2021–2022 Riese & Müller Homage

[BMWzenRider]

Ahhh... sorry. I got the GX upgrade which has the Ergon GP 3 bar-end handles. Perhaps that’s what makes them look wide in the photo.

Congrats on the new ride!

I had looked at and test ridden the SuperDelite, as well as a SuperDelite Mountain HS and really liked them.
The extra suspension travel of the GX/Mountain option really does make a noticeable difference in riding off of curbs or riding over severely rough terrain,
but with my bad knees I decided that the step-thru frame of the Homage better suits my needs, even without the GX/Mountain option being available.

Besides just the standover height and being able to reach the ground on uneven terrain, one of my knees was reset a bit crooked, so that it tends to tuck inward when bending, and I found myself occasionally brushing it against the fat top tube of the SuperDelite during my test rides. I can easily see myself banging it regularly after getting a bit tired on a longer ride. Which would be bad.
And trying to get on/off of a conventional frame with top tube can be dicey with my unstable legs.

What I would love is a Homage with the Fox Float GX suspension from the SuperDelite.
As such, I may be exploring changing out the fork and rear shock after the bike is out of warranty.
The extra compliance gained with the longer travel of the GX/Mountain suspension is also noticeably easier on not transmitting as much shock through the pedals to my knees.

Hope that you are enjoying the new wheels!

 

[AbeK]

Congrats on the new ride!

I had looked at and test ridden the SuperDelite, as well as a SuperDelite Mountain HS and really liked them.
The extra suspension travel of the GX/Mountain option really does make a noticeable difference in riding off of curbs or riding over severely rough terrain,
but with my bad knees I decided that the step-thru frame of the Homage better suits my needs, even without the GX/Mountain option being available.

View attachment 74708

Besides just the standover height and being able to reach the ground on uneven terrain, one of my knees was reset a bit crooked, so that it tends to tuck inward when bending, and I found myself occasionally brushing it against the fat top tube of the SuperDelite during my test rides. I can easily see myself banging it regularly after getting a bit tired on a longer ride. Which would be bad.
And trying to get on/off of a conventional frame with top tube can be dicey with my unstable legs.

What I would love is a Homage with the Fox Float GX suspension from the SuperDelite.
As such, I may be exploring changing out the fork and rear shock after the bike is out of warranty.
The extra compliance gained with the longer travel of the GX/Mountain suspension is also noticeably easier on not transmitting as much shock through the pedals to my knees.

Hope that you are enjoying the new wheels!

Looking at that photo, I completely understand! Getting on and off the Superdelite can be an ordeal for some compared to the low step-through frame on the Homage. I do love the suspension on my new Superdelite with the upgraded fox suspension and GX option. It is a very comfortable ride. I believe you hit exactly on the trade-offs between these two bikes. Better suspension on the Superdelite, easier mounting and dismounting on the Homage.

 

[Jay Kay]

Homage with Fox would be a dream bike for many many riders. It's at the top of the list (now that the Homage has a dropper post too) for Homage improvements - its a short list.

We swopped my wife's tyres on her Homage to Rock Razors because of the trails we are riding and I recon the Fox would be the bees knees for her (sorry about your knees - bike riding accident no doubt). I have the Delite GX Fox but have the SD Mountain on its way as a replacement. While fit and able, I am looking forward to not having to swing my leg so high with the Mountain.

Just spotted your avatar @BMWzenRider , those breaks from a dive? My nephew was being observed during a training exercise for secondment into the SAS (he was a marksman) - he jumped out of his helicopter into the snow, hit a log and snapped his leg in half. That was the end of his SAS aspirations.

 

[Jay Kay]

We paid a 50% deposit on our bikes, remainder on delivery.

 

[BMWzenRider]

Homage with Fox would be a dream bike for many many riders. It's at the top of the list (now that the Homage has a dropper post too) for Homage improvements - its a short list.

We swopped my wife's tyres on her Homage to Rock Razors because of the trails we are riding and I recon the Fox would be the bees knees for her (sorry about your knees - bike riding accident no doubt). I have the Delite GX Fox but have the SD Mountain on its way as a replacement. While fit and able, I am looking forward to not having to swing my leg so high with the Mountain.

Just spotted your avatar @BMWzenRider , those breaks from a dive? My nephew was being observed during a training exercise for secondment into the SAS (he was a marksman) - he jumped out of his helicopter into the snow, hit a log and snapped his leg in half. That was the end of his SAS aspirations.

I agree with your opinion that there is not much more I would want in the new Homage beyond a Fox GX suspension.
The new 4th-Gen Bosch drive, integrated 1250Wh dual-batteries, frame-mounted front rack, and dropper post has made the 2021 Homage a very nicely outfitted e-bike.

As far as my knees, it was neither bike nor parachute jump.
Just a little spin in my car on black ice...
...and then slamming into a tree with my driver's door while still sliding sideways off of the roadway.

Bent both of my legs sideways at my knees (I have since been told that they are not supposed to bend that direction),
open fracture of my scapula,
smashed up left hand,
and fractured left eye orbit with punctures into both the upper and lower sinus cavities on the left side.
It could have been worse.

 

[Jay Kay]

One enhancement which could make it into a future Homage could be Enviolo’s automatic hub.

My understanding how this hub works is you dial in your target cadence, and it automatically changes up or down to help you reach it.

This might tempt less technically driven purchasers into the Homage, who are after a “set and forget” experience, but with disposable income to shelve out on a belt driven dual suspension solution that augments the “set and forget” image.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My understanding how this hub works is you dial in your target cadence, and it automatically changes up or down to help you reach it.

That would be equivalent to the car's automatic transmission; a fantastic feature! One thing I'm not sure on, JK, is how the downshifting before any intended stop would look like? Thoughts?

 

[Jay Kay]

That would be equivalent to the car's automatic transmission; a fantastic feature! One thing I'm not sure on, JK, is how the downshifting before any intended stop would look like? Thoughts?

Software I think could deal with that Stefan. 0km/h for x seconds = pre-selected gear until cadence = y?

 

[marcparnes]

I agree with your opinion that there is not much more I would want in the new Homage beyond a Fox GX suspension.
The new 4th-Gen Bosch drive, integrated 1250Wh dual-batteries, frame-mounted front rack, and dropper post has made the 2021 Homage a very nicely outfitted e-bike.

As far as my knees, it was neither bike nor parachute jump.
Just a little spin in my car on black ice...
...and then slamming into a tree with my driver's door while still sliding sideways off of the roadway.

View attachment 74814
View attachment 74815

Bent both of my legs sideways at my knees (I have since been told that they are not supposed to bend that direction),
open fracture of my scapula,
smashed up left hand,
and fractured left eye orbit with punctures into both the upper and lower sinus cavities on the left side.
It could have been worse.

Yikes! It hurts to just read about it

Marc

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I have been looking for the best thread for posting a good news. Riese & Muller have finally got an authorised store in Poland! Not-very-local-bike-store but it has become doable to get an R&M in my country now. By the way, the store is famous because of a grand robbery that happened some time ago there: 60 top-end e-bikes had been stolen from that store in a well planned heist.

I looked at the R&M website to configure "the Homage HS Rohloff of my dreams (with Nyon)" to find out R&M don't specify the bike price anymore Of course, I won't buy the bike. Just speculating

 

[PeterK]

My Homage has been delayed again.

It was scheduled to be built between January 25 to 29 and has now been delayed till between February 15 and 19. The bike was ordered on September 1, the first day the 2021’s were announced, so IF it gets built at the new scheduled time it will have been a six and a half month wait plus shipping time.
I'm not holding my breath though as I have had 4 scheduled build dates only to get further delays. I would have canceled my order but I really want a full suspension step through so the Homage is my only choice.

I believe I saw a 2021 Homage on the R&M Facebook page - has anyone else received their bike yet?

 

[AbeK]

My Homage has been delayed again.

It was scheduled to be built between January 25 to 29 and has now been delayed till between February 15 and 19. The bike was ordered on September 1, the first day the 2021’s were announced, so IF it gets built at the new scheduled time it will have been a six and a half month wait plus shipping time.
I'm not holding my breath though as I have had 4 scheduled build dates only to get further delays. I would have canceled my order but I really want a full suspension step through so the Homage is my only choice.

I believe I saw a 2021 Homage on the R&M Facebook page - has anyone else received their bike yet?

PeterK, I feel your pain. It is very frustrating. We also placed an order for the dual battery Homage HS Rohloff at the start of September, and last night R&M delayed it for the fourth time, with a new expected delivery of mid-March. I know many on this forum will say that it's not the end of the world and it's worth the wait, but we all buy bikes to ride them, not wring our hands for 7-8 months. So yes, I feel your pain. I had the same bike on order and finally decided the wait was *not* worth it and bought a Superdelite instead. I've been riding it since late December with no regrets. In 30 days I've put 350 miles on it. It is a great way to get out for fresh air every day during this strange time. It is a great bike and I don't even think about not having the step-though Homage anymore, and it has a better (Fox) suspension than the Homage. The Homage I still have on order is for my wife, and my dealer loaned her a Specialized Cuomo to ride until her Homage arrives. Having a great dealer makes a big difference and has kept us satisfied during this wait. And the funny thing is, my wife is happy to ride the Specialized bike and rarely thinks about the Homage that never seems to arrive. I think maybe the lesson here is that the best bike is the one you can ride.

 

[onlineaddy]

I think maybe the lesson here is that the best bike is the one you can ride.

So true.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

I think maybe the lesson here is that the best ebike is the one you can ride.

Abe, could the temporary 'best ebike' for you have been another Specialized Como loaner?

 

[AbeK]

Abe, could the temporary 'best ebike' for you have been another Specialized Como loaner?

Actually, yes. There's no question that it is easier to wait for the perfect bike if you have even a lesser one to ride while waiting. In our case, we live in a hilly part of Silicon Valley where if you want to get out and ride, eBikes are ideal. As we didn't have eBikes yet -- the R&M bikes were going to be our first -- a delay of 7 or 8 months feels like forever. The loaners our dealer provided made all the difference in the world. Having no bike to ride makes the wait interminable. And I think that the experience of borrowing other eBikes made me appreciate my Superdelite even more. I also learned that some things I convinced myself I "must have" were really just "nice to have." A good example is the fancy electronics (Nyon display, electronic shifting/Rohloff). These things are cool and in many ways awesome, but when you're out riding, it's the assist and the wind in your face that brings the joy.

 

[mikesh]

My Homage has been delayed again.

It was scheduled to be built between January 25 to 29 and has now been delayed till between February 15 and 19. The bike was ordered on September 1, the first day the 2021’s were announced, so IF it gets built at the new scheduled time it will have been a six and a half month wait plus shipping time.
I'm not holding my breath though as I have had 4 scheduled build dates only to get further delays. I would have canceled my order but I really want a full suspension step through so the Homage is my only choice.

I believe I saw a 2021 Homage on the R&M Facebook page - has anyone else received their bike yet?

The long wait for a dual battery Rohloff Homage continues. My 25-29 January build time has just been changed to 8-12 February. Such a small two week alteration almost seems like cause for optimism.

 

[John W M]

Hello, Let me introduce myself as I am new to the website and to e-biking. I have been using this website in helping my wife and myself select our first e-bike. there are so many bikes out there it is not a small task. I have been through your tread on the Homage ordering process and it has been very helpful. Some info on us. We live outside of Chicago Il, and have a Cabin in the UP of Wisconsin. We are both getting close to our mid 50's. We love to outdoors and have been riding bikes for pressure since we were young. Our goal for e-biking is to be able to use the bikes at our cabin. We usually do not bike ride at our cabin because of the large hills that have not made it fun for us and keep the rides short. At our home in IL we have a great trail system that is comprised mostly of packed gravel. The trails are close but require 5 miles or so to get to them or we can put them on the car rack and drive to a few more. We hope by getting an e-bike we will increase our distance to just ride to the trails. We would also like to be able to ride to a few of the small towns near us. I have visions of taking longer touring rides or day trips. I used to do this back in my younger years.

With the run on bikes over the last year it has been hard to find bikes to try and have been to many bikes shops in search of testing them. We thought we came down to a final decision of a Trek Allant 7s. We wanted the step through but had to go with a stager because the low step is not available in the high speed (s) version. At the shop we were going to buy the bikes, one was in stock and one was going to be ordered. we came across the R&M bikes. I had heard of them, but being new to e-bikes I always pushed them off the list due to price. We still ordered the Trek and left the shop. I started to do more research on the R&M bikes and two days later I canceled the Trek and started to decide on a R&M bike. We have come up to the Homage or a Nevo3. currently I am thinking of the High Speed and Vario for both bikes. We are leaning to the Homage for both of us.

I am 5'10 and my wife is 5'7'. I am concerned about sizing for my wife. I think I am good for the 54 but not sure if I go for the smaller one for my wife. Cant test theses because no one has them now and I have been told to go with the 54 for both of us and also told to go with the smaller frame for my wife. My wife loves the white color and not really interested in the dark blue. When we bought our current bikes (Giant hardtail no front suspension Mountain Bikes, she got a army green one because it was the color they had and it was on sale. This was 12 years ago and she still talks about not liking the color that I talked her into to save some money. I do not think I can get her another bike not in the color she wants. This limits her bike to a single battery. I would probably do the same so we are better matched. It sounds like you can carry a second battery to leave when you think you need one. Anyone doing this. I found a bag "Ortlieb E-Mate bag " that states it will fit the battery and has a specific holder for it. Anyone have thoughts on this. A few positives would be that it keeps the bike lighter when we only need one. Not sure how you change the battery cover though.
I am concerned on the delays for ordering a bike that you all have been discussing. They are saying the run for the Homage will be late April. Sounds like that may be questionable based on your experience. There seems to be an option of getting the bike air shipped to cut down the delivery time by weeks. Anyone do this? A bike shop I talked to said they would cover 50% of the shipping if we purchased both bikes. Still $500 to do this. Already over budget on these. The Nevo3 seem to be more readily available and that is why it remains on the list. People have said it is a great bike and that with the suspension seat post, it is very comfortable.

well through a lot on the table. Any help in this process to a newcomer would be helpful. Support in confirming my decision to make the move to R&M would be helpful.

John

 

[AbeK]

Hello, Let me introduce myself as I am new to the website and to e-biking. I have been using this website in helping my wife and myself select our first e-bike. there are so many bikes out there it is not a small task. I have been through your tread on the Homage ordering process and it has been very helpful. Some info on us. We live outside of Chicago Il, and have a Cabin in the UP of Wisconsin. We are both getting close to our mid 50's. We love to outdoors and have been riding bikes for pressure since we were young. Our goal for e-biking is to be able to use the bikes at our cabin. We usually do not bike ride at our cabin because of the large hills that have not made it fun for us and keep the rides short. At our home in IL we have a great trail system that is comprised mostly of packed gravel. The trails are close but require 5 miles or so to get to them or we can put them on the car rack and drive to a few more. We hope by getting an e-bike we will increase our distance to just ride to the trails. We would also like to be able to ride to a few of the small towns near us. I have visions of taking longer touring rides or day trips. I used to do this back in my younger years.

With the run on bikes over the last year it has been hard to find bikes to try and have been to many bikes shops in search of testing them. We thought we came down to a final decision of a Trek Allant 7s. We wanted the step through but had to go with a stager because the low step is not available in the high speed (s) version. At the shop we were going to buy the bikes, one was in stock and one was going to be ordered. we came across the R&M bikes. I had heard of them, but being new to e-bikes I always pushed them off the list due to price. We still ordered the Trek and left the shop. I started to do more research on the R&M bikes and two days later I canceled the Trek and started to decide on a R&M bike. We have come up to the Homage or a Nevo3. currently I am thinking of the High Speed and Vario for both bikes. We are leaning to the Homage for both of us.

I am 5'10 and my wife is 5'7'. I am concerned about sizing for my wife. I think I am good for the 54 but not sure if I go for the smaller one for my wife. Cant test theses because no one has them now and I have been told to go with the 54 for both of us and also told to go with the smaller frame for my wife. My wife loves the white color and not really interested in the dark blue. When we bought our current bikes (Giant hardtail no front suspension Mountain Bikes, she got a army green one because it was the color they had and it was on sale. This was 12 years ago and she still talks about not liking the color that I talked her into to save some money. I do not think I can get her another bike not in the color she wants. This limits her bike to a single battery. I would probably do the same so we are better matched. It sounds like you can carry a second battery to leave when you think you need one. Anyone doing this. I found a bag "Ortlieb E-Mate bag " that states it will fit the battery and has a specific holder for it. Anyone have thoughts on this. A few positives would be that it keeps the bike lighter when we only need one. Not sure how you change the battery cover though.
I am concerned on the delays for ordering a bike that you all have been discussing. They are saying the run for the Homage will be late April. Sounds like that may be questionable based on your experience. There seems to be an option of getting the bike air shipped to cut down the delivery time by weeks. Anyone do this? A bike shop I talked to said they would cover 50% of the shipping if we purchased both bikes. Still $500 to do this. Already over budget on these. The Nevo3 seem to be more readily available and that is why it remains on the list. People have said it is a great bike and that with the suspension seat post, it is very comfortable.

well through a lot on the table. Any help in this process to a newcomer would be helpful. Support in confirming my decision to make the move to R&M would be helpful.

John

There are quite a few topics covered here, so I’ll try to address a few if not all. First, yes, the Homage is a near perfect step-through bike, and you will really appreciate the full suspension. The (in particular, rear) suspension would be the reason to select it over the Nevo.

In general, your thinking about being able to ride farther and longer, and handle the hills with ease with an ebike is accurate. And you can generally ride quite a bit faster with an ebike. I average 14 mph and live in a very hilly area. On flat roads 20 mph is my favorite, most comfortable speed.

I am 5’9” with short legs (30” inseam) and felt the 49cm Homage frame was better for me. My wife is 5’8” but has long legs (34” inseam) and went with the 54cm frame. At 5’7”, I’d guess the 49cm would be more comfortable for your wife. I’ve often read that one should get the smallest frame that feels comfortable.

If you ride in a hilly area and plan to take longer, half day or day-long rides, I’d recommend the dual battery bike. Especially if you plan on carrying a second battery anyway. May as well have it built-in. It’s true you are limited to a dark blue color, but if you want an R&M Homage, you will have a very limited choice of colors anyway. The dark blue is actually quite nice. Just remember to wear bright, reflective clothing

As for the delivery delays, the Homage has been delayed repeatedly since around last October. They are just now beginning to produce them and the have a large backlog as dealer orders began last August and I hear this has become one of their most popular bikes. My wife’s has been on order since Sep 3rd and delayed 4 times so far, with the latest delivery estimate now being mid-March. If I were you, I’d set my delivery expectations to be around 7 to 8 months from order, and don’t trust R&M estimates that are notoriously optimistic. They truly make great bikes, but have the worst reputation for delivery estimates.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Any help in this process to a newcomer would be helpful. Support in confirming my decision to make the move to R&M would be helpful.
John

John…

• Battery: If you think that you might need a second battery, buy the dual-battery version. Perhaps, you'll ride further than you expected. With a second battery, if the wind or hills turn against you on the way back, you can switch to Turbo and return quickly. The very last thing that I want at the end of a long ride is to be forced to ease off the power assist; this is the time to up the assistance level.
• Ortlieb E-Mate: Popular amongst forum members. No one seems to have a bad word to say about the E-Mate.
• Colour: My biased prediction: the 'Deep Sea Blue' version will be 99 parts black and 1 part blue. Ignore R&M's advertising: the choice is black or white. I'd love to be proved wrong but I doubt that this will be the case. Photos, anyone? (No; not the photos from R&M's website!)
• Size: These are big ebikes which handle beautifully but are cumbersome to manoeuvre (or lift) when you are off them. Think: big, bigger, biggest. I'm in the 'if in doubt, buy the smaller version' camp.
• Belt Drive: Nice! Unfortunately, removing/refitting the rear wheel might be challenging. Practise before setting off into the unknown! Most important: handle the easily-damaged belt very carefully (the manual will tell you how!). But belts are touted as almost indestructible! True, but that is when they have been set up by professionals. It's amateurs (like me!) who damage belts when we are struggling to get them over pulleys whilst simultaneously trying to refit a wheel.

… David

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The very last thing that I want at the end of a long ride is to be forced to ease off assist; this is the time to get more help.

How true!