Riese & Muller Delite Mountain Rohloff - anyone had any experience with one?

verysideways

verysideways

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Much as i love my Kenevo it's a way more capable bike than i need, and one of the things that i struggle with is British mud in winter. For six months of the year when i leave my house i get mud in the cassette within the first 10 miles, end up cutting my ride short, and then spending an hour cleaning the bike and re-lubricating before putting it away.
It also means i end up riding it less than i would otherwise, because of the "frustration factor".

So i started looking around at alternatives and soon came across the Rohloff hub and noticed that this can be run with a single speed chain but can also be run with a Gates belt drive. Now that gets very interesting very quickly because the Gates sheds mud way better than a chain does, and frankly it should pick up less mud anyway because it doesn't have a derailleur hanging down into the mud! And if the belt does get muddy you literally rinse it off with water and carry on (and the Rohloff is sealed and simply needs an annual oil change).

Now first i found Nikolai with the EBOXX, but the UK dealer network seems rather sparse to say the least.

Then i found Riese & Muller, and they've got LOADS of bikes running belt drives and Rohloff hubs, including a couple of "mountain" bikes - the Delite (with one Bosch powertube battery) and the Superdelite (with two powertubes!).

Given the Superdelite Mountain is 1125Wh of battery i suspect it's north of 30kg all in but the Delite Mountain definitely grabs my attention; Fox 36 up front, Fox DPS at the back, Magura MT5 up front and MT4 at the back, 27.5 x 2.8 (same as my Kenevo Expert) all round, Bosch CX gen 4... but no one seems to talk about them. I can find loads of reviews from people who use Riese Muller touring bikes, commuting bikes, etc. but next to nothing about the mountain bikes.

So... has anyone got one? Ridden one? Got any experience at all of one?

delite_mtn_rohloff_grey_2048x.jpg
 
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Just looking at that picture thinking what a brilliant place to put the belt tensioner. Then it occurred to me that it's in exactly the spot which, on my bike, fills up with mud until the back wheel jams. Maybe not such a clever place after all...
 
FYI Nicolai have a 3 month lead time. Order on line no problem. Even if you need to go and collect it it’s only North Germany. Stunning bikes in my op.
my next bike will be Rohloff/Belt drive.
 
Sidepod said:
FYI Nicolai have a 3 month lead time. Order on line no problem. Even if you need to go and collect it it’s only North Germany. Stunning bikes in my op.
my next bike will be Rohloff/Belt drive.
Click to expand...
As nice as that is there are two big problems for me;
1. no dealer support in the uk, let alone near where I live. What happens with warranty?
2. there is an R&M dealer near where I live and I can purchase the bike through the cycle to work scheme, which means the price difference becomes about £3000! I’m sorry but I’m not paying £3000 more for the Nikolai when the R&M comes with the same motor, battery, display, belt drive, Rohloff, and broadly similar suspension and brakes.
 
Fair enough. It would be good to get a report on it when you get it. There always seems resistance to this drive train on the forum, the argument usually based around how good and reliable the derailleur system is. I can understand that but it’s ancient tech and I like the idea of a newer design.
The good thing about the Rohloff is it’s integration into the e-ness of the bike ie the torque cut on gear change. I k ow the Nicolai incorporates that, can’t say if the R+M does?
 
Sidepod said:
Fair enough. It would be good to get a report on it when you get it. There always seems resistance to this drive train on the forum, the argument usually based around how good and reliable the derailleur system is. I can understand that but it’s ancient tech and I like the idea of a newer design.
The good thing about the Rohloff is it’s integration into the e-ness of the bike ie the torque cut on gear change. I k ow the Nicolai incorporates that, can’t say if the R+M does?
Click to expand...
Yeah, R&M does the same.
I’m definitely leaning that way.
I’m convinced on the Rohloff, and if I don’t get on with the belt it’s quite easy to convert to single speed chain.
I experience a lot of mud in the winter months where I live and the cassette is the biggest issue, followed by the chain. Getting rid of both is my aim.
 
verysideways said:
... because the Gates sheds mud way better than a chain does
Click to expand...
May I ask what lead you to believe this?
Judging from its design, I would think that the belt (with its tiny centering gap) should be more prone to malfunction/wear from mud.... but happy to stand corrected.
 
jerry said:
May I ask what lead you to believe this?
Judging from its design, I would think that the belt (with its tiny centering gap) should be more prone to malfunction/wear from mud.... but happy to stand corrected.
Click to expand...
Mainly information from long distance touring cyclists who use gates belt with Rohloff and do thousands of kilometres in all conditions - the centre track maintains the chain line and the belt tension and teeth design squeeze the mud out the sides.
As I said though if I don’t get on with the belt it’s easy to switch to a single speed chain.
 
I’ve always found the main culprit for causing muddy cassettes is the huge derailleur dangling down in the crud. Ok, the belt still has a tensioner jockey wheel but it’s much better positioned than a derailleur cage.
 
Sidepod said:
I’ve always found the main culprit for causing muddy cassettes is the huge derailleur dangling down in the crud. Ok, the belt still has a tensioner jockey wheel but it’s much better positioned than a derailleur cage.
Click to expand...

Maybe we have different mud. My experience is that the mud fills up the rear triangle at the seat stay and then spills over onto the chainring, locking both the back wheel and the chainring.
 
I’ve had both - mech dragging in the mud, and mud sticking to wheel and coming off on top of the chain just before the chainring.
I think the belt will help in both cases.
 
verysideways said:
Mainly information from long distance touring cyclists who use gates belt with Rohloff and do thousands of kilometres in all conditions - the centre track maintains the chain line and the belt tension and teeth design squeeze the mud out the sides.
As I said though if I don’t get on with the belt it’s easy to switch to a single speed chain.
Click to expand...
This is what I thought... your average touring cyclist have a totally different understanding of the concept "mud".
 
We’ve had this exact discussion before. To my mind the bike designers should be looking to use the motor to power a small hydraulic drive pump to turn the back wheel. Now that most definitely isn’t affected by mud.
 
jerry said:
This is what I thought... your average touring cyclist have a totally different understanding of the concept "mud".
Click to expand...
Have you seen any of CyclingAbout videos on YouTube? He’s goes through mud even I would hesitate to attempt. Definitely not “average” touring cyclist.

Here’s one of his videos:
 
Olof Bike Adventures said:
My very first Youtube-review was with this bike, but the commuter version (R&M Superdelite GT Rohloff High Speed, 45 km/h). It had all the bells and whistles except for ABS brakes. Very nice bike, BUT it weighs 32 kg in the 1000 kWh version if I remember correctly.
Click to expand...
I think the one I’m looking at is 26kg… and I currently ride a 19 Kenevo Expert with E-wilds and a Trailwatts booster ?
 
Olof Bike Adventures said:
My very first Youtube-review was with this bike, but the commuter version (R&M Superdelite GT Rohloff High Speed, 45 km/h). It had all the bells and whistles except for ABS brakes. Very nice bike, BUT it weighs 32 kg in the 1000 kWh version if I remember correctly.
Click to expand...
Link?
 
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