More than one Rohloff hub?! What the?!
Yep. That’s pretty much what I thought, if ever I heard of anyone owning more than one of these über (expensive) hubs. Yet, that’s the situation I find myself in right now… Readers of this blog may know already I’m a devout Rohloff fan. But why the need for another?
To be honest, it’s not strictly necessary. My current hub has travelled with me from frame to frame, over the 9 years I’ve owned it. It’s done me proud, and I expect it to follow in that tradition for years to come. But, as a Rohloff makes up a complete drivetrain, it’s not always as simple as just swapping out wheels to go from bike to bike – which can be limiting.
Investing in a second Rohloff (or, Speedhub 500/14, to give it it’s full title) allows me to have two very different, but largely interchangeable wheelsets – one primed for mountain biking, the other for general dirt touring. I love my Krampus, the wide gear range a Rohloff affords with 3in tyres, and the way it rides with ultra-wide Rabbit Hole rims – and I’m loathe to pull that wheel apart and start afresh again. But I do prefer a stronger, more versatile rim for my travels. In choosing SunRingle’s MTX33, I have a setup that will handle anything from a light and fast rolling 2in Dureme, to a butch and heavyweight Knard (at a push) - with a 2.4in tyre as the sweet spot.
As a downhill rim, the modestly-priced MTX33, which weighs in at 760g, isn’t the lightest – but if the track record of my Rhyno Lites is anything to go by, they should stand the test of the Andes. No doubt I’d have chosen a lighter rim if I was exploring closer to home (I’d considered the Velocity Blunt 35, with its wider inside bead diameter). But given that I’m running a 29er wheelset, I’m inclined to err more on the side of caution, knowing how much harder it would be to source a replacement in Latin America.
Plus, I’ve long hankered after the nutted, solid axle version of the hub – it allows for a more secure positioning when used in frames with sliding dropouts (like the Ogre), it’s a deterrent against the opportunist thief, and it makes for easier cog-flipping on the road.
Investing in a second Rohloff hub is a testament to how much I like these hubs, and how much trust I put in them. The first still has endowed me with faultless service around the world, including 5 years in the Indian Himalaya running a guiding service. It’s bounced between 6 frames, and it won’t be going out to pasture for a long while.
Certainly, there’s plenty of reason to like a Rohloff, particularly if you ride your bike hard. Of particular interest to the touring fraternity, it makes gear changing from a standstill easy. Bereft of dangly and delicate derailleurs, off-the-bike travel – the roof of a Bolivian bus, for example – is less fretful. It revels in the worst of riding conditions, requiring just an oil change every 5000km, and the occasional flip of the cog and chainring. I’m not going to say it’s without a few foibles – shifting under load, for instance – but I can live with them. The real leap of faith is putting your trust in those Rohloff boffins… and your cash down.
Herr Rohloff’s most wonderful invention. 14 evenly spaced gears, come rain or shine.
Full wheel weight is a hefty 2866g. But if it doesn’t kill you, it will just make you stronger, right?
My hub came via Rohloff-specialists Cycle Monkey, distributors of all the various Rohloffs options and accessories. Owner Neil is well versed with the intricacies of building them up, pre-bending spokes to reduce the change of breakage, given the high flange of the hub. It was purchased through a pro-deal, which saved me some dollars. But it was still a very expensive week…
The most elegant Son 28. Designed with LED headlights and large diameter wheels in mind.
And while I was at it, I figured what the hell: I’ll burn another hole in my pocket and pair it with a Son 28. At $280, Sons are perhaps the Rohloffs of the dynamo world – they’re amongst the most efficient on the market, and claimed to be good for a very respectable 50,000kms or so.
The front wheel weighs 1416g, of which just 460g is the dynamo hub. That’s not bad, considering a Shimano XT front hub is 300g.
Ogre and new wheels. I’ll be gearing my Rohloff with a 36T/16T chainring and cog, which is 2 teeth above the lowest allowed ratio.
The addition of a Surly Tugg Nut chain tensioner makes adjusting the wheel more straightforward.
Seen here with WTB Weirwolfs. They’re not nearly a wide as their 2.5in labelling suggests – but they’re a very nice, reliable all round tyre.
Rather than illuminating my way, my Son 28 will be used to charged USB-powered electronic devices, via a Bright-Bike Light Revolution. I’ll write more about this as soon as I’ve had time to put it through its paces -it’s been a last minute decision, so pre-trip testing has been limited. Initial impressions are looking good though. The unit claims to kick in at just 5.5km/h, and reach a full charge at 14.4km/h. Certainly, it started to charge my iPhone 5, without the need for a buffer battery, at incredibly low speeds – just riding round a car park. A lap around the block and it was already a couple of per cent charged.
The Son 28 wired in to the Revolution. I’ve just taped the cable on for now – I expect I’ll tidy it up later.
A framebag is a great place to store it and the phone, running the cable through the hydration port.
The Revolution is a tiny and very light, at just 37g – and claimed to be waterproof too. It’s far lighter and more efficient than carrying a solar panel, though less versatile off the bike.
I’ll do a full post on how well the Revolution works at some point down the road. In the meantime, Cycling About covers dynamo and charging options very thoroughly here and here.
A Final Note - I’m not unaware that the price of a Rohloff (upwards of $1500, depending on the model) will finance a complete expedition-worthy bike, and just as importantly, leave you with plenty of spare cash to get you on the road… And you certainly don’t need a hub like this to embark on any big ride. But this doesn’t stop me highly recommending one if you can afford it, especially if you expect to give it a hard life.
What to do with an empty wheelbox…