-
Not sure I'd go that far. My last 3 grocery bikes have all been found on the street. So this is clearly already a step above that.
Sounds good though. Willing to bet this will be the only bike of this style with a Rohloff.
Not as nice as a Rohloff but worth pointing out that these Nuvinci hubs are still available for massive discounts:
https://www.bike-discount.de/en/nuvinci_cycling_enviolo -
The Tradesperson is my only bike currently. I don't own a car, and while I rarely ride more than 100km in a given week, I do ride it every day.
I work at a cargo-specific shop and spend a fair amount of time working with and riding on both the Rohloff and Nuvinci (Enviolo), and while the Nunvinci is super cool and we've had a lot of success having them on our Bosch cargo bikes, the range isn't quite enough for an acoustic cycletruck in Seattle... at least not for my baby legs.
To clarify for anyone reading, I'm not trying to justify purchasing a Rohloff - I think they're neat, and I want one. I'm fortunate enough to work at a place where I can get one at cost -which puts it within financial reach for me- and I'm excited to take advantage of that.
-
I support the move, it'll be absolutely rad to have a fully custom Tradesman complete with belt drive and a Rohloff.
Frankly it sounds like this is you one, single, do-all bike that you plan to have for years to come. If that's the case it makes sense especially given that you can still cycle tour or go on longer trips should you want. This'll be the do-all bike of do-all bikes.
-
RE: Gates Belt Drive
I need to do some research between now and December. Gates apparently has stiffness requirements for running their belts on any given frame, the issue being that your rear triangle can flex enough for the belt to skip/get caught on the teeth of the cog. I've so far read specifically that oversized chainstays are preferred, which the Tradesperson doesn't have.
It'd be a shame to find that after investing in having a break put in the frame, and spending 10X as much on a chainring/cog/belt drivetrain that my frame is too noodley for it to be viable.
-
Makes sense, might be better to stick with a chain and a full length chain guard instead? Replacing a chain once or twice a year and doing some minor upkeep is still easier than a full on derailleur setup.
I recall reading that earlier model Wolverines had the same issue of not being able to handle the constant tension requirements of a Gates drive and would crack at the chain stay for a similar reason.
-
Holy hell. One of my bosses just got back from a trip to Germany where he picked a few brains about issues we've been getting from Rohloff customers and what the actual fuck!
Something Rohloff isn't telling people is that the QR version of the hub suffers from poor shifting if the QR is tighter than 7nm. 7 FIG NEWTON METERS!
-
What sort of problems? I ran a rohloff for years on am mtb with horizontal drops, and a qr tightened to the point I couldn't undo it trackside once and I never had a shifting problem? Don't disbelieve you but just never heard this before.
-
Hesitation shifting and free-wheeling apparently.
The only reported issues we have are from Rohloffs that are <year old. While in Germany, he also heard that with Rohloff's business blowing up thanks to being spec'd OEM on a lot of high-end German eBikes, they've changed their production process and are experiencing some QC issues, I assume the two are connected.
-
Wow, two years already. I do have an update: I finally ordered my Rohloff yesterday! I've been working A LOT with Rohloff bikes over the past year and have discovered the issues I'd mentioned last time were more to do with the electronic components of the E14 system rather than the Rohloff hub itself, so I'm feeling pretty jazzed about this project again.
Frame was schedule to be modified by a local framebuilder this past winter, but with lockdown and the cycling boom, they didn't slow down enough to take the job in. I'm told I'm first on the list for this fall/winter though.
I've been slowly amassing the other parts and we're on the home-stretch with just a rim, spokes and rotor left. Rim's sold out until September, but it's not a huge deal given the wait on the frame mods.
kjlem
tallsam
DarkShot
joel_austen
Thrasher
wot
Heldring-
Post a reply
About
Modified Soma Tradesman Cycletruck
Posted by
@JVBulman
That sounds great. Do you ride it a lot? Personally I'd only buy a Rohloff if I knew I was going to ride that bike near enough 100% of the time I ride.