Rohloff or Alfine hub?

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

the Brompton will be getting one of the above. But I'd like to hear people's opinions or experiences. I can afford either conversion but is the Rohloff really that much better?

Thanks

 

[Spoked Wheels]

Rohloff really that much better?

Yes.

 

[Cush]

Never tried the Rohloff because of the price difference but I think it will be better than the Alfine.

 

[BalkanExpress]

Over on the CTC forum there is a very long thread about the Alfine 11, which suggests it is not very robust and needs some attention.

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=64432

It is quite long

 

[ufkacbln]

I fitted the Sturmey Archer hub gear option from "Tiller Cycles"

They now do n Alfine conversion

 

[Pale Rider]

the Brompton will be getting one of the above. But I'd like to hear people's opinions or experiences. I can afford either conversion but is the Rohloff really that much better?

Thanks

My Alfine 11 conked out and was replaced free of charge outside of warranty.

That was a couple of years ago, and there appears some indication reported complaints have declined since then.

I suspect the early Alfine 11s may have been a bit fragile, but it looks to be OK now.

Your decision should come down to which you prefer.

Both are very heavy.

The Rohloff has a more gears and a wider spread, but would that be of much benefit to you on a Brompton?

I found the twist shift on the Rohloff bike I tried to be harder to operate than I would have liked.

What shift will you get on the Alfine Brommie?

Rapid fire works better for me, but you may prefer a twister.

The Shimano 8 speed hubs appear bomb proof, and may have all the gears and range you need on a Brommie.

This could be one of those rare occasions when the most expensive option is not the best option.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I went the Kinetics route http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/folding-bikes/brompton/brompton-8-speed-kit/ works fine for me.

 

[Profpointy]

I went the Kinetics route http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/folding-bikes/brompton/brompton-8-speed-kit/ works fine for me.

that's a particularly well timed post, as I've just started looking at Bromptons. With that in mind, I recon my best bet is a single speed and upgrade to the linky'd product you mention if and when I struggle up hills regularly. All the gear options they have as standard seem a bit silly to me.

I'm working away a fair bit and it's too much of a fag sticking my proper bike in the car, but a Brompton would be easy - likewise for London on the train.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

that's a particularly well timed post, as I've just started looking at Bromptons. With that in mind, I recon my best bet is a single speed and upgrade to the linky'd product you mention if and when I struggle up hills regularly. All the gear options they have as standard seem a bit silly to me.

I'm working away a fair bit and it's too much of a fag sticking my proper bike in the car, but a Brompton would be easy - likewise for London on the train.

Rhubarb the Brompton will be coming to Stockholm with me in the near future. The kinetics conversion kit, well the chain tensioner at least, is not a thing of beauty, and the SA twist shifter will require surgery to your right hand grip (I have Ergons with little bar ends). Also the chain ring sometimes fouls the hinge when folding, I guess the supplied chainset sits a fraction more inboard that the stock one. When I bought Rhubarb the standard Brompton grips were those ghastly, and glued-on, foam things. Awful. I put SA brake levers on too. Of course everything has to be aligned to maintain the fold but the outcome is not so compromised as to be uncomfortable or distracting in use.