brake line had to be replaced as it had a kink in the line where it left the lever as it had been cut too short during the assembly process. The LBS that I purchased the bike from quickly fixed this issue. A couple of weeks later whilst touring around Tasmania, I noticed that the shifter lever had been sliced open by the steering stabiliser mount. I notified my LBS and Vivente to inform them of the issue. The LBS was happy to look at the issue, but Vivente was not convinced that it was an issue. This has still not been resolved due to the other major issue below.

Upon taking the bike to my LBS, they informed me that a number of bikes with the Rohloff hub had left the Vivente assembly factory without having had the oil added to the hub. This was extremely disappointing, as when we received the bike, I phoned Noel at Vivente to confirm if oil had been added to the hub during the bike assembly process – I was informed that it had. The LBS was not concerned about this issue, even though the Rohloff warranty was very clear about oil needing to be added before use. I have sent emails to Vivente to try to discuss this issue, but have had no response. I had one very brief conversation with Noel over the phone, and after I requested a new hub, he hung up on me. The hub has now done over 900km with no oil in it. I am very concerned that this will seriously impact on the reliability and longevity of the hub. After all, this is one of the reasons for purchasing a Rolloff hub.

After contact my LBS about wishing to exchange the hub out, Vivente agreed. However, it has been left to me (and not the LBS) to send the wheel back. I have sought clarification on what the timeframe for the return of the wheel will be (we head to Europe in 4 weeks for a month long tour), if oil will be added to the hub, will a warranty card come with this new hub and if the hub will be returned to me or the LBS. Neither Vivente nor the LBS have been able to answer any of these questions. I am very concerned that I will post the wheel off and no replacement will arrive before we leave for Europe. This would then totally wreck our cycle touring trip. Also, Vivente have insisted that I not even post the wheel until later this week.

If you have recently purchased a Vivente 2017 with a Rohloff hub, please get in contact with your LBS to confirm that oil was added to the hub. If they are unsure, insist on an oil change to give you peace of mind and to reduce the possible negative impact of damaging the hub.

Thoughts on how I go about getting a replacement wheel/hub in time for our trip away?

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rifraf
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby rifraf » Mon May 01, 2017 1:31 pm

Thats extremely disappointing to hear for many reasons.

I hope you have a positive outcome.
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ridingboots
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby ridingboots » Mon May 01, 2017 11:34 pm

Hi Bobsled

I am sorry to hear of your experience with Vivente and hopefully it all resolved soon as like me I would think you purchased on the excellent reviews the Viventes seem to have and value for money.

Unfortunately my budget did not allow me to purchase a Gibb but it was on my wish list. I will definitely keep an eye out for any other issues and contact Vivente and LBS if I have any problems.

So far I have only done two rides on the Viv and no issues so far. Only had a clicking noise which I think was a pedal and hopefully have resolved.

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V2rocketeer
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby V2rocketeer » Sun Jan 28, 2018 4:15 pm

Bobsled wrote:First time writer, long time follower.

Ridingboots, I am glad that you are happy with you new Vivente.

My partner purchased a 2017 Gibb 8 weeks ago, and like you, she was very excited to start touring on this bike. Unfortunately, our experience with the bike and Vivente has been very disappointing.

After only a couple of weeks the brake line had to be replaced as it had a kink in the line where it left the lever as it had been cut too short during the assembly process. The LBS that I purchased the bike from quickly fixed this issue. A couple of weeks later whilst touring around Tasmania, I noticed that the shifter lever had been sliced open by the steering stabiliser mount. I notified my LBS and Vivente to inform them of the issue. The LBS was happy to look at the issue, but Vivente was not convinced that it was an issue. This has still not been resolved due to the other major issue below.

Upon taking the bike to my LBS, they informed me that a number of bikes with the Rohloff hub had left the Vivente assembly factory without having had the oil added to the hub. This was extremely disappointing, as when we received the bike, I phoned Noel at Vivente to confirm if oil had been added to the hub during the bike assembly process – I was informed that it had. The LBS was not concerned about this issue, even though the Rohloff warranty was very clear about oil needing to be added before use. I have sent emails to Vivente to try to discuss this issue, but have had no response. I had one very brief conversation with Noel over the phone, and after I requested a new hub, he hung up on me. The hub has now done over 900km with no oil in it. I am very concerned that this will seriously impact on the reliability and longevity of the hub. After all, this is one of the reasons for purchasing a Rolloff hub.

After contact my LBS about wishing to exchange the hub out, Vivente agreed. However, it has been left to me (and not the LBS) to send the wheel back. I have sought clarification on what the timeframe for the return of the wheel will be (we head to Europe in 4 weeks for a month long tour), if oil will be added to the hub, will a warranty card come with this new hub and if the hub will be returned to me or the LBS. Neither Vivente nor the LBS have been able to answer any of these questions. I am very concerned that I will post the wheel off and no replacement will arrive before we leave for Europe. This would then totally wreck our cycle touring trip. Also, Vivente have insisted that I not even post the wheel until later this week.

If you have recently purchased a Vivente 2017 with a Rohloff hub, please get in contact with your LBS to confirm that oil was added to the hub. If they are unsure, insist on an oil change to give you peace of mind and to reduce the possible negative impact of damaging the hub.

Thoughts on how I go about getting a replacement wheel/hub in time for our trip away?
Ohh My. My wife and I purchased a Vivente Gibb back in June from a shop in Sydney. She has had a little trouble with shifting after we got caught in a good rain downpour. We took it back(To LBS) to look at and the LBS just fiddled with the cables. It seemed to work for a while but she thinks it is still wonky. I never even thought to have the oil checked I would have assumed it was ok. Did you have any symptoms of the lack of oil?? Is there a way to check this out? I will jump on youtube after posting here. We have way more than 900k on her bike. Which LBS did you go to? PM if you like.

How did this all pan out in the end? Did you get on tour without hassle?

Bear

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rifraf
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby rifraf » Mon Jan 29, 2018 2:27 am

V2rocketeer wrote:
Ohh My. My wife and I purchased a Vivente Gibb back in June from a shop in Sydney. She has had a little trouble with shifting after we got caught in a good rain downpour. We took it back(To LBS) to look at and the LBS just fiddled with the cables. It seemed to work for a while but she thinks it is still wonky. I never even thought to have the oil checked I would have assumed it was ok. Did you have any symptoms of the lack of oil?? Is there a way to check this out? I will jump on youtube after posting here. We have way more than 900k on her bike. Which LBS did you go to? PM if you like.

How did this all pan out in the end? Did you get on tour without hassle?

Bear
Easy enough to check out.
When I bought my Rohloff hub, it came with the oil to add, within the box.
There is a steel "plug" screw in the hub on the surface between the flanges (the flanges are what the spokes attach to).
You need to use an allen key to unscrew (anti-clockwise) the plug and turn the wheel until the hole is in a downwards position.
Do this incrementally until oil starts (or doesn't ) to flow from the hole.
You don't want to empty it, merely see if there is any oil in the hub.
A sign of oil is a sign it was filled.

Questions?
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V2rocketeer
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby V2rocketeer » Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:41 am

rifraf wrote: Easy enough to check out.
When I bought my Rohloff hub, it came with the oil to add, within the box.
There is a steel "plug" screw in the hub on the surface between the flanges (the flanges are what the spokes attach to).
You need to use an allen key to unscrew (anti-clockwise) the plug and turn the wheel until the hole is in a downwards position.
Do this incrementally until oil starts (or doesn't ) to flow from the hole.
You don't want to empty it, merely see if there is any oil in the hub.
A sign of oil is a sign it was filled.

Questions?

Ok will look tonight when I get home. I'll try and call my LBS as well to see if that has any issue with warranty.

Cheers for the reply

Bear

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RonK
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby RonK » Mon Jan 29, 2018 9:50 am

The reality is that there is plenty of lubricant in the Speedhub from assembly, so it's unlikely that the internals would be damaged. It may even help bed the gear train in more quickly and reduce the noise in 7th gear and below. It would be pretty pointless jumping up and down and demanding the immediate replacement of the hub.

Remove the plug and see if any oil runs out. If there is no oil in the hub, call or better still email Noel McFarlane at Vivente and put it on record in case of future issues. Include the serial number of the hub and the details of purchase. Maybe even add a photo to show no oil has run out of the plug.

The shift cables do require adjusting from time to time and it's not unusual to do this while a new bike is settling in.

Easy shifting is just another of the myths Rohloff like to perpetuate in their marketing material, but unless the correct technique is used your wife well may feel it is a bit "wonky". The Speedhub does not shift happily under load, particularly between 8th and 7th gear. She should ease back on the pedalling pressure when shifting.
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rifraf
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby rifraf » Mon Jan 29, 2018 12:32 pm

V2rocketeer wrote:

Ok will look tonight when I get home. I'll try and call my LBS as well to see if that has any issue with warranty.

Cheers for the reply

Bear
Good.

Don't forget to update us, having aroused our curiosity :)
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V2rocketeer
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby V2rocketeer » Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:46 pm

I called my LBS and was advised that there is no user serviceable bits on the Rohloff that potentially would not void my warranty if played with. They were more than happy to look at the bike if we brought it to them. They stated that they had not heard of this issue of no oil in the hubs but would check it for us if I was concerned. It is unfortunate that Bobsled only posted once and appears not to have returned much after a week or 2. It would be good to get more details though. I haven't had any trouble dealing with Noel or my LBS and in fact would give both high praise if anyone asked so it was sad to hear someone else didn't have a good experience. I will try to get the bike to them in the next week or so and I will post back here if there was any problems

Bear

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rifraf
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby rifraf » Tue Jan 30, 2018 3:27 am

V2rocketeer wrote:I called my LBS and was advised that there is no user serviceable bits on the Rohloff that potentially would not void my warranty if played with. They were more than happy to look at the bike if we brought it to them. They stated that they had not heard of this issue of no oil in the hubs but would check it for us if I was concerned. It is unfortunate that Bobsled only posted once and appears not to have returned much after a week or 2. It would be good to get more details though. I haven't had any trouble dealing with Noel or my LBS and in fact would give both high praise if anyone asked so it was sad to hear someone else didn't have a good experience. I will try to get the bike to them in the next week or so and I will post back here if there was any problems

Bear
Well I'll look forward to your next update. :)
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V2rocketeer
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Re: New Vivente - I am excited

Postby V2rocketeer » Tue Jan 30, 2018 7:59 am

RonK wrote:
Easy shifting is just another of the myths Rohloff like to perpetuate in their marketing material, but unless the correct technique is used your wife well may feel it is a bit "wonky". The Speedhub does not shift happily under load, particularly between 8th and 7th gear. She should ease back on the pedalling pressure when shifting.
My wife is very new to cycling. Last year in fact several months prior to our purchase of her bike she started to ride more seriously. Her frame is way to small for me to ride any distance and get an overall idea not that I have any experience with a Rohloff myself. My wife has arthritis (curse aging) in her hands which was one of the reasons we decided to get the Rohloff as fiddling with levers seemed difficult and confusing for her. She liked the twist and shift. She figured out the pause in pedaling when shifting and does it quiet good now. I can always tell when she is in 7 or 8th gear as it is much noisier lol.

Bear

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