Charger4 w/ Rohloff

[IronChefBoyardee]

I messaged R&M about this but in the past never got a response from them so maybe someone here knows.

Is it likely the Charger4 will become available in a Rohloff HS version? The Supercharger is available in this configuration, but not the Charger, and I don't really want the extra cost, weight, or range of the Supercharger. I'm guessing it's an intentional choice to encourage upgrading to the Supercharger but those drawbacks are not ideal.

Related to this, can you remove one of the batteries from the Supercharger and replace with a battery cover w/o battery, so you have a weight and range closer to the Charger4 on trips where you don't need it?

 

[sammcneill]

Related to this, can you remove one of the batteries from the Supercharger and replace with a battery cover w/o battery, so you have a weight and range closer to the Charger4 on trips where you don't need it?

Yes.
I have an SC2 & you can ride with only one battery.

 

[Brendon@OEB]

I messaged R&M about this but in the past never got a response from them so maybe someone here knows.

Is it likely the Charger4 will become available in a Rohloff HS version? The Supercharger is available in this configuration, but not the Charger, and I don't really want the extra cost, weight, or range of the Supercharger. I'm guessing it's an intentional choice to encourage upgrading to the Supercharger but those drawbacks are not ideal.

Related to this, can you remove one of the batteries from the Supercharger and replace with a battery cover w/o battery, so you have a weight and range closer to the Charger4 on trips where you don't need it?

As mentioned yep you can ride the Supercharger with a single battery and R&M makes the handy transport covers to cover the open battery cavity so it isn't exposed while riding.

I checked the dealer site to confirm and indeed the Charger4 has been redesigned with the new Smartsystem which isn't available with the Rohloff hub at the moment. Though you can get the Touring and Vario versions in the HS configuration.

Have you checked out the Multicharger? Slightly longer than the Charger4 but is available with the Rohloff and HS setup.

 

[IronChefBoyardee]

That's right, I forgot I read that the smart system isn't compatible with Rohloff, at least not yet.

I did look at the Multicharger, it just isn't my ideal setup. But I'm not in a hurry so I'll see if they end up bringing the Rohloff to the Charger for 2024, or may end up going with the Supercharger and ride with one battery most of the time.

 

[sammcneill]

Re: Riding with SC with a single battery - unless you need to haul your bike up/down stairs or onto a bike rack, you really don't notice the extra weight of the second battery given the bike itself (like all R&M) are big, solid, heavy beasts anyway.
I think my SC2 is 35kg which is extraordinarily heavy, but it also provides a lot of stability when going fast with a HS Bosch - that weight gives you the solid feeling you're not bouncing over every little bump in the road.

I'd be more confident going down a steep hill on my SC2 than on my very light carbon road bike for sure. I hit 75kph on a hill descent on my SC2 (feeling very cruisey) that I've topped out at 68kph on my roadbike (completely $hitting myself). The weight, at high speed, is your friend.

Also, I recommend for the HS waiting for the Rohloff. I've got the Vario and it's definitely undergeared for the HS motor. I've got a Rohloff on my non-electric gravel bike and I wish I had that on my SC2.

 

[IronChefBoyardee]

That's mostly it, the second battery puts it over the weight limits for public bus racks here, as well as my personal bike rack. I might find myself leaving both batteries in most of the time, but I didn't want to be stuck with it. That's a good point about more weight feeling more planted.

I had a Tern GSD for a while with the Enviolo and wasn't a big fan of it. My current ebike I recently bought used has a derailleur, but if/when I upgrade it I definitely want the Rohloff for the gear range, auto down-shifting, and general performance/reliability.