Rohloff on a Dawes Ultra Galaxy

[AdyJapp]

I'm forming an idea of retrofitting a Rohloff speedhub (non-disc, internal selector, with torque arm and tensioner) to my 2008 Dawes galaxy, built onto a Mavic A719 rim (with the recommended Sapim spokes).
I'd marry this up with a Co-motion shifter on the top of the drop bars, and initially probably just take off the three front chainrings and put a new chainring on the middle of the chainset (and later source a single chainset).
Can't see any downsides to this idea at the moment, as I was considering replacing wheels and gearing anyway, so the cost is not massively higher. There are also s/h Speedhubs to be had on eBay and elsewhere that could bring the budgeted cost down even further.

Anyone else converted a Galaxy of the same(ish) age to Rohloff? Any problems encountered?

[Brucey]

it'll all work OK. The tensioner and the overall installation are not quite as neat as with a dedicated frameset which can mean it is a little slower to get the rear wheel out, but it is no big deal.

Cost-wise I think that you could replace your derailleur transmission two or three times over for the cost of a Rohloff, but if you are going to change, now is as good a time as any. If buying a Rohloff used, it is as well to check the vendor out as much as the hub itself; it seems that plenty of Rohloff hubs get nicked these days.

The only other comment I'd make is that there are stronger, heavier rims than the Mavic one, so if you plan to carry a fair load, one of those might suit better.

cheers

[531colin]

Theres the Rigida/Ryde "Andra" rim, which has the spoke holes aligned to suit the different spoke angles you get with a really large hub.
It sounds like a good idea..........for all I know it could be a solution looking for a problem, but there is a report here http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=91979 of rim cracking with a Rohloff.

[rualexander]

if you choose your sprocket and chainring combination carefully using an online 'magic gear calculator' (such as http://eehouse.org/fixin/formfmu.php ) you can get away without using a tensioner.
A Rohloff hub bike will run quite happily with a fairly slack chain.
I run my Thorn Sherpa with a Rohloff like this.

[AdyJapp]

I'm forming an idea of retrofitting a Rohloff speedhub (non-disc, internal selector, with torque arm and tensioner) to my 2008 Dawes galaxy, built onto a Mavic A719 rim (with the recommended Sapim spokes).
I'd marry this up with a Co-motion shifter on the top of the drop bars, and initially probably just take off the three front chainrings and put a new chainring on the middle of the chainset (and later source a single chainset).
Can't see any downsides to this idea at the moment, as I was considering replacing wheels and gearing anyway, so the cost is not massively higher. There are also s/h Speedhubs to be had on eBay and elsewhere that could bring the budgeted cost down even further.

Anyone else converted a Galaxy of the same(ish) age to Rohloff? Any problems encountered?

it'll all work OK. The tensioner and the overall installation are not quite as neat as with a dedicated frameset which can mean it is a little slower to get the rear wheel out, but it is no big deal.

Cost-wise I think that you could replace your derailleur transmission two or three times over for the cost of a Rohloff, but if you are going to change, now is as good a time as any. If buying a Rohloff used, it is as well to check the vendor out as much as the hub itself; it seems that plenty of Rohloff hubs get nicked these days.

The only other comment I'd make is that there are stronger, heavier rims than the Mavic one, so if you plan to carry a fair load, one of those might suit better.

cheers

I think the outline plan in terms of cost will be to replace, then off-hire any good current components on eBay.
Fair point regarding stolen Speedhubs though. As with all eBay, buyer beware!!
Picked the A719s on a) cost, b) reliability for the price.
Don't intend to load them too heavily, and would more than likely be towing my Bob-Yak-copy trailer.

[Brucey]

also worth noting that you can (apparently) now get 36h rohloffs, which is a better idea than 32h, especially for a 700C wheel.

cheers

[AdyJapp]

also worth noting that you can (apparently) now get 36h rohloffs, which is a better idea than 32h, especially for a 700C wheel.

cheers

That's new. Can't see that on their web site?

[chocjohn9]

36 hole Rohloff's are available from rose bikes......for £805 (silver)

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/rohl ... aid:712451

[AdyJapp]

36 hole Rohloff's are available from rose bikes......for £805 (silver)

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/rohl ... aid:712451

Very interesting. That gives a bit more flexibility (potentially) with rim selection.

[gerrymcm]

I was researching this hub recently and found a few german bike shops on ebay selling at quite good prices, cheaper than rosebikes etc.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nabe-Rohloff- ... 566396c78e

Here's £740 plus £12 delivery.
That seems like a good deal to me.

there's also this lot
http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/zweiradlinss
who can do v brake wheelsets for approx £850 and disc wheelsets for £950.

I search using the "36 loch rohloff" instead "36 hole rohloff" as I found this to be quicker if looking for german supplied stuff.

Gerry

[chocjohn9]

Just as a side line question - I didn't realise it was possible to put a Rohloff hub into a "groupset" geared bike - I thought Rohloff's needed to go into Rohloff designed frames (does this make me stupid? )... so why do manufacturers bother making both versions? For example Van Nicholas Amazon frame - "groupset" version £1399, Rohloff £1599. Buying the former obviously saves me money and I can change and swap about when ever I like... afterall, I might not like the hub
How on earth do they manage to sell the latter?! My guess at an answer is the lack of a chain tensioner, so the result looks nicer... or is there more to it?

BTW, in the post above, the zweiradlinss people, who can build wheels with Rohloff's in them, I've used them and they are very good when it comes to communication and flexible if you want to fiddle about with the spec. You might want a dynamo hub in the other wheel for example. They will just deduct the price of what they are not giving you and add in what they are.

[AdyJapp]

Just as a side line question - I didn't realise it was possible to put a Rohloff hub into a "groupset" geared bike - I thought Rohloff's needed to go into Rohloff designed frames (does this make me stupid? )... so why do manufacturers bother making both versions?

For a standard non-Rohloff frame, you have to use the torque arm, which isn't the prettiest thing in the world, and a chain tensioner which mounts on the existing derrailleur hanger.

Rohloff torque arm

For example Van Nicholas Amazon frame - "groupset" version £1399, Rohloff £1599. Buying the former obviously saves me money and I can change and swap about when ever I like... afterall, I might not like the hub
How on earth do they manage to sell the latter?! My guess at an answer is the lack of a chain tensioner, so the result looks nicer... or is there more to it?

The optimum setup is to use a frame with Rohloff specific dropouts though, and an eccentric bottom bracket to maintain the correct chain tension, and I guess have a more efficient drive. There must be some degree of inefficiency to having a tensioner in the drive chain.

BTW, in the post above, the zweiradlinss people, who can build wheels with Rohloff's in them, I've used them and they are very good when it comes to communication and flexible if you want to fiddle about with the spec. You might want a dynamo hub in the other wheel for example. They will just deduct the price of what they are not giving you and add in what they are.

Good to know, I'll check them out.

[Brucey]

with the Rohloff-specific frame, you are better able to tension the chain securely (often using some kind of sliding dropout which means that life is easier with disc brakes than it would be with a standard horizontal dropout), and (barring use of a 'perfect combination' which doesn't last forever anyway) there is no sprung-loaded tensioner as per a vertical dropout.

Some builders offer a versatile solution which allows conversion from one type to the other, like this;



from Bob Jackson.

But really if you are happy to use a VDO and a tensioner, a standard frame is just fine, although it does have to be 135mm rear end I think. You do need to buy one or two more pieces so this needs to be compared with the higher cost of the special frame parts (e.g. + £130 from BJ on a new build, not sure about how much as a conversion to an older frame).

But plenty of people use IGHs in frames meant for derailleurs, often as a stopgap at first but then just carry on; it works fine.

cheers

[531colin]

Those "Bob Jackson" sliding dropouts are available from Ceeway, so any framebuilder should be able to get them http://www.framebuilding.com/NEWPARTSPAGES/Forged%20Dropouts.htm
Around here, Maurice Woodrup is the "go to" man for Rohloff frames.

[Tigerbiten]

MY Rohloff's in dropouts designed for a derailleur setup on my recumbent trike.
It has a disk brake mounting so I can use the dog bone for the torque arm.
I also use a Sora short cage mech as a chain tensioner due to having twin chainrings on my HSD at the front.