Rohloff Conversion

After putting about 1000 miles on my Stop Cycles Proletariat, I found myself really liking the Gates belt-drive but feeling a bit frustrated with the Alfine 8-speed internally geared hub. One issue was the Alfine was not as low-maintenance as I had hoped. I found myself having to re-lube the hub's internals every 300 - 400 miles (about once a month). Another issue was the feeling that if I pushed the Alfine too hard, it was going to let me down. Odd noises, occasional missed shifts and too few gears were also weighing on me. So I decided to investigate converting to a Rohloff Speedhub. Lucky for me, the sole US service partner for Rohloff, CycleMonkey/East Bay Bicycle Workshop (EBBW), is only a mile or so from my house. I visited their blog, saw the various bikes they've built or converted to the Rohloff and the Gates belt drive system, and knew I'd found the right guys. After an email exchange with Neil, the shop's owner, we had a plan in place.

The MonkeyBone replaces the ISO disc brake adapter and engages the Rohloff axle plate.

EBBW would build the Rohloff SpeedHub using a Velocity Dyad rim. The interesting part? With any internally-geared hub, the hub axle must be anchored to the frame to prevent it from turning. This can be done with a custom frame drop-out or a torque arm, but Neil's shop has another way for frames equipped with disc-brakes: The MonkeyBone. Turns out this solution works fine with the my Proletariat, but the rear disc diameter was reduced for 206mm to 160mm. Fine by me as the larger discs seem more susceptible to being knocked out of true in everyday use.

The Rohloff design philosophy differs significantly from the Shimano approach. For example, the Alfine cable connection, while lightweight, is ... well, flimsy. To my mind the single shift cable design contributes to much of the Alfine's missed shifts because there's a single cable acting against a spring. Rohloff on the other hand, uses a two cable design that provides positive shifting action. It's a bit heavier, but not as heavy as the doubt you feel when you're not sure if your hub will shift at a critical moment, threading your way through heavy traffic in downtown Oakland.

The Rohloff has 14 speeds, which is a big advantage over the 8 speed Alfine. Many times I found myself pedaling into a stiff headwind with the Alfine, shifting down, but finding I needed a gear in between what I had. With the Shimano you have two choices: Man (or Woman) up and go for the taller gear or slow down and accept the shorter gear. With the Rohloff, there seems to be a gear for every occasion.

About the only complaint with the Rohloff Speedhub, and it is a valid concern, is that it's expensive. A Speedhub will run you five to six times what you'd pay for a Alfine 8 and about three times the cost of an Alfine 11. Why would you want to pay that much? After you ride the Rohloff, I'll wager that you'll appreciate their solidly designed product is worth the extra expense and never want to go back.

What's so special about the Rohloff? It's hard to describe but easy to understand once you experienced the Rohloff in action. First, the Rohloff just feels bulletproof. Want to push it hard? Do you have quadriceps as big as Iowa hams that can generate lots of torque? Like to stand in the pedals up steep hills? Relax. The Rohloff appears to be able to handle whatever the rider can dish out. Missed shifts are a thing of the past as long as you slightly reduce pedal force right before shifting.

The Rohloff makes some noise, especially in 7th gear and lower (when the planetary gears come into play), but it's normal. When the Alfine makes noise, it seems abnormal and you get the feeling you're doing damage or something isn't right. In 8th gear and higher, the Rohloff is basically silent, especially with a Gates belt drive system.

The bottom line is the Rohloff costs more, but it is utterly reliable. Their motto is "No Slogans, Just Facts." And the fact is that Rohloff is the best internally-geared hub out there.