Riese & Muller Delite 2

[Wisper Bikes]

I may be mistaken, but I do not believe RM - even now - offers a Rohloff/Gates combo. The Gates option is only for a Nuvinci hub.

I would like to be wrong on this, so if I am, please let me know!

You are correct, there wasn't a Gates sprocket available on the Rohloff hub, that may have changed.

 

[Croxden]

When you bought your bike was it possible to pair up the Rohloff 14 speed hub with the Gates Carbon belt?, for hopefully the ultimate in tough trouble free transmissions.

If it was, why did you go for a traditional chain and sprockets?


I also notice that you are quite close to a Reise and Muller dealer and I wanted to buy a bike from a dealer that was close to me so that they were on hand should I need them and I am not sure that there is a Reise and Muller dealer close to me in Surrey.

When I did the research prior to purchase Rohloff did not think it good to use the carbon belt drive with their hub.
I have experience with the potential problems using a NuVinci & Gates carbon belt with the Grace MX I had. I had it fail on the rear sprocket and a replacement rear wheel failed under testing. I liked the bike, belt & NuVinci hub but the bike was doomed as they would not work together. Gates and the NuVinci people each blamed each other, Grace therefore provided a new wheel after I contacted the importer for his thoughts on the matter.
David from the Wisper concern, now AMPS, was then as now the best to deal with. I had a refund and placed an order for the Delite choosing the Rohloff as I didn't want derailleur gears. At that time I'm sure they were not importing them and so I was possibly the only one enjoying this excellent bit of kit.

I don't think I live close to a dealer, it takes one hour forty minutes to get there, traffic permitting. There were fewer electric bike dealers when I started looking, OnBike had a good selection and called on them several times when trying to decide. As I continue to go there shows my thoughts are positive as the the service provided. Equal to the bike.

My Birdy is also a Riese & Muller and built to the same standard, I just wish these days it was electric.

 

[Croxden]

Without wishing to sound in any way negative I don't think the sprockets will have been any different in quality than any other Bosch bike. You certainly got your monies worth out of them though..

I was thinking of the other bits, the Bosch sprocket would have been equal to any other bikes.

 

[lark]

I have experience with the potential problems using a NuVinci & Gates carbon belt with the Grace MX I had. I had it fail on the rear sprocket and a replacement rear wheel failed under testing. I liked the bike, belt & NuVinci hub but the bike was doomed as they would not work together.

Well, that is discouraging to hear since that is exactly the combo I want/am going to order. I was not aware of any Nuvinci/Gates drive issues. Does anyone know whether they have they improved?

 

[Croxden]

Well, that is discouraging to hear since that is exactly the combo I want/am going to order. I was not aware of any Nuvinci/Gates drive issues. Does anyone know whether they have they improved?

The design changed shortly after my episode. Never wanting to disparage anyone I have never brought it up before ( I think ).
Neither have I heard of a problem, I would work my bikes hard, if anyone was going to have a problem it was bound to be me.
I feel if I had continued I would have had a working bike but there would be months without one. At the price range I was in it's unacceptable.
But once again I bring up the response of the chain in the dealer/importer. I had a good result, if your chosen retailer is anywhere near as good there will not be a problem for you.

 

[RobF]

Rohloff hubs can now be used with a belt.

But according to Rohloff, the installation is not straightforward.

Apparently, the ordinary cog on a Rohloff is part of the oil sealing, so you need the hub to be converted to accept a belt cog.

Or buy a Rohloff belt specific hub.

Rohloff also say you must use a 'snubber' - a device to prevent the belt jumping.

Having said that, I've seen manufactured Rohloff/belt push bikes that don't have one.

All bike frames flex under load, which is not a problem on a chain driven bike but can derail a belt which is very sensitive to the correct line.

The belt also needs to run at a relatively high tension, which causes extra stress on bearings - whatever hub is fitted.

If a reputable manufacturer such as R&M produced a belt Rohloff ebike, I think you could be confident it would be properly engineered.

But doing a conversion looks fraught with difficulty.

https://www.rohloff.de/en/technology/gates-carbon-drive/index.html

http://www.cyclingabout.com/carbon-belt-drive-everything-you-ever-need-to-know/

 

[Croxden]

Reading the info found in the attachments it seems so complex to me. The only thing I'm sure of without going to look at it, is it's a black one.

I encouraged Martin to give it a good ride mostly so he could try the Brooks Swift saddle, he found the twist shifting of the gears not easy to get used to.

My biggest difficulty was it works the opposite to the NuVinci. Twisting it like opening a motorbikes throttle, the NuVinci went into a higher ratio, the Rohloff goes down.

These days I can swap bikes without having to get my head around the difference, but it does take a bit of getting used to initially.

Of the two styles, I would prefer having levers to flick, otherwise a Rohloff every time.

 

[RobF]

I agree about twist shifters, and I wonder if Rohloff isn't missing a trick here.

An option of rapid fire shifters would probably go down well with buyers.

 

[Croxden]

I believe there are after market levers available but a bit on the dear side.

There is on YouTube a very much a do it yourself one. Very large & clumsy but it shows it's possible.

Rohloff say they will not do it, there must be a reason so I stick with what I've got.

 

[Rohloffboy]

Yep, I did look into the Gates Belt Drive, it is a neat transmission solution, but the fact that the rear chain stay has to split, put me off.

I have been riding a none electric Rohloff bike since 2004, and my plan is to make it electric (Bafang 8fun CD).

The gear shifter numbers have worn of, and if I am honest, this is better in a physiological way, as I just ride in the gear that suits me best.

You can get a third party electric gear changer for the Rohloff, but I don't even see the point of such an item.

At the time (2004) I built my Rohloff, I bought 6 of the SLT-99 Chains, I think they are 7 speed, maybe 8, but at the time were well out of fashion for Derailure riders, so I got them for around £25 each.

I have only gone through 2 chains, so far, just a pity that a Rohloff stopped making them a few years back, although at my rate I will be past 80 when I am on my last chain, also bought a litre each of the Hub Oil and Rinsing Oil at the same time, which is enough Rohloff Oil to see me out!

I have been using a Brooks Swift saddle since the get go, but if I was ever to change it would be for a Gilles Berthoud saddle, very similiar to the Brooks, but a much better engineered finish it has to be said.

 

[nashdm2]

Guys, a very interesting read for sure. Thanks for the contribution, it has helped me a lot.

 

[Trevormonty]

Citrus Cycles youtube channel has some excellent videos on R&M bikes.

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