Rohloff hubs and Hebie Chaingliders

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slowster
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Rohloff hubs and Hebie Chaingliders

Post by slowster »

I've just noticed what I think are a couple of changes to Rohloff's and Hebie's instructions regarding using a Chainglider with a Rohloff hub.

By way of background, the original rear section of the Chainglider for Rohloff hubs was found to be unsuitable because it could rub against the hub shell, eventually wearing a groove in the aluminium shell (see photograph below from Rohloff's website). According to Rohloff Hebie re-designed the Rohloff specific rear section of the Chainglider in 2006 to prevent this happening. That rear section is specified for use only with 15, 16 or 17 tooth sprockets, and the current version was further modified to be compatible with the splined sprocket carrier and splined sprockets which replaced the threaded sprockets*.

(* Incidentally, Rohloff has not yet updated the manual which can be downloaded from its website. It was last revised in 2017 and still states on page 144 - "The rear portion of a Hebie Chainglider Type 350 is not compatible with the SPEEDHUB splined sprocket system. Hebie are currently (at time of press) working on an alternative solution - see FAQs at www.rohloff.de/en/".)

Chainglider front sections are available to suit 38, 42, 44 and 48 tooth chainrings. The FAQs section of Rohloff's website states that if a Chainglider is used, it should only be with a 42 or 44 tooth chainring (https://www.rohloff.de/en/service/handbook/faqs). I am fairly certain this is a relatively recent (and unannounced) change. I have a 38 tooth chainring and corresponding Chainglider, and I do not recall Rohloff specifying 42 or 44 tooth chainrings previously. I can only guess that there is a small risk of the rear section touching the hub shell if used with a 38 or 48 tooth front section, and that has prompted Rohloff to change its guidance.

Interestingly in its instructions concerning the Hebie Chainglider, Rohloff makes no distinction between the standard splined sprocket carrier and the slim splined sprocket carrier. The slim splined sprocket carrier positions the sprocket 2mm further inboard, which would also bring the inside edge of the rear section of the Chainglider slightly closer to the hub shell.

I also have a new Chainglider front section, and the product leaflet attached to it clearly states that the Rohloff compatible rear section may be used with 38, 42 and 44 tooth chainrings. Also interestingly, Hebie's instructions for fitting the Chainglider have also been changed recently. The new version, available on SJS's website link below, includes additional instructions for fine tuning the position of the Rohloff version of the rear section. The procedure Hebie details is the same one as I detailed in this post in 2021 - viewtopic.php?p=1585948#p1585948, which I discovered for myself when I first fitted the Chainglider and wanted to ensure that it was as far away as possible from the hub shell.

http://www.sjscycles.com/Instructions/H ... ctions.pdf (see page 2)

My guess is that Rohloff's instructions regarding only using 42 and 44 tooth chainrings and Hebie's new instructions on fitting the rear section of a Chainglider on a Rohloff hub, are both intended to address the same issue. I suspect that in practice either will be sufficient, albeit that Rohloff will presumably want their instructions to have been followed in the event of a warranty involving hub shell wear by a Chainglider. I have been careful to check my Rohloff at intervals - there has been no sign of the Chainglider contacting the hub shell, and I have no intention of changing my 38 tooth chainring.

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