Rohloff

Speedhub, 14 Speed, 16 Tooth Cog, Quick Release, 32 Hole

By far the best shifting system yet invented for the bicycle. I have been riding my hub for about 5 years and built my new bike around the hub. It is only now getting broken in. Rohloff says it may take up to 5000 km for the hub to finally break in and perform at it's best. Truthfully a clean, perfectly adjusted, perfectly lubricated Shimano XTR drive train shifts better. But, within a very few miles of average off road riding, the performance suffers due to the environment it is forced to work in. And if you tag a rock or root or ? with either derailieur (and who hasn't) all bets are off. The Rohloff is totally unaffected by dirt, snow, mud, etc. And the additional ground clearance provided by only running one front chainring is often useful. The quiet shifting is amazing. You don't know how much noise your drivetrain is making until you get rid of it. The Rohloff is almost Single Speed quiet. By far the best feature is the ability to shift without the need for pedaling. Come around a switchback and be surprised by a steep climb? Just twist and go. You can shift from any gear to any other gear in a second or less. I'm buying a second hub for my Tandem from Tree Fort right now! Their price is the best. Tandems are notorious for bad shifting with all the cable, and the fact that the Captain can't easily see the front shifting. The Rohloff fixes that, and according to all reports holds up to the additional power and weight of a Tandem with no problem.