Rohloff Speedhub

RE/
Do you know of any (imported?) frames that were designed for the Rohloff
speedhub?

Except for cable stops - which I don't use anyhow - I can't think of any
Rohloff-specific design features.

I've had Rohloff hubs on a Cannondale Jekyll, and Ellsworth Isis and two
hardtails.

If you're running disc brakes, you'll probably be happier purchasing the
extra-cost "SpeedBone" that replaces the reaction arm with an interface to your
disc brake mounts. If you bike has disc brake mounts, but rim brakes, you can
do away with the reaction arm right out of the box by using a bolt though one of
the disc caliper mounts.
--
PeteCresswell

Pete Cresswell writes:

What sort of sound does it make? Is this a click from ratchets?
The way you say that it sounds ominous. Is there a serious
problem?

It gets noticeably less noisy with age - as in 700 miles or so.

I still haven't heard what the nose is. Assuming it's gear engagement
noise, that it gets better with wear is unusual, gear noises generally
get worse with wear although shifting in cars sometimes gets better
because the meshing collars get rounded. Gearbox howl gets louder
with wear in nearly all gearboxes.

Not a problem to me - and I'm fairly neurotic about stuff like that.
Noise doesn't manifest itself until gear 7 and below..and only a
couple gears are really noticeable.

I'd like to know what the sound is and how it is noticed.

Jobst Brandt

Jobst Brandt wrote

What sort of sound does it make? Is this a click from ratchets? The
way you say that it sounds ominous. Is there a serious problem?

Unlike with Sturmey-Archer hubs, there is no click from pawls
while pedaling. There is pawl click while coasting (a couple
different flavors, as different freewheel mechanisms are used
depending on what gear the hub is in).

There are several planetary gear stages in a Rohloff Speedhub,
used in various combinations to give 14 gears. I have a table
of the combinations and exact ratios for each gear on the
bottom of the web page at http://www.minortriad.com/twist.html

When the stage I've labeled c on that page is used (in gears 1-7),
there's a whine whose pitch increases with increasing RPMs
and whose volume increases with increasing drive torque.
An article from Rohloff attributes this to straight cut gears.

In the gears where the stage I've labeled A is used, there's what
I'd call a grainy noise that doesn't get appreciably louder with
increased drive torque. For some reason it's more pronounced
in gear 7 than in any of the other gears that use stage A.

To my taste, only gear 7 is loud enough to be annoying.
It did quiet down some after about 500 miles of use.

Tom Ace

Jobst Brandt said:
I still haven't heard what the nose is. Assuming it's gear
engagement
noise...

Shifting in the Rohloff is generally quieter than a derailleur when
done as recommended (not lethargically). Most of the minimal noise that
does occur while shifting seems to be from the detent in the hub
"clicking" into place unless one "misses", which can result in a "no
mesh" like grinding noise (rare, but most likely to occurr when going
through gear #7 too slow, or under too much load).

I'd like to know what the sound is and how it is noticed.

I'd describe the predominant riding noise as "whirring", most noticable
in gear # 7 which I believe has the most gears engaged (it's my
understanding that the Rohloff contains two three gear planets, and one
two gear planet, and that they're all engaged in gear # 7). The whirring
can also be noticed in some of the lower gears, more so than others.
Gear # 11 is direct drive, and probably the quietest. I personally
don't find Rohloff nosie objectionable (but since I actually like the
sound of BMW R69S gearboxes, who am I to judge).

I used to wonder whether Rohloffs really got quiter as they broke in,
or if one just got used to the noise. After having a new one, and
another one with 1000 miles on it on two different bikes at the same
time, I'd say they definitely get quieter, but probably only up to the
point that increasing gear wear would reverse that trend. I read
somewhere that Rohloff was sent an older hub with 30,000 km on it for
inspection/overhaul, and decided it was only necessary to replace the
seals, shifting cables and some small parts, not gears.

I have ridden Rohloffs with the recommended flushing oil in them for a
mile or so to "mix things up" before the annual oil change, and they
seem to be noisier than normal while that lighter viscosity is in the
hub. Maybe that means at least some of the inevitable gear noise is
being transmitted to the hub body through the shafts and bearings the
gears run on, and break in produces slightly more clearance for a
cushioning oil film to be able to abate some of the transmitted noise?
FWIW, Rohloff used to sell differently formulated smmer and winter
oils, but has recently introduced an "all season" oil (it's "black",
looks like it has an MoS2 additive to me).

John


--
jmm

Tom Ace Wrote:
Jobst Brandt wrote

What sort of sound does it make? Is this a click from ratchets?
The
way you say that it sounds ominous. Is there a serious problem?

Unlike with Sturmey-Archer hubs, there is no click from pawls
while pedaling. There is pawl click while coasting (a couple
different flavors, as different freewheel mechanisms are used
depending on what gear the hub is in).

There are several planetary gear stages in a Rohloff Speedhub,
used in various combinations to give 14 gears. I have a table
of the combinations and exact ratios for each gear on the
bottom of the web page at http://www.minortriad.com/twist.html

When the stage I've labeled c on that page is used (in gears 1-7),
there's a whine whose pitch increases with increasing RPMs
and whose volume increases with increasing drive torque.
An article from Rohloff attributes this to straight cut gears.

In the gears where the stage I've labeled A is used, there's what
I'd call a grainy noise that doesn't get appreciably louder with
increased drive torque. For some reason it's more pronounced
in gear 7 than in any of the other gears that use stage A.

To my taste, only gear 7 is loud enough to be annoying.
It did quiet down some after about 500 miles of use.

Tom Ace

Back on a ride Oct 2 I rode a portion of the ride along side another
recumbent, that bent had a Rohloff and I noticed a louder clicking than
typical coasting pawl clicks. I inquired about it but was told I was
mistaken in my volume perception. Since the fellow worked at a
recumbent shop, I accepted his explanation. Maybe there was something
to the louder clicks.


--
meb

(Pete Cresswell) wrote:

Except for cable stops - which I don't use anyhow - I can't think of any
Rohloff-specific design features.
There seem to be framesets that have dropouts that are designed for the
Speedhub: they permit chain tensioning by pulling the wheel backwards, so
that a cable tensioner isn't needed any more.

Greets, Derk

Derk wrote:

(Pete Cresswell) wrote:

Except for cable stops - which I don't use anyhow - I can't think of any
Rohloff-specific design features.
There seem to be framesets that have dropouts that are designed for the
Speedhub: they permit chain tensioning by pulling the wheel backwards, so
that a cable tensioner isn't needed any more.

Greets, Derk

and the dropout will be designed to accept the oem 1 or oem 2 style
extension, so you don't have to use the huge torque reaction arm


--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl

m-gineering wrote:

and the dropout will be designed to accept the oem 1 or oem 2 style
extension, so you don't have to use the huge torque reaction arm
Do you happen to know who offers these framesets in Holland?

Gr, Derk

I think its the OEM2 axel plates with that lump to prevent rotation?,
fitted to vertical dropouts and perhaps an eccentric bottom bracket is
the neatest fit.

till


--
till!

Derk wrote:

m-gineering wrote:

and the dropout will be designed to accept the oem 1 or oem 2 style
extension, so you don't have to use the huge torque reaction arm
Do you happen to know who offers these framesets in Holland?

Gr, Derk

You can just about fit a Rohloff to any bike, but a singlespeed frame
works fine. Elan in Nijmegen does Rotor
--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl