Hi gang,
I’ve been interested in the R&M bikes as they are pretty unique and I think purpose-built. It’s been very interesting reading your comments, and I realize this is a pretty old thread. I really appreciate all the unadorned comments. And, by the way, the “penny wise pound foolish” nonsense is certainly not limited to R&M. Big bugaboo for me too, but I see it in lots of places. It’s more acceptable, in a sense, if you’re paying bottom dollar though.
I know
@sammcneill and I were recently discussing his unhappiness with the Enviolo IGH on his bike in that it’s effectively geared for travel only under 25mph (40kph). I.e., he told me that his cadence had to be 110/minute (I think) in order to achieve 25 in the highest gear. Honestly, I don’t know why anyone would intentionally build a road bike with such a limited high end. Maybe in some sense it’s a European thing, but even then it seems wrong. I mean, I want to be pedaling when I’m going down hills or even operating level and going quickly. It can’t just be because I’m American.
Anyway, I’m curious if others among you have had issues with your R&M’s gearing.
My comments don't include Pinion models (not available in the US) or Bosch Gen5 CX, which, for some manufacturers, includes a torque bump to 100 Nm. I don't think this applies to HS models in the US as of this writing - someone will correct me if I'm not up-to-date.
What you're calling R&M's gearing is really just Bosch motor+ one of three drivetrains: Touring, Enviolo or Rohloff. I have owned all three. Touring is the chain/derailleur setup. When R&M developed Gates/IGH models back around 2017, it was probably in response to the relatively short chain lifetimes, esp with their heavier bikes. Today, the Shimano LinkGlide system is standard for many models (not sure if all), and I did get longer chain use -- not just hype. Generally, I find the Touring shifting to be the most crisp, and I find the low gears manage steep climbs quite well, even with a very heavy cargo model. On the other end, you will find yourself at high cadence to hit 28mph, although not as severe as what Sam describes (accurate) with the Enviolo IGH. No matter which drivetrain option you choose, you will find that 25mph is realistic and sustainable, 27-28 mph, not so much.
Enviolo hubs are also less reliable than Rohloff. I think they are fine for non-power users who just want a belt over a chain; enjoy 'dialing in' gears and are not pushing either climbing or top speed. If your terrain is flat, and you are just doing your errands, this is an option that is fun and less expensive than Rohloff.
Rohloff has a greater range, but it's mostly in the low end. I used first/second gears infrequently, maybe once or twice out west while pulling a trailer. Rohloff's offer the ultimate 'granny gear' experience. On the other end, I would say Rohloff is somewhat better than Enviolo, but don't buy into the range arguments, because the extra range is not going to be distributed uniformly. The arguments for the Rohloff is durability, climbing, E-14, and in the future, some sort of integrated Bosch auto-shifting, clearly in response to Pinion-equipped models.
These comments only apply to stock chainring setups. Some tweaking is possible, but at the end of the day, you are running up against the limits of the e-bike experience. If you want to sit at 27-28mph with less spinning, it's coming out of the battery. These 100Nm Bosch bikes (esp with ABS) have a noticeable range hit.
