STANFORTH ROHLOFF EQUIPPED TOURING BIKES
All of our Rohloff touring bikes are hand built in England - the frame will be custom made for you, using Reynolds steel.
What is a Rohloff hub?
A Rohloff is a sealed internal gear hub, that contains all of the gears inside the rear hub. It's designed to be durable, reliable, and low maintenance.
As the cogs are inside the hub, it eradicates the need for derailleurs so there is just a single front and rear sprocket fitted to the bike.
As the hub is sealed, and the inner cogs are bathed in oil, the gearing is effectively protected from the elements, moisture and dust.
It has a gear range of 526%, so very similar to most triple touring set ups, so a good range spread equally over its 14 gears.
What are its benefits?
Reliable: A reliable transmission that combines the advantages of a derailleur system (wide gear range) with those of an internal gear hub (gears protected)
Durable: Designed to withstand intensive use and environments for many years
Longer chain life: The single front and rear sprockets keep the chain straight and reduces wear
Change gear at standstill: On derailleur bikes you have to be pedalling to change gear. With the Rohloff hub you can change gear at the traffic lights or at standstill halfway up a hill…
Gearing: Through the choice of the sizes of the rear sprocket and front chainring, you have more control over the gearing you’d like, so if you’d like a lower 1st gear than what you would get with a 1st gear on a derailleur set up, then this is straight forward to implement
Minimal maintenance: The single front and rear sprockets make it easy to brush off dirt and mud. The hub just needs an oil change every 5,000km or once a year.
Is it worth it?
The Rohloff hub does add a significant amount to the cost of the bike - circa 25%, and even more if it’s fitted with the Gates belt drive instead of the chain set up. So do the benefits justify the cost?
For those customers who have opted for the Rohloff hub, the answer is always a unanimous yes. My main bike for daily riding and touring is equipped with a Rohloff hub and Gates Belt Drive, it's excellent.
That doesn’t mean to say the Rohloff is for everyone. If a Rohloff hub were to go wrong, then it’s not something a bike shop could easily fix, if at all. But the chances of it going wrong are very low - we haven’t had a single customer who’s had an issue.
If you’re the type of person who would rather have a bike that is fixable anywhere, then the Rohloff isn’t for you. We have had numerous customers who have circumnavigated the globe on our bikes with derailleurs and not a Rohloff, so it’s not a must have, but a very nice to have, if the budget allows.
If you’d like to know more about our bikes equipped with a Rohloff hub, or have any Rohloff specific questions, please get in touch.
Stanforth Rohloff models
We offer the Rohloff hub with chain or belt on all of our models.
To find out more, please click on the links below, or to get in touch please email us on info@stanforthbikes.co.uk
