Rohloff Speedhub

Derailleur systems for bicycles were first designed, built and utilised in the late 1800s. However, it is time to dispense with the worn chain rings and derailleurs and embrace the future; an internal hub gear. The concept of hub gears have been known for some time now but it is only recently that a German company, Rohloff, have applied their engineering expertise to develop a hub gear with the performance demanded by touring or mountain biking cyclists.

The Rohloff gear hub internal construction consists of three planetary gear systems, all connected one after the other, which are selectively engaged depending on the user’s gear choice. The first two gear systems provide seven ratios, doubled to fourteen by the third gear system. Unlike other hub gears the Speed hub is built mainly with roller bearings for efficiency. All components are immersed in lubricating oil

It is all good and well having all theses scientific and technical concepts, being a marvel of engineering but the most important question is how does this piece of cycling kit performs in the real world.

There are many Rohloff speed hub equipped bikes performing in mountain biking marathon races. The outcome from these races show that riders are either equally fast or even faster as bikes with the derailleur gear system. This demonstrates that there is hardly any difference between the two gear systems as far as working efficiency is concerned.

No only suited for mounting biking, it is also used by cyclists in the cycling touring community. This confidence on using these is demonstrated by James Bowthorp succeeded to cycle around the world, riding 120 miles a day and travelling 18,000 miles through 21 countries. All of this is on his Dutch Santos Travelmaster bike with a Rohloff speedhub and the Santos belt drive system. So far, no problems with his rohloff hub, which is good to hear.

There are several advantages to using a rohloff hub.

• There is less wear on the moving parts, resulting in less maintenance needed.
• The compact, enclosed design needs only a single chain wheel.
• The chain can be enclosed from the elements
  
• The chain is always in the optimal position regardless of the chosen gear unlike the derailleur case.
• Because the hub is sealed from the elements, dirt and water do not interfere with its operation maintaining better efficiency.
  
• The Speedhub permits symmetrical lacing of the spokes, which leads to less spoke strain and fewer breakages.
• Gears can be changed while the bicycle is stationary, good for the unexpected stops.
• Gears progress in constant steps.

• Due to the high amount of engineering involved and lowish volumes, rohloff speedhubs have a high initial price.
• When changing from the 7th to the 8th gear or vice-versa under high pedaling pressure, the hub can change to the 14th gear.
• For the first few hundred kilometers, the friction of the hub seals may cause a forward movement of the pedals. The effect lessens over time.
• The seals of the hub can leak when transporting the bicycle on a plane unless the oil is drained due to the pressure differences when in flight.
• Storing the bike in a horizontal position for a long period of time may cause the seals to leak.
• The hub can become stuck in one gear ratio, which may mean that riding the bicycle becomes impractical or impossible. On a long-distance tour this could be a significant downside.
• In the event of failure, repair can be more complex and expensive than with a dérailleur-equipped bicycle, and field repairs may be impossible.

Just like a car, the rohloff speedhub needs an oil change once in a while. The recommendation is for it to be changed every 5000 Kilometers or once a year. Rohloff have developed their own special Speedhub oil and their cleaning oil specifically for the Speedhub…do not use any other oil as it can mess up the workings due to incorrect viscosity. However, one good thing is that you can perform the oil changes yourself, as long as you use Rohloff oils, this will not affect the hub guarantee.

It is worth noting that from the internal breather is a hole which vents into the inside of the hollow axle, it is normal to have a very slow seepage of oil from the axle under normal usage.

Even when the oil has been drained from the hub there is approximately 12ml of oil adhering to the surfaces. To remove this oil would require a complete dismantle to its basic component parts, therefore a lot of work for little gain. Regular oil changes will gradually replace and rotate this oil.

Every time you change the oil, It is not compulsory to fit a new drain screw. Rohloff said that a new drain screw is only required if it is weeping oil.

You are able to purchase a "Rohloff full oil change kit" consisting of:

1 x 25ml cleaning oil in a 50ml bottle
1 x 25ml Rohloff Speedhub oil
1 x oil filling tube
1 x non returnable syringe 50ml
1 x drain screw

As with most things in life, a higher quality item often means a higher price. As you can see with these amazon and ebay listings, Rohloff products do not cheap and ongoing servicing will mean to keep your speedhub in top condition. Therefore, this is an important factor to consider when buying a Rohloff Speedhub.