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Rolhoff Fat Bike Hub Gets Official, 170mm Speedhub XL Coming Soon

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Rolhoff Fat Bike Hub Gets Official, 170mm Speedhub XL Coming Soon

As fat bikes have adopted wider, and symmetrical rear axle spacings, the original 135mm offset has remained relevant, basically for a single reason – internal gear hubs. Until now, all of the internal gear hubs (IGH) on the market were offered in only 135mm spacing making their use on fat bikes only possibly with a 135mm offset frame.

Now, first shown as a prototype, the new Rohloff Speedhub XL will change all that with its updated 170mm spacing. Heralded as the first major change to the Speedhub 500/14 since 1998, the new model is the first and only fat bike specific IGH according to Rohloff. In the US, the Speedhub XL will be offered through Cycle Monkey at the end of August, who stand as the Rohloff hub experts in both service and sales.

Full details inside…

Rolhoff Fat Bike Hub Gets Official, 170mm Speedhub XL Coming Soon

When the Speedhub XL becomes available, the hub will be sold in a single configuration in black. The hub will be 32h, disc brake only and feature the same 100mm spoke hole diameter, QR or threaded axle optinos, and the same axle plate options as the original. Because of the changes needed to make it fit 170mm frames, the hub will use a 71.5mm chainline, and 93mm flange spacing.

Pricing is estimated to be 10% more than the original Speedhub 500/14, which means about $150-160 more on the typical US price of $1500-1600. Cycle Monkey provided the following list of production frames that will accept the Speedhub XL – Salsa Mukluk, Kona Wo, Trek Farley, Lynsky Stratus, Moots FrosTi, Reeb Reebdonkadonk, Ventana El Gordo, Schlick Ape, On-One Fatty, Twenty 2 Bully, Carver Ti Snow, Lamere Carbon Pro, Fatback 170, Muru Witjira, Muru Finke, Genesis Caribou, Nicolai Argon Fat, Norco Bigfoot, Squatch, Viscious Thunderwing, and others.

cyclemonkey.com

 

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Al Boneta
Al Boneta
9 years ago

I want it for my Fat bike beach cruiser

reverend dick
9 years ago

The OG 135mm has remained relevant for a single reason- so you can build a wheel using a hub you already have to hand.

Muru Cycles
Muru Cycles
9 years ago

just a heads up regarding our frames. The Witjira is our 170mm frame. The Finke frame that is mentioned is our 135mm offset frame. (specifically for 135mm Rohloff hubs)

Tanner
Tanner
9 years ago

This is great in all but having Cycle Monkey as the US distriputor is terrible, Neil over there has terrible customer service. Always difficult to get ahold of.

Endorfine
9 years ago

And ofcourse Sandman compatible

Sevo
Sevo
9 years ago

Will work on a Singular Puffin too

SF
SF
9 years ago

Make a 142X12 thru axle speedhub would be more useful !

Mindless
Mindless
9 years ago

190. 190 will be the standard.

Alexander
Alexander
9 years ago

190 is only needed for derailer systems. 170 is wide enough for 100mm and 5 inch tyres and a IGH.

I think this is the only sensible solution for Rohloff. Enigeeringwise.

Matt Holland
Matt Holland
9 years ago

“Make a 142X12 thru axle speedhub would be more useful !”

Seconded

Alexander
Alexander
9 years ago

Changing the axles will be extremely difficult because a big part of the indexing and shifting system is integrated in the axle. Enlarging the axle will be like a complete redesign of the hub. Not very feasible.

http://www.rohloff.de/en/technology/speedhub/shifting_mechanism/index.html

SF
SF
9 years ago

Sometimes redesign is necessary, maybe in some years all bikes will have thru axles.

SF
SF
9 years ago

It looks difficult but not impossible.
Why not reducing the number of speed to 10 for example ? So many speeds looks old fashioned today.

Justin
Justin
9 years ago

“This is great in all but having Cycle Monkey as the US distriputor is terrible, Neil over there has terrible customer service. Always difficult to get ahold of.”

I just ordered a Rohloff wheel from Cycle Monkey and had the exact opposite experience. Neil seemed to go out of the way to answer all my questions in a timely fashion, and has continued to do so after the sale.

Kovas
Kovas
9 years ago

I’m glad Cycle Monkey is handling this. I’ve had nothing but good experiences ordering Rohloff parts from them. Way better than ordering from overseas. Neil’s been great communicating info on wheel builds, order issues etc. I will buy from them again.

As for Rohloff… This is the best they come up with after 15 years? What happened to the chatter about a Speedhub “lite” model… 8 speeds, half the weight, half the cost? Still waiting for that one…

Henry
Henry
9 years ago

I calculated at my 135mm hub and if one takes away the cog who removes 18 mm on one side (with good space, least 14mm) , max rim width at XL will be around 130mm, e.g. max wheel width can be around 5.19″, maybe a little more. That’s awesome. 🙂

I’d like to se a narrower hub in 120mm width, with fewer gears it’ll be awesome as a speedy commuter, preferably with same gear spacing (13.6%) as 135mm/170mm.

In a way I was glad that the “lite” haven’t popped up, I felt that they have changed too much, deviated too much from the orignal Speedhub, please keep that gear spaceing equal over all models! 🙂

Lance Lau
9 years ago

forget about the hub, I wanna know more about those rims!

Aaron
Aaron
9 years ago

“This is great in all but having Cycle Monkey as the US distriputor is terrible, Neil over there has terrible customer service. Always difficult to get ahold of.”

I totally disagree. All my interactions with Neil / Cycle Monkey and staff have been excellent. Great communication and fast delivery. I was so pleased with the first hub I bought a second for my bike packing bike.

aaron
9 years ago

I am so stoked about the XL having toured around the world on a Rohloff with Zero issues in 35,000 miles

I also have to Agree with the other Aaron….Neil has been Awesome and very professional in all my dealings with him over the past 6 years…I have bought 1 hub and will make the XL the 2nd All from Cycle Monkey…..Great guy, great company and fast and friendly always

Adam
Adam
9 years ago

That rim is a prototype fat rim from Halo called the ‘Tundra’. Its an 80mm wide, weight something like 870g and has a 12.5mm offset. And the price….supposed to retail at just 60 Uk pounds!!! :-O Nice.

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