Delite Gx Rohloff HS ‘not mountain, mountain version’

[Wanabxtrm]

So after multiple multi-day demos I’ve finally bit the bullet and handed over (way too much) $$ to order a Gx Delite Rohloff.
Here’s the specs/options as ordered through the shop and how I got to the point of this for others info if they’re looking at getting one.

49 cm Gx Rohloff HS, white, dual battery, fox suspension. Additionally I requested the shop convert to the wheels to tubeless, and install the front rack from the charger on it. Finally I’ll be providing a drop seat (crank bros probably but tbd) for them to install along with a new Brooks saddle.

My thoughts on the bike:
The local DC shop; electricity bikes has been great to work with and gave me multiple bikes over multiple days to ride. My considerations were use based with price being secondary. Use will primarily be a 30 mike round trip commute to work. With mtn biking/touring on weekends and once I move away from DC. My goal with getting an e-bike was to reduce my commute time. In the end after using the demo bikes I was as fast or faster than other transport option and getting outside and a workout in. Time was my biggest concern here which led me to solely look at HS versions.

After riding various bikes there and at a separate shop in Denver I knew I did not want a hard tail in a high speed version. Simply, uneven road, gravel, dirt, etc hurt a lot more at 30mph then 20. He’ll find me a motorcycle or moped that’s fixed suspension.

Because I wanted to tour and commute I wanted a rear rack. R&M is the only OEM solution I found here. Because my secondary use is mtn biking I ended up at the Delite.

 

[Wanabxtrm]

While the nuvinci hub is very nice and user friendly it did not provide the low gear needed for the relatively steep uphill on my commute without using Turbo assist and would not suffice for hard mtn biking. It performed fine in all other areas and was fine for the mellow mountain bike trails in the DC area. After researching and riding Rohloff vs derailed. I went with the hub as a no brainer after I rode it on a HS GX Charger version. Simply it works. I inquired about putting getting either the mountain version Delite with HS motor or GX with e-14. But R&M wouldn’t do either.

After riding only a few miles with Rohloff you quickly adjust to reducing pedal pressure to shift and the shift is immediate.

 

[PBVideo]

I ordered a Rohloff Delite Mountain back in January and am anxiously waiting for it to arrive. I had spent some time riding a Delite Nuvinci last summer but wanted the Rohloff E-14 version and the mountain model is the only version that supports the E-14. I too will be using it for light trail rides as well as longer commutes, so having the rear rack was essential and I can add my own fenders to get the best of both mountain and commuter riding. I will also be swapping out the tires (Smart Sam Plus) and pedals (Crank Brothers 5050) and liked the components on the mountain version.

 

[Wanabxtrm]

I’ll be curious to see pictures of your mtn rear chain tensioner as well as the dropper post cable routing. Also what did they provide as an expected delivery week?

I’ve got some concerns about how the chain runs on the roller for the Gx, as it appears they simply took the belt drive-line and slapped the chain on it. After research I’ve found these concerns are valid and at least one person has converted over to the rear sprocket with R&M’s blessing. See here: (google translate to English).

https://www.pedelecforum.de/forum/index.php?threads/delite-gx-mit-rohloff-auf-kettenspanner-umgerüstet.50356/


Also during the short mtn bike loop I did (10 miles) I noticed the following things regarding mtn biking with the Delite: the fender attachments on the fork are plastic and I broke one during the ride. I’ll need to figure out a quick disconnect I think. The rear kickstand spring is not strong enough to hold it up and bangs around making a ton of noise. Bosch isn’t kidding in their marketing for ‘uphill flow’. The key to difficult uphill tracks is slow momentum. And you have it in spades with the combination of weight and motor assistance. It was one of the most fun bike rides I’ve ever had. Though doing 20 plus mph on slick single track with road tires probably isn’t the smartest idea it sure makes you smile!

Despite its weight its extremely sure footed, stable and predictable. With off-road tires and clip in pedals there would not have been a single area of concern aside from the parts above. As it stood in street shoes (both on my feet and bike) the bike handily entered and recovered from slides in turns, absorbed bumps and jumps (though slightly more travel would be nice; I’m sure tuning the suspension for me would remedy this) and had no issues quickly starting or stopping.

That trail ride ultimately was what convinced me that is was worth the money. As the bike fills the role of 3 bikes easily and does so well. It will trail ride (mtn), commute/tour, and provide the speed and stability for road rides. Adding these up, the time saved during commuting, and the overall high component quality made it worth it to me to spend the money. I’ll let you know if it was worth it here in the coming weeks/months.

 

[PBVideo]

The mountain setup is different than the touring models and the chain tensioner is one of the design differences. I'm wondering if its there to accommodate more rear shock travel than is needed on the touring models? I've also heard there maybe an issue with the size of the Rohloff hub on the Delite frame. I would have preferred a high speed motor with gates belt (I'm a chain breaker), but was told there are technical issues where the Gates couldn't be qualified by Rohloff for use on the Delite. The prior Delite Nuvinci I rode had the Gates belt with the roller and I had no issues with the belt, although the Nuvinci did fail and had to be replaced which is partly why I chose the Rohloff this go around. There are certainly some compromises, but R&M make fantastic bikes so it should be worth the trade offs. Did you test drive the 2018 mountain version when you noticed the fender and kickstand issues?

 

[Wanabxtrm]

The mountain setup is different than the touring models and the chain tensioner is one of the design differences. I'm wondering if its there to accommodate more rear shock travel than is needed on the touring models? I've also heard there maybe an issue with the size of the Rohloff hub on the Delite frame. I would have preferred a high speed motor with gates belt (I'm a chain breaker), but was told there are technical issues where the Gates couldn't be qualified by Rohloff for use on the Delite. The prior Delite Nuvinci I rode had the Gates belt with the roller and I had no issues with the belt, although the Nuvinci did fail and had to be replaced which is partly why I chose the Rohloff this go around. There are certainly some compromises, but R&M make fantastic bikes so it should be worth the trade offs. Did you test drive the 2018 mountain version when you noticed the fender and kickstand issues?

No they didn’t have one available; and I don’t think you can get the fenders included as OEM spec. It was with a Delite Nuvinci HS. Though as far as fenders go, I was using them outside the ‘norm’ and otherwise they worked great on road and two track dirt road.

 

[PBVideo]

I wanted to be able to ride in the snow, so having the tight touring fenders on the mountain model seemed prone to accumulate snow/mud buildup under the fenders. I will install mountain mud flaps and fenders on the down-tube and the front and rear wheels and see how that works before looking at other options.

 

[Chris Nolte]

Nice details on how you arrrived at your decision. Thanks for sharing this.

The dropper post routes from the bottom of the post through the down tube and out near the head tube on the Delite Mountain.

The tensioner on the Mountain Rohloff is from Sturmey Archer and it’s heavy duty. In theory you could swap to that system, but we haven’t had much trouble with the roller. I believe they made some slight changes to it on recent builds.

Happy riding!

 

[Wanabxtrm]

Nice details on how you arrrived at your decision. Thanks for sharing this.

The dropper post routes from the bottom of the post through the down tube and out near the head tube on the Delite Mountain.

The tensioner on the Mountain Rohloff is from Sturmey Archer and it’s heavy duty. In theory you could swap to that system, but we haven’t had much trouble with the roller. I believe they made some slight changes to it on recent builds.

Happy riding!

Thanks Chris! Do you have a mountain in the shop that you could post pictures of the driveline/tensioner? And do you have any background knowledge on why they switched the driveline over to a tensioner? In my mind it makes sense for a mountain bike due to the amount of suspension motion, which is where my concern comes in with chain slap, etc.

Regarding those that you have sold how often are you seeing tension adjustments needed? I’m guessing those are mostly urban riders?

Happy Friday!

 

[Chris Nolte]

Here are a few, this is the Delite Mountain. We haven’t seen much trouble with the roller on the GX but I think @Drumulac had an issue where it loosened up, but I believe he had resolved on his side.

I realize I was actually mistaken about the tensioner on this one, most of the bikes with a tensioner use a Sturmey one, but this seems proprietary. It’s definitely beefy though.

 

[Alaskan]

Does anyone know why Riese & Muller is making the Rohloff E-14 shifter available on such a limited basis. According to Bosch it is compatible with all Performance. CX and Speed models. I am wanting to get an Homage Rohloff HS with E-14 and being told no can do. My message will be "no will buy until you an do" Interesting to learn about the idler versus tensioner on the delight, which would be my second choice if they can do the E-14 on the HS model. I like the pass through concept being 67. I can swing my leg over the top, mounting the bike right now. 5 years from now, I hope so but maybe not, especially with a trunk bag mounted on the high rear rack.

It seems that the Rohloff should combine with the Bosch HS drive nicely with the lower gear on the hub making up for the lower max torque of the motor and the higher max gear getting more effective use out of the high speed motor. Not being able to test drive the combination anywhere nearby (like within 1500 miles) I am just guessing.

Adding the E-14 and its integration with the Bosch system seems like the apex of sensible new bike tech.

If anyone has real world experience and can provide guidance, it would be most appreciated. Chris Nolte, are you having trouble getting R&M to do the e-14 on bikes as well. Are they giving any reasons for their reluctance...technical problems or just an abundance of caution?

 

[Chris Nolte]

Many are wanting the E-14 on their bikes and Rohloff wants to offer them. The reality is this was a really limited run for 2018, Rohloff produced under 1000 units. Until they ramp up production it will be difficult for them to keep up with Demand and I believe this is one of the reasons behind the limited roll-out, but beyond that R&M sells a lot of Rohloff bikes and they try to be conservative when introducing new tech. If you’re touring across the country and your drivetrain broke you would have a very different reaction than if you were out on a weekend ride.

At this time it’s unclear if R&M will roll out the E-14 to the rest of their Rohloff equipped lineup. Rohloff actually wants the ability to allow for retrofits, but that’s also unclear whether it’s going to be possible. I hope to have some more answers on this soon.

That being said, I think many still desire the mechanical version of the Rohloff, it’s tried, true and trusted by many who need a very reliable drivetrain.


Re idler vs tensioner: the Homage has a different frame design than the Delite. Both the tensioner and the roller work well in my experience.

 

[Wanabxtrm]

“It seems that the Rohloff should combine with the Bosch HS drive nicely with the lower gear on the hub making up for the lower max torque of the motor and the higher max gear getting more effective use out of the high speed motor.”

My $0.02. I demo’d a Charger HS with Rohloff which as far as I know is identical gearing to the Delite Rohloff HS and feel your statement is accurate.


My decision for HS over Cx with E-14 came down to a few items as previously noted. Other items included the ability to still shift if the battery is completely dead, and the ability to use the hub on a normal bike if the frame/E-bike gets destroyed somehow. Though I have my fingers crossed for a retrofit option in the future.

In the limited (hundred or so combined) miles I put on the demo bikes I came away with the opinion that the low range gearing easily makes up for the slightly less torque value of the Cx. By the numbers it’s roughly 12nm difference. That correlates to ~9ftlbs. Anyone who’s used a torque wrench knows that 9 ftlbs isn’t a lot. That said I do think the curves are different based on feel.

HS takes abit more rpm to generate over the Cx in my opinion. The low gearing of the Rohloff negates this impact in the limited rides I had.

To wit: I compared my old school mtn bike on the steepest incline around my house and was able to more easily pedal up it with the Rohloff with the motor off than my mtn bike. I was unable to ride the nuvinici up the hill without using the higher levels of assist on the motor.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I've noticed that amongst the several hard-core bicycle tourists I count as friends, all of them have Rohloffs on their preferred rides. All of them.

A lot of that comes down to the sheer indestructibility and low maintenance requirements. Although the ease of operation and relatively wide gear range also are large factors.

 

[Wanabxtrm]

@Chris Nolte two questions on the mountain’s drop post if you have a minute (since I don’t have one locally: based on the specs R&m uses a 31.6 diameter post on the drop seat, but I thought the post installed on the Delite I demo’d was a 34.9. Are they using a shim, or is my memory of the post size incorrect?

Mind posting or describing how they routed the cable around the rear suspension shock to prevent rubbing/chaffing? It’s fairly tight thru there and especially when including the bend up the frame to the front.

Thanks!

PS- ordered a crank bros post yesterday, along with their mallet-e pedals. Now I just need a bike to put them on!

 

[Chris Nolte]

The post is 31.6 and a shim is used to get it to the 34.9 seat tube ID. It is routed through a channel above the motor housing and through the down tube from there so the curves aren’t too sharp to run through. I listed some photos below for reference.

 

[Wanabxtrm]

@Chris Nolte Thanks! And wow that was a quick response! I guess I should be more clear on the routing: specifically how they held the cable to the side/back from rubbing on the suspension shock housing as it exists the seat tube bottom and routes forward up the frame.

 

[Chris Nolte]

It’s pretty firm so it just holds itself in place. It kind of just sits in there and there is plenty of space for the suspension to move about. It’s too obstructed to get a photo in there though. You might need to do a fair bit of disassembly to install a post, although the routing seems much better than some frames I’ve seen.

 

[Drumulac]

We haven’t seen much trouble with the roller on the GX but I think @Drumulac had an issue where it loosened up, but I believe he had resolved on his side.

I did have an issue with my Delite GX Rohloff after the first 200 miles or so where the chain would jump the front chain ring or drop off to the side of the roller/tensioner while backing up the bike - although it would never happen while riding. This was early on last year and Chris hadn't seen this issue with other bikes yet, but offered to contact R&M to see if this was happening to others (I didn't have my bike with me when we discussed this at his shop). When I got home, I had one of those "Doh!" moments . . . when looking at the driveline again, the chain was obviously sagging some due to initial chain stretch//break in. I adjusted the chain tension and it has been fine for 3,500 (mostly commuting) miles since.

The roller/tensioner still looks o.k. with no obvious wear, but it is made of a hard plastic so one would think that it may be subject to breakage with hard use and it certainly has to be considered to be an item that will need replacement at some point. My riding style is pretty tame, so I'd be interested in hearing from others who use their bikes more aggressively. So far, so good. Still have the original chain: I'm very proactive with keeping up a regular cleaning - lubing schedule and my chain wear gauge still says it is well within tolerance, though I'll probably replace it soon anyway just to be conservative and to minimize sprocket wear.

As to the Rohloff chain tensioner: I have one on the drive train on my trike - Rohloff/ Schlumph equipped. It is a very robust unit. With 20,000 miles on it over 9 + years, I haven't even needed to replace the idler gears yet. Unless issues begin to crop up, I wouldn't retrofit one on my Delite. What I like about the R&M setup is that you can remove the chain by simply dropping the rear wheel. No need to "break" the chain since it doesn't thread through a tensioner (or derailleur) cage. So, I periodically pull the chain off of the bike, put it in a container with citrus degreaser, shake it good, let it dry, then follow that with a lube bath. Does a superior job of prolonging chain life.

 

[Wanabxtrm]

Got a chance to demo a Delite mountain Rohloff the other day. Two impressions: the eshift is fast and smooth even under moderate load. I hope they make a retrofit kit available. 2- definitely glad I ordered with the HS. I found myself pushing thru the 20 mph limiter being without being in top gear. That would drive me nuts on my commute.
Just my 0.02.