Rohloff Speed Hub questions

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Hi there bikers

I'm interested in putting together a bike based around the Rohloff 14 speed internal hub gear system.

Can anyone out there help me with a couple of questions.

1. Are there any (mountain bike/expedition touring) framesets or complete bikes available in Australia that are custome built for the Rohloff hubs?

2. Can an eccentric bottom bracket (to tension the chain) be retrofitted to an existing frame?

3. I've heard of a bike shop in NZ called Ground Zero who are specialists in Rohloff hubs but their website seems to have shut down, anyone know anything about them?

4. Has anyone had experience retro fitting a Rohloff hub to an existing bike?

Cheers
Phil

Hi there bikers

I'm interested in putting together a bike based around the Rohloff 14 speed internal hub gear system.

Can anyone out there help me with a couple of questions.
I saw one being built in at quantum bicycle manufacturers in Perth/WA. Its clearly for a customer with a money problem;

1) S&S couplers (parrently the guy has an ali suitcase for it)
2) rohloff rear hub
3) schmidt nabendynamo front hub dynamo
4) tubus cargo cromo rack (newly arrived, as yet unfitted).
5) hand made frame

The same guys built my tourer which im exceptionally happy with, now that the plug is over, to answer your questions.

Im sure there are some small run frame makers out there looking after the market, but I dont know them.

To retrofit an eccentric BB to an existing frame is very, very heinous surgery. It would involve cutting the chain stays, seat tube and down tube as they're a larger size than the existing. That said there are alternatives but they're really, really ugly. I personally wouldnt do it.

There is a perth guy on ebay selling off rohloffs very cheaply, his employers have 100s to dump apparently, the buyer ID is ozepx.

till

Hi there bikers

I'm interested in putting together a bike based around the Rohloff 14 speed internal hub gear system.

Can anyone out there help me with a couple of questions.

1. Are there any (mountain bike/expedition touring) framesets or complete bikes available in Australia that are custome built for the Rohloff hubs?

2. Can an eccentric bottom bracket (to tension the chain) be retrofitted to an existing frame?

3. I've heard of a bike shop in NZ called Ground Zero who are specialists in Rohloff hubs but their website seems to have shut down, anyone know anything about them?

4. Has anyone had experience retro fitting a Rohloff hub to an existing bike?

Cheers
Phil

I'd really like a Rohloff :) & have been reading up on others experience with them.

Answers to your questions,
1) I know one custom builder, www.jbcycles.com.au has done frames to suit either SingleSpeed or Rohloff.

2) Yes, but it will cost a lot & there are better options for the cost involved, ie, custom or buy new frame to suit hub with or without EBB.

3) I've not heard of them.

4) See here for dicussion of Rohloff hub in MTB use. (http://www.26inches.com/26inches/forum/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=12&TopicID=1261&PagePosition=1)

Just about any frame that suits SS could be fitted with a Rohloff hub & would be cheaper than a custom build.

Check out On-One (www.on-one.co.uk) or Surly (www.surlybikes.com). I've got a Kona unit (http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/product_detail.aspx?productid=72&parentid=182) that could get a Rohloff on day.

I've seen a couple of On-Ones 'Rohloffed' here in Melbourne & a Mongoose MTB done by St Kilda cycles (http://stkildacycles.com.au).

Have fun. :)

I did forget fitting them to a singlespeed with horizontal dropouts, the back wheel moving against the brake point kind of bugs me though. Same with using a chain tensioner in a bike with vertical dropouts. If you're going to blow all that cash on the hub, why would you want it to look ugly :P

The uglist hack ive seen for fitting them to a bike was those rohloff-supplied horizontal dropouts and plate assembly.

till

I did forget fitting them to a singlespeed with horizontal dropouts, the back wheel moving against the brake point kind of bugs me though. Same with using a chain tensioner in a bike with vertical dropouts. If you're going to blow all that cash on the hub, why would you want it to look ugly :P

The uglist hack ive seen for fitting them to a bike was those rohloff-supplied horizontal dropouts and plate assembly.

till

Hmm.. Ugly or functional? what was it in the eye of the beer-holder? in my case dust from riding off road. :p

I agree on the chain tensioner and wheel moving thing.
My Unit has sliding dropouts that the disc caliper mounts on. I'm yet to fit the rear disc but it should work better than the current V brakes. I've had to slide the drops almost all the way back as the chain has grown. Maybe a greared bike doesn't lengthen the chain as much as mashing singlespeed does?

Hi Till

Thanks for all that info. I couldn't find the hubs on EBay though. Was it recently that you saw them offered?

Cheers
Bikerphil

I saw one being built in at quantum bicycle manufacturers in Perth/WA. Its clearly for a customer with a money problem;

1) S&S couplers (parrently the guy has an ali suitcase for it)
2) rohloff rear hub
3) schmidt nabendynamo front hub dynamo
4) tubus cargo cromo rack (newly arrived, as yet unfitted).
5) hand made frame

The same guys built my tourer which im exceptionally happy with, now that the plug is over, to answer your questions.

Im sure there are some small run frame makers out there looking after the market, but I dont know them.

To retrofit an eccentric BB to an existing frame is very, very heinous surgery. It would involve cutting the chain stays, seat tube and down tube as they're a larger size than the existing. That said there are alternatives but they're really, really ugly. I personally wouldnt do it.

There is a perth guy on ebay selling off rohloffs very cheaply, his employers have 100s to dump apparently, the buyer ID is ozepx.

till

Try: http://epxbikes.com/

Try: http://epxbikes.com/
This is the seller here;

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=42317&item=7140513421&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

He doesnt have any listed ATM, and Ive seen them go as low as $850.

till

I have just built up an older GT Xizang titanium frame for endurance racing (well not winning) Bike works out at 23 / 24lbs with the speedhub and heavier tubeless wheels.
Blogspot here (http://richards-titanium-rohloff-mission.blogspot.com/)
Incidentaly I have a second TS hub for sale (UK buyers preferred).
Still to race on it (I am far from bike at mo on work stint so frustrated and having to gym train)
I did however work out a ratio sheet so that you can replicate your gearing - also a cadencechart that work out your speed at 50 70 and 90 (more a MTB cadence range)
Its a public chart you can view here - change the chainring or sprocket amount to see new ratios.:D
SPREADSHEET HERE (http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=perRA2hIfD5aEr6nDHhtXbw&pli=1)