Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
-
- Posts: 825
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 10:57 am
Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby Trevtassie » Thu Jun 15, 2017 8:46 pm
Things I like:
The gear changing. So convenient when touring. Gotta suddenly cross the road when a foot path ends, no problems. Suddenly feel the need to go up that steep ramp...ditto.
Things I don't like:
Dragging a brick behind me all the time. Seriously, the amount of drag is ludicrous. On a downhill it's equivalent to around 2-3%. My partner and I always used to play the rolly game. Start at the top of a pass and I'd shoot off into the distance. Now she's on my hammer all the time. I've gotta pedal. Like having the brakes on.
That brings to me the second issue, the restricted gear range. If I have to pedal, it'd be nice to not spin out, but if I'm geared for a 12% slope then I run out of gears pretty quick.
Summary: If you happen to score one at a great price like I did, and you ride with someone slower than you it's worthwhile, but otherwise save your money for plane tickets.
- RonK
- Posts: 11508
- Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:08 pm
- Location: If you need to know, ask me
- Contact:
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby RonK » Fri Jun 16, 2017 8:37 am
Trevtassie wrote:...save your money for plane tickets.
-
- Posts: 1933
- Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 10:52 pm
- Location: Albury NSW on the mighty Murray River
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby brumby33 » Fri Jun 16, 2017 11:34 am
Awaiting for a review of this pinion drive gearing system by Darren Alff of bicycletouring.com as he is putting this new system through its paces up in Finland above the Artic circle as I type.
He has the 18 speed.
Cheers
Brumby33
VWR Patagonia 2017
2003 Diamondback Sorrento Sport MTB
- rifraf
- Posts: 3843
- Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 5:55 pm
- Location: Two Rocks, WA
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby rifraf » Sat Jun 17, 2017 6:03 pm
How many kms have you clocked up on it?Trevtassie wrote:So here is my assessment of the Rohloff.
Things I like:
The gear changing. So convenient when touring. Gotta suddenly cross the road when a foot path ends, no problems. Suddenly feel the need to go up that steep ramp...ditto.
Things I don't like:
Dragging a brick behind me all the time. Seriously, the amount of drag is ludicrous. On a downhill it's equivalent to around 2-3%. My partner and I always used to play the rolly game. Start at the top of a pass and I'd shoot off into the distance. Now she's on my hammer all the time. I've gotta pedal. Like having the brakes on.
That brings to me the second issue, the restricted gear range. If I have to pedal, it'd be nice to not spin out, but if I'm geared for a 12% slope then I run out of gears pretty quick.
Summary: If you happen to score one at a great price like I did, and you ride with someone slower than you it's worthwhile, but otherwise save your money for plane tickets.
Its well reported to have a run in period before freeing up.
My experience is different with regards drag, but happy to acknowledge yours.
I've found it to be an acquired taste, but over all, I can say I've acquired it.
Happy to acknowledge its not going to be everyones cup of tea and I was surprised at how unlike a magic carpet ride it was for the initial outlay as I expected it to be different.
I dont tend to pedal downhill so it really does suit my style of touring but for those that do I can understand some frustration.
15.3 (I think gear inches) to 80 really seems to suit my meandering and my top gear will never be used.
I do appreciate the lack of derailleur and the need for any "tuning" whilst on tour.
I also think the "investment" subtracts somewhat from the joys of ownership due to some paranoia about it getting stolen.
But....., I'm not sorry I own one and won't be parting with it by choice.
Happy spinning
-
- Posts: 825
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 10:57 am
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby Trevtassie » Sun Jun 18, 2017 6:47 pm
How many more thousands of kilometres before it loosens up, I've just done 2500.
I think I'll use it on a fat bike and get a 3x9 set up.
-
- Posts: 825
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 10:57 am
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby Trevtassie » Sun Jun 18, 2017 7:07 pm
-
- Posts: 825
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 10:57 am
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby Trevtassie » Wed Jul 05, 2017 4:42 pm
Wellllll, I just discovered how crap those Z8RB chains are. Either that or Rohloff sprockets are made of cheese. Gotta replace the sprocket (or at least turn it around) on the Rohloff already. Damn chain is stretched beyond belief and the sprocket is shot after 2200km. Missus's normal Z8 chain is fine after the same distance.Trevtassie wrote:That being said, I was Chief bike wrangler at Davis Station last year, and Rohloffs would be ideal, get some of those KMC galvanised chains and things would last a lot longer.
-
- Posts: 1933
- Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 10:52 pm
- Location: Albury NSW on the mighty Murray River
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby brumby33 » Wed Jul 05, 2017 9:47 pm
It wasn't so much the drag of the hub I hated but the very notchy gear changing knob on the side of the stem and the scraping of the chain inside the guard. They didn't have a belt drive version so can't compare....it was that hideous gear change knob that turned me off.
I'm about to order the Patagonia with barend shifters and hydraulic brakes which felt by far the best set up for me.
I was torn between the Deccan with brifters and mech. Discs but after a lengthy chat with Noel Mcfarlane , he rested my mind about the hydraulic brakes as he swears by them. The barend shifters were easier to use than I thought.
As of today Noel is on his way to Sth Africa for a 3 week tour. (Lucky bugger).
Cheers
Brumby33
VWR Patagonia 2017
2003 Diamondback Sorrento Sport MTB
-
- Posts: 2406
- Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:15 pm
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby }SkOrPn--7 » Thu Jul 06, 2017 1:02 pm
Ricky
- Leaf T
- Posts: 957
- Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:22 pm
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby Leaf T » Wed Jul 12, 2017 11:23 am
Not an ideal comparison but when I first went Rohloff I noticed riding took a little bit more effort going from my Surly LHT with 700x35 marathons to the Rohloff driven Thorn Raven Tour with 26x2" Duremes. I've since used the 1.6 Supremes and it improved a little but I still think there is a small amount of drag in the hub. I wonder if I would buy it again if I had that choice but there is a lot to like about it too. For year round commuting the low maintenance is perfect if you have a safe place to lock it. Pitlocks are a good investment.
- rifraf
- Posts: 3843
- Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 5:55 pm
- Location: Two Rocks, WA
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby rifraf » Wed Jul 12, 2017 3:46 pm
Whilst I notice "buzz" particularly in gear 7, I don't equate it with drag as I've used IGH's for many years.Leaf T wrote: Pitlocks are a good investment.
When I've tried to narrow down other users definition of "drag" it appears for many of them that its the feedback through the pedals and thus what I define as "buzz", but I'm not attempting to suggest that this is what you or anyone else is suggesting.
Certainly the the hub does not appear to freewheel for as long from a lift rear wheel and flick rotate test so there must be something "dragging" it slower.
I gave up on pitlocks with the thick Surly rear dropouts which offered up little by way of threaded rod and made me think snipping it up would pull what little thread was able to be used from the nut.
This was my experience in trying to use a similar lack of threaded rod in an Extrawheel trailers QR with trailer nuts.
I asked about pitlocks with regards to Ogres in the MTBR forum threads but have never had a response by anyone successfully utilising them.
My biggest bugbear with them was in fact trying to remember in which bloomin pannier, handlebar bag or saddlebag I'd last placed the "key" to unthread my front wheels dynohub pitlock.
Turned out it was inside my rack bag so imagine if you will the detritus spread out on the roadside in my frenzied search for said tool to do a puncture repair during a particularly drenching downpour on a wet day.
The air was somewhat blue and best defined as not my finest hour.
- Leaf T
- Posts: 957
- Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:22 pm
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby Leaf T » Wed Jul 12, 2017 4:36 pm
- Warin
- Posts: 647
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2012 5:13 pm
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby Warin » Thu Jul 13, 2017 9:38 am
Knowing me I'd loose the flamin thing on my travels. I'll stick with the allen key version - while not as secure it does mean this clutz should be able to pick up a replacement tool along the way. My thinking is;rifraf wrote:My biggest bugbear with them was in fact trying to remember in which bloomin pannier, handlebar bag or saddlebag I'd last placed the "key" to unthread my front wheels dynohub pitlock.Leaf T wrote: Pitlocks are a good investment.
- -amateur thieves wont have an allen key (knife, bolt cutters, hacksaw etc but not allen keys, shifter, screw driver)
- if they find the wheel removal too difficult then they simply take the entire bike.
-
- Posts: 825
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 10:57 am
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby Trevtassie » Thu Jul 13, 2017 4:19 pm
With the drag, it's most noticeable free wheeling. I notice that the ratchet sound changes depending what gear you are in, so I suspect there is something whirling around inside pretty well all the time.
- Leaf T
- Posts: 957
- Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:22 pm
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby Leaf T » Thu Jul 13, 2017 4:29 pm
- Wingnut
- Posts: 883
- Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:01 pm
- Location: Mornington Peninsula...
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby Wingnut » Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:30 am
I agree with this...the benefits of the Rohloff definitely outweigh the disadvantages which to me is the weight factor but that's it.rifraf wrote:Whilst I notice "buzz" particularly in gear 7, I don't equate it with drag as I've used IGH's for many years.Leaf T wrote: Pitlocks are a good investment.
From what I have seen so far those that dislike the hubs tend to exaggerate their issues...
-
- Posts: 800
- Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 4:54 pm
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby Uncle Just » Tue Jul 25, 2017 12:52 pm
Which could be equally levelled at those who exaggerate the difficulty of tuning a rear derailleur. If you can't install a cable and get the proper tension by simply turning a screw then by all means shell out thousands for a Rohloff.From what I have seen so far those that dislike the hubs tend to exaggerate their issues...
- RonK
- Posts: 11508
- Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:08 pm
- Location: If you need to know, ask me
- Contact:
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby RonK » Tue Jul 25, 2017 3:27 pm
Hehe - and just about every claim made about the virtues of Rohloff is an exageration. One valid claim - changing gears while stationary - is about it.Uncle Just wrote:Which could be equally levelled at those who exaggerate the difficulty of tuning a rear derailleur. If you can't install a cable and get the proper tension by simply turning a screw then by all means shell out thousands for a Rohloff.From what I have seen so far those that dislike the hubs tend to exaggerate their issues...
- Leaf T
- Posts: 957
- Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:22 pm
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby Leaf T » Tue Jul 25, 2017 3:29 pm
-
- Posts: 825
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 10:57 am
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby Trevtassie » Tue Jul 25, 2017 6:34 pm
Now how, pray tell, so you explain the fact that of two identical bikes one Rohloff one derailleur, the derailleur bike rolls significantly faster than the Rohloff bike. So much so that the Rohloff rider is required to pedal down hill.Wingnut wrote:I agree with this...the benefits of the Rohloff definitely outweigh the disadvantages which to me is the weight factor but that's it.rifraf wrote:Whilst I notice "buzz" particularly in gear 7, I don't equate it with drag as I've used IGH's for many years.Leaf T wrote: Pitlocks are a good investment.
From what I have seen so far those that dislike the hubs tend to exaggerate their issues...
-
- Posts: 496
- Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2015 8:25 pm
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby robbo mcs » Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:39 pm
Likes :
Sequential shifting ie don't have to tax my brain by changing both a front and a rear
Easy to look after and maintain, especially with gates belt drive. Virtually no maintenence really
Changing gears when stopped
Weird looks you get from people on roadies when they are trying to work out how the hell your bike works, and then that extra look when you drop into 7th gear and it starts making strange noises
Dislikes
Weight. Especially that the weight is so much in the rear on a touring bike that is already heavy in the rear
Shifting on a drop bar does not have an elegant solution. A bit of a PITA, so I tend to grab two gears at once, or grind in a gear longer than I would normally
Drag. It is there, but for me doesn't seem as big as some have suggested in this thread
Having to momentarily cut back power to change gear
Neither here nor there
The noise : doesn't bother me at all
The dreaded shift into 7th. Doesn't seem to be a problem for me.
Gear range seems adequate to me at both ends
-
- Posts: 825
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 10:57 am
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby Trevtassie » Wed Jul 26, 2017 12:04 pm
She rode it to work once and came home and said "NOPE it feels like the brakes are on, and it took me 20 minutes extra to get to work. Don't like it, take it off". I'm all like, you just need to get used to it.... and this was after a long discussion about who got it, which she won (naturally).
It really wasn't until we rode together that I realised that she was right.
I suspect nobody has ever done any drag testing other than for pedaling, because you just wouldn't think it was necessary.
- Leaf T
- Posts: 957
- Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:22 pm
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby Leaf T » Wed Jul 26, 2017 3:51 pm
-
- Posts: 496
- Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2015 8:25 pm
Re: Rohloff, yeah, nah, yeah, nah.
Postby robbo mcs » Wed Jul 26, 2017 5:53 pm
I wonder about this as well.Leaf T wrote:Could it just be your hub? Have you tried another? My opinion of the hub more or less aligns with Robbo's.
I have a schmick carbon road bike as well as a Rohloff touring bike. The touring bike rolls down the hills pretty much as easily as the road bike. There is a small difference, probably a combination of aero and a small hub drag effect, but I certainly don't have to pedal down hills. Going up hills is a different thing, the tourer is hard work, but I think that might be substantial weight difference
My guesstimate is that the drag is probably in the same order as my generator, real, and definitely there, but not earth shattering.
Return to “Touring Bikes and Equipment”
- General Australian Cycling Topics
- Info / announcements
- Buying a bike / parts
- General Cycling Discussion
- The Bike Shed
- Cycling Health
- Cycling Safety and Advocacy
- Women's Cycling
- Bike & Gear Reviews
- Cycling Trade
- Stolen Bikes
- Bicycle FAQs
- Serious Biking
- Audax / Randonneuring
- Retro biking
- Commuting
- MTB
- Recumbents
- Fixed Gear/ Single Speed
- Track
- Electric Bicycles
- Cyclocross and Gravel Grinding
- Dragsters / Lowriders / Cruisers
- Children's Bikes
- Cargo Bikes and Utility Cycling
- Road Racing
- Road Biking
- Training
- Time Trial
- Triathlon
- International and National Tours and Events
- Cycle Touring
- Touring Australia
- Touring Overseas
- Touring Bikes and Equipment
- Australia
- Western Australia
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Victoria
- ACT
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
- Country & Regional
- The Market Place
- Member to Member Bike and Gear Sales
- Want to Buy, Group Buy, Swap
- My Bikes or Gear Elsewhere
- Cycling Brands
- Cannondale
- Garmin
- Giant
- Shimano
- Trek
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users
- All times are UTC+11:00
- Top
- Delete cookies
About the Australian Cycling Forums
The Australian Cycling Forums is a welcoming community where you can ask questions and talk about the type of bikes and cycling topics you like.
Bicycles Network Australia
Forum Information
Connect with BNA
This website uses affiliate links to retail platforms including ebay, amazon, proviz and ribble.