Rohloff Experience

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What is a Rohloff Speedhub?

Very simply, a Rohloff Speedhub is a system of 14 gears completely sealed within the rear hub – doing away with the need for front and rear derailleurs, multiple chainrings and rear cassette.

The gear ratios are equally spaced to provide an optimal range of gears comparable to a derailleur setup (no gear overlap). Gear shifting and indexing takes place within the sealed hub, not the shifter.

A Rohloff equipped bike makes for an ultra-reliable, almost zero maintenance drivetrain which excels in the harshest of winter weather. Coupled with a long life carbon belt drive it delivers a virtually silent, smooth and oil-free clean ride.

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Advantages of

a Rohloff Hub

Being sealed, the system is designed to be virtually maintenance free, only requiring an oil change every 5,000 miles.
Self-contained gears mean less moving parts exposed to the elements, providing more reliability.
Precision shifting (no derailleur for rear cassette) resulting in an extremely strong rear wheel.
A perfect chainline meaning less chain wear and a quieter ride.
A Gates Carbon Belt Drive can be used in place of a chain, requiring no lubrication with typically a longer lifespan than a chain.
Easy gear shifting across multiple gears whilst on the move or stationary.
All shifting takes place in one shifter.

Rohloff Shifter Options

Shifting is done within the hub through a transfer box mounted roughly where a rear derailleur would be (on the opposite side of the frame). This is controlled through a twist shifter mounted on the handlebars, operating two cables under tension in order to change up or down.

In addition to the standard factory Rohloff twist shifter that works with flat bars, there are various third-party alternatives giving a range of options for different riding styles. Listed below are two of the most popular options we provide to work with drop bars.

Co-motion Shifters

As the Rohloff factory shifter can only be fitted to flat bars, we fit a twist shifter made by Co-Motion. This shifter is designed to be fitted round the sometimes tight curves of a drop handlebar, something the factory shifter is unable to do. This is the neatest and most professional way to mount a twist shifter on drop bars and is fitted to the majority of Shand drop bar Rohloff bikes.

Gebla Rohbox

Shifting is provided by a twist shifter mounted on the handlebars with two cables operating the indexing mechanism in the hub, changing gears up or down. When gear seven is reached (changing up or down) the hub shifts from high to low ratio (or visa-versa), continuing across the seven gears.

Indexing is controlled through a transfer box mounted roughly in the same place as a rear derailleur (on the opposite side). This accepts cables from the shifter and transfers the rotation action in the box to the indexing mechanism inside the hub. The transfer box can be easily detached to remove the rear wheel by loosening the single thumbscrew.

Gates Carbon Belt Drive

Another advantage of a Rohloff Speedhub is that a Gates Carbon Belt Drive can be fitted as there is no change in chain line as experienced with a derailleur. The belt system is made from one continuous piece of carbon composite so there are no links or moving parts, resulting in no maintenance and a longer lifespan compared to a chain.

The Carbon Belt Drive runs much quieter too and has a neat system called CentreTrack (a small notch) to keep the belt aligned on the sprockets and shed any debris such as mud and snow that might be picked up.

No moving parts means no lubrication and when combined with a sealed Rohloff hub makes for a maintenance free bike that’s also easier to keep clean when issued regularly (or over long distances) in variable terrain and weather.

As a Gates Carbon Belt Drive has no links it can’t be split apart so the frame is required to be split apart instead. All Shand Rohloff compatible bikes have a concealed splitter built into a specially designed rear dropout that makes changing a belt simple when it comes time to be replaced.

Rohloff Hub Gearing and Gear Ratios

Although a Rohloff Speedhub has only 14 equally spaced gears, the lack of overlap experienced on a derailleur setup means a range of gears can be achieved similar to a typical 3 × 10 triple or 2 x 10 compact chainset – making it ideal for all types of riding and touring on or off-road.

Final ratios are determined by the size of the chainring (or sprocket) used at the crank and the size of the sprocket used at the hub. We build Rohloff bikes with different gearing setups depending on customer requirements (for no additional cost) and we will naturally assist with specifying the setup that is right for you.

Below illustrates a gear range comparison between a Rohloff hub and a typical compact ‘double’ or ‘triple’ set up shown in ‘gear inches’ for the lowest and highest gears. The front and rear cog/sprocket are the most common cogs/sprockets combinations fitted to our Rohloff bikes.

What our customers say...

"I decided on Rohloff gears for the reliability and lower risk of damage off-road. They are smooth as silk and I love the ability to change gears whilst stopped at traffic lights or junctions. Teamed with the Gates carbon belt drive makes them easy to keep clean during winter rides when there is rock salt on the road - a real chore with a chain and derailleur gears."

"This bike has reignited my love of cycling – bombproof construction and impeccable fit and finish, the welds are flawless as is the paintjob. Shand went the extra mile to make sure each and every last aspect of the bike was tailored exactly to my preferences."

"My first Rohloff and it's great. The spread of ratios is very practical for my style of riding. The Rohloff is effectively maintenance free and I’ve had no major transmission cleaning issues compared to my mates. Casual non-cyclists like the colour and the welds, they notice that it's all very smooth."

"My Daunder Rohloff is without doubt the best bike I’ve owned in 25 years of riding. It’s hassle free, quiet and with no maintenance other than a quick clean. Along with the belt drive, it’s the best investment I’ve made in my time cycling. The wheel build by Shand to accommodate the Rohloff is also exceptional"