Cycling UK Forum

PT1029 wrote: ↑14 Jan 2024, 6:54am "Why though have Rohloff so doggedly stuck with that twist-grip shifter?" I often thought this, until I got one.

I thought the same, I'd never have chosen a twist shifter, yet I've never had an issue with the Rohloff ones either. Well, not quite never, it's a bit slippery riding in the rain without gloves, but I try not to do that anyway. I do prefer the current design to the original triangular one, but even that was OK.
Even the aftermarket options, I think I've seen a dozen, tend to stick with twist shifting, I only know of two, which made it into production, that offered an alternative and one of those wasn't available for long, possibly due to the price. I'm not sure the lack of a drop bar option is much of an elephant, I doubt there's a big overlap on a Rohloff/drop bar Venn diagram.

The only annoyance with the Rohloff shifter is where the gear numbers are.

It's never bothered me, most of the time I don't need to know, it's not like I have to co-ordinate front and rear shifts. Occasionally I'll go to shift to a higher or lower gear when I'm already at the limit, but no harm done. There is that glitch between 8th <> 7th, but I usually back off enough on every change for that not to be an issue, it's maybe happened a handful of times in twenty years.

PT1029 wrote: ↑14 Jan 2024, 6:54am ...............
The only annoyance with the Rohloff shifter is where the gear numbers are. On a flat bar, no problem. I have mine on the end of drop bars with the cables coming out sideways. Thus the reference point and associated gear number is on the right side of the lever, not visible while riding. The lever design is such that you can't move the rubber (and numbers) round by 90 deg or so (which you can on a grip shift rubber). I make do for now with using the lever clamp bolt head as the reference point, and subtract 3 from the lined up number. In reality, I only really want to know the gear number to check if I am in my cruising gear (11).

IMG_5793 by 531colin, on Flickr

Thats my solution....tactile, I don't even have to look at it, I can feel i'm in gear 11.

Its on these bullbars

IMG_5598 by 531colin, on Flickr

Thats the heads of 2 tiny woodscrews, the shaft cut off apart from the first millietre or so to locate the thing.....fixed in place by builders silicone

Touchy feely neat!

PS Colin, the middle(ish) of the bars have those nice ATB cable pull cross top levers you sold me.

As the OP, I now need to tighten up the chain for the first time using the sliding dropouts. Looks easy: loosen the 4 bolts, slide the wheel back and retighten the bolts? Any tips on how tight the chain should be and how to make sure the wheel stays in alignment?.

There's useful guidance on chain tension for a Rohloff bike on page 12 of the Thorn Bike Owners Manual http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/Thorn ... al2Web.pdf.

Thanks, my bike has sliding dropouts not an eccentric BB but the SJS info does give me an idea of how much chain slack is OK.

Lazybird wrote: ↑12 May 2024, 5:03pm..... Any tips on..... how to make sure the wheel stays in alignment?.

if the wheel dish is correct, the frame is straight, and the chain tension is about right but everything is still loose, you could proceed as follows; first nip up the RHS Next, adjust the LHS until the tyre is central between the chainstays, then nip up the LHS. Finally, check that you are happy with everything before tightening both sides fully.

Thanks Brucey, that seems to have worked ok. The bolts were very tight, managed to twist my allen key loosening them.