Spokewrench Cycles

Titus Racer-X Ti

This is the latest pic from our customer of his Racer-X Ti.  This is the same frame we took pics of earlier in the year but now it's fully built up and customized.  We think it's a pretty sweet looking bike.  This pic was taken against a suspension bridge over the Kananaskis River west of Calgary.  Nice.

Our customer enjoying his ride along a trail cut into the steepest and highest bank of  the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton. 

If these pics don't make you want to ride, we don't know what will.  Now stop surfing and go ride your bike!

Team Spokewrench

Titus El Guapo Complete

The Titus El Guapo is finished! Our resident test Dave has it and will be taking it through its paces in the next couple of month.  We'd be interested to see how the Cane Creek Double Barrel shock performs on it compared to the stock Rock Shox Pearl air shock.  The bike came together very nicely and tipped the scale at ~34lbs with pedals.  It's not your XC race machine but for all moutain riding and trails like Hilton Falls, you really want something like this.  Long travel full suspension is the only way to go.  This is completely different than the ML2 that Dave test rode last year.  He is at home both on an XC race bike and on his Kona Stinky so we're looking forward to what he thinks of the El Guapo.

We have an initial review of the El Guapo already!  Dave's amazing...

"I went to do a little tuning, specifically swapping the bar and stem for something a little more suited to the bike (bar 5 cm wider, stem 15 cm shorter).

And then there was the threat of rain later...kinda nudged me out the door. All of a sudden I was riding towards my normal trails (Guelph Lake, 5 min ride away). Most of GL is pretty tame but if you know where to look there are some pretty steep hills and a couple of stretches of extremely technical terrain.

Wow, what a bike! I felt comfortable on the bike right from the start, no awkwardness at all...just increased confidence. The ride in the rough stuff is simply sensational...I was cruising though stuff that I usually have to carefully pick my way through. The steering is a little slower than I'm used to, so that took some extra work (and some practice in counter-steering). One of my biggest concerns was the tall fork would harm climbing, but I had no trouble at all in that department. My other concern about the low BB also did not play out, but I consciously avoided pedaling on the sharper curves. The rear suspension is amazing. It's very tight with no unwanted flex and it just eats the big hits like they little ripples in the trail. I was very impressed with the shock, and I can't wait to spend some more time fine-tuning it to my riding style and terrain. The bike is unquestionably heavy, certainly on the porky side for a trail bike but it pedaled extremely well. It handles like my Stinky, but pedals like my Epiphany. Overall I am extremely impressed. I can't wait to get it onto the rocks at Hilton Falls."

Thanks Dave for the preview.  Once Dave tunes the CC Double Barrel, we suspect the bike will really perform.

Team Spokewrench

Rohloff Daily Driver

We're getting Rohloff riders from all over the world and it's incredible, thank you so much for contributing.

This one is from a rider closer to home in the US.  Brandon talks a little about his daily ride.

"Here is my daily driver.  I got sick of preassembled bikes failing and not living up to my needs.  Most will think this absurd, but I purchased an 06 Brodie Big Shot dirt jump frame and sourced all downhill parts with exception of the Marzzochi Dirt Jumper 2 fork.  I just wanted an all around (sturdy) bike that I could commute with and have fun on single track too (take off the fenders and install knobbies of course).  I laced the Rohloff into a Sun Double track rim and used 13 gauge spokes.  I hope it will hold up to the abuse from the loaded trailer etc. 

After owning the Rohloff for a while I like it overall.  It doesn't quit live up to its expectations in my opinion, but it definitely offers some advantages over traditional derailleur setups.  I specifically like the shifting while stationary and not having to deal with a front/rear derailleur combination.  Shifting under load is not really possible like some would have you believe, but usually isn't an issue since you can shift so fast by just letting of pressure from the pedals for a moment.  The problem is when you are really trying to climb or accelerate and you try to shift and it won't.  It seems like if this happens you get caught off guard and it actually slows you down more than a derailleur would have.  I do after all only have about 500 miles on mine so it isn't completely broke in and I am not entirely accustom to it yet so hopefully it will only get better in both regards.   

This is the first time since I was in grade school that I have relied on my bike for transportation on a daily basis.  I will have about 10,000 miles on the bike over the next three years while I am finishing up with school so I should get a good idea how the hub holds up long-term.   "

Thanks Brandon for the write up.   We think once the hub breaks in, you probably won't see the issue you're describing.  Keep us informed and let us know how it goes.  It'd be great to know how the hub performs over the long haul. 

Team Spokewrench

DH Rohloff

Our resident tester Jack recently bought himself a new DH bike.  It's a Nicolai with an internal Rohloff 14 speed hub just above the crank at the pivot for the rear swing arm.  We saw something similar at the Interbike show a few years ago so it'd be interesting to see what Jack thinks of it.

This is a first pic of the bike with more to come once Jack has some time to take a few more closeups. 

Rohloff hubs in just about every application we can think of except road racing.  I'd say that's pretty versatile.

Team Spokewrench

All In The Rohloff Family

Recently we learned that one of our contributers before actually has 8(!) Rohloff hubs.  After hearing that, we just had to get Will to tell me how he came to equip  that many bikes with Rohloff hubs.  Here is what Will had to say...

"Hmm, I'm not sure what I could say about the Rohloff Speedhub other than the obvious. It is, to my mind, head and shoulders above the derailleur system for all applications with the possible exception of road racing where well maintained and adjusted close ratio derailleur systems offer comparable shifting performance at slightly less weight. Emphasis on "well maintained and adjusted" and "close ratio". Part of the appeal of the Rohloff is the lack of maintenance and adjustment. I started out with my first Rohloff on a Bike Friday Air Llama travel folding bike. I used it for supported and unsupported multi-day trips with my wife and daughter. I loved the lack of maintenance particularly in adverse weather and road conditions but quickly became aware that as head mechanic on these trips my family's derailleur problems were "my" derailleur problems.

And so, Rohloff #2 and #3 were added to the fold. One on a PBW, the other on an Airnimal Rhino. The beauty of the Speedhub is that the indexing is in the hub itself and since there are two shift cables, one for upshifting, one for downshifting, each shift is on a "pull" stroke and never depends on a spring to make the shift. Each shift is therefore very positive. I've read that a shift can be made in less than a hundredth of a second, so the speed of a shift is limited more by  the speed of the rider's wrist, than the hub itself. It's also nice to be able to select any gear while stopped. Considering that the derailleur  system has developed and survived over about a century of use, and the Rohloff is arguably better and has only about 10 years use, we can probably expect incremental improvements over time. Rumours have it that a new Rohloff design will be introduced soon which has a wider gear range than the original and weighs less.

My next experiment was a Rohloff on a mountain bike. I bought my first mountain bike around 1979. It was the original Specialized Stumpjumper, the first commercially available mountain bike and mine was perhaps the first one imported into Canada. I was now riding a Cannondale Super V900 and didn't want to mess with it, so I found a Cannondale Gemini on Craigslist which was used but not abused for the conversion. It was a revelation to me to be able to downshift 2, or 3, or more gears at once half way up a hill after misjudging the required gear. No more getting off the bike, turning the pedals to get the lowest gear and attempting to restart from scratch. The Rohloff was even more appealling on a mountain bike than on a travel bike. Successful experiment. The Gemini was a bit too downhill specific for most of my rides and I was able to convince my local bike store to sell me an end-of-season bike without the drivetrain for a very attractive price and so my now favorite Rohloff ride was born, a Rocky Mountain ETSX 70. My downfall was allowing my wife, two daughters and son-in-law to "test ride" my Rohloffs, hence the conversion of my old Cannondale Super V900, the purchase of a second Airnimal Rhino, and the conversion of a used Bike Friday Gnu. My latest indulgence is a so-called "Adventure Bike" which I had custom built by Guillaume Desy of Golem Cycles in Quebec City. It has 4" tires, Action-Tec steerer tube front suspension, S and S couplers, and of course a Rohloff Speedhub installed in sliding vertical dropouts so there is no need for a chain tensioner. It rides great on skidoo tracks in the winter, and sand dunes in the summer.

Obsessed you say? I just call it an appreciation of good engineering. And think of the time I save. 20 minutes maintenance per year per hub ( The annual oil change)."

Touring Rohloff

Andy from the UK was kind enough to send us some information about his Rohloff setup.  What you'll notice from these various bikes and setup is how versatile the Rohloff hub is. From touring to 5" full suspension travel and everything in between.  The trick is to plan and work out the details (ie, custom frame, cable routing, dropouts etc) beforehand so you know what you need for your particular setup.  Rohloff has over the years made it very simple to fit the hub onto many different frames and applications.   

Here is how Andy describes his bike

"Have been running my Rohloff (CC DB OEM) bike for five years now, MTB custom made Titanium frame, sliding drop-outs, have used EBB bushnell with my first Ti frame but have to say Sliding Drop-outs works best for me although not as pretty as EBB, so will be hanging onto that spare frame for maybe a Rohloff Lite (don’t tell the wife!)(Don't worry, we won't...unless she reads this website).

Bike is touring type, rack mudguards etc, I do Manchester to Scotland each year, c/w tent and all the gear, the Rohloff just gets better, running 17T Sprocket with 39T (naughty) chainring to get me up all those hills.

Andy goes on to explain his choice of 39T.  "My chainring is not that naughty, it is 39T main reason was to make the chain as sort as possible, to allow for stretch/wear 42T would have worked the same but the 39T makes for a more precise fit, also I can swop for 16T Sprocket and 40T Chainring for when I am not touring without having to do any adjustment to the to the chain at all.

Also my Ti cranks are shorter than normal at 170mm this I believe keeps me well within the hub's limits.

When I first built my Rohloff five years ago, it was very rare to see another cyclist using one, these days I come across at least one per week, so the hub is catching on."

What can we say?  That's a beautiful bike.  We have a soft spot for Ti so when we see a bike that's essentially Ti, we can't help but drool.  Ti cranks and fork, I don't think we could have built it any nicer.  If we're not mistaken, those are Frog pedals with the Ti spindles.  That's a pretty cool touring bike.  Nice job Andy, thanks for sharing.

Team Spokewrench

Cane Creek Double Barrel New Look!!

A customer ordered a Cane Creek Double Barrel from us recently and here is the new look for 08.  The body is now anodized gold!  It looks fantastic.  The gold body really makes the shock stand out.  This will be going on a Specialized Enduro and we think it's going to completely change and improve the way the bike handles and feels on the trails.  This is a beautiful shock.  We'll be getting a Ti spring for it as well for our customer so we can weigh it and compare it to the steel spring.

Team Spokewrench

Cane Creek 110 Headset Closeup

we have some detailed pics of the new Cane Creek 110 headset to share.  This is a headset that you truly have to see and feel to appreciate the detail that has gone into the design.  The seals on this headset are so well designed that we're sure the headset will stay smooth and clean for years to come.  The bearings don't come any smoother, with the split ring to keep the steerer tube in place.  The integrated headset spacers are a very nice touch and something everyone will appreciate with this headset.  Other colours are available but it comes with some already.  We think the headset looks a lot nicer than the pictures that you see on Cane Creek's website.  It doesn't look all that different than any other headset from just looking at it from the outside, but once you take it apart, you'll understand why Cane Creek is so confident in this headset to give it a 110 year warranty.

Weight 115g with headset screw / no starnut

Email us at info@spokewrench.com if you would like more information.

Team Spokewrench

Rohloff Speedhub New Look

Rohloff have recently updated the look of the hub shells. The production SPEEDHUB 500/14 hub shells now have lasered graphics as opposed to the decal that previously resided upon the hub shell. The red Powder-coated finish is being discontinued and will be replaced by an elegant red anodised version. The hubs look very nice.  It comes in 3 different colours now, black and red anodized and polished silver. We think the hubs look great and very sharp.

Just a reminder but we have Rohloff spare parts in stock.  Email us at info@spokewrench.com and let us know what you're looking for.

Team Spokewrench

Rohloff Speedhub Longterm Review

We've been using the Rohloff Speedhub on the Moots Cinco for over 2 years now riding it in pretty much all seasons having using it in several Uxbridge Icebreaker races, several 24 Hour Solo and Team races, the Lost in the Rocks and Trees race a few times plus all around riding in the local trails. 

For those not familiar with the Rohloff Speedhub, it's an internal geared hub offering 14 evenly spaced gears all sealed from the elements meaning less maintenance compared to a traditional derailleur system.  It operates from a single grip like shifter with 2 full length cables that goes to an external gear box that does all the shifting.  The Rohloff is disc compatible and uses it's on proprietary bolt circle.  Different rotors are available to work with the major disc brake manufacturers.  We're using a Magura Marta SL but they offer rotors that work with Shimano, Hope, Hayes, etc. 

Build & Setup

Building the wheel isn't any more difficult than your traditional disc hub.   The only thing is that you have to order spokes from Rohloff that are shorter than what is commonly available for about the same price so no problems there.  I would order a few more to keep as spares if you're going on an extended trip because typical bike shops are not going to have these lengths in stock.  The nice thing about this hub is that spokes are equal length on both sides and there is no dish so the wheel comes out stronger than the typical disc wheel.  What we recommend is using a UST compatible rim such as the Mavic X819 or if not UST, get Stan's No Tube tubless kit.  More later in regards to that.  For setup, it's quite straight  forward.  The manual is very clear with nice pictures and instructions.  Measure the shifter cable lengths carefully, it is important.  We ran into shifter problems during our 1st 24 Hour race because of incorrect shifter lengths and took us quite a bit of time to sort out.  The cable routing can be an issue as well for your bike if it's not designed for Rohloff in mind.  The good thing is that Rohloff offers cable clips that can be mounted on the top tube or downtube of the bike to make it easier to keep the the full length housing in place.  If we were to do it again, we would have asked Moots right from the start to put in full length cable guides, much like the one for the rear disc brake.  This would have made the routing easier and give it a much cleaner custom look.

Ride

Once installed, the hub needs to be broken in in order for all the gears to mesh properly.  This can be done simply by riding a lot.  At times, the hub would freewheel a bit while riding but once broken in, this never happens.  Just something to be aware of but certainly not an issue overall.   Shifting is all from the single shifter so there is no front derailleur or cross chaining to ever worry about.  We've never found chain suck to be an issue either during our time with the Rohloff.  We initially had the Rohloff setup with with a Singleator on the Moots Cinco because of the rear travel of the bike, the chain would lengthen and shorten as rear of the bike goes through it's travel.  There has to be a way for the drivetrain to take up the slack.  We were hoping this would be enough but the long travel of the bike was too much for the Singleator to handle and we found the chain skipping off the sprocket at the worst times during our 1st 24 Hour Race with the hub.   In the end, we got the Rohloff chainguide and chain tensioner so that the chain stays put on the sprocket.  It meant adding a bit more weight but the  result was much more consistent performance.  If someone was using this hub on  a  hardtail, this would not be an issue.