MY23 Riese and Muller Supercharger 2 GT Rohloff - 53cm - Warm Silver Matt

[Aushiker]

FWIW, I use a 710 ml Camelbak Podium as it fits the contents of the standard bottle of our domestic OSHEE sports drink. Camelbak bottles are bigger than their contents are because of the thermal insulation...

My preference is also for the larger bottles, as having sufficient water on hand is very important in our climate here. I would prefer 750ml to one-litre bottles but can live with 710 ml.

 

[ZSoloTour]

Still love my Rohloff Supercharger 2 with Roholoff, except questioning and may replace Rohloff with my bike down for a 2nd time for over a month. More on that below. My only question for the forum is what are the advantages of the water bottles you all seem to prefer over the Fabric. Now on the Rohloff e-14 - Rohloff has not been near as reliable as needs to be with two major issues that have required a long time to get back on the road each time. Most recently in May total system failure happened on the last day of 1,000 mile heavy load self supported ride. Not yet resolved or on the road at about the 21 day mark. Previous issue was mid 2,000 heavy load self supported, but was not trip ending. First was oil leak, been replaced consistently at 2k miles on recommended 3k and done correctly so that was not the cause. Good news is they warrantied the first one. Don't think they will on 2nd one at >2yrs., but with their representations, seems they should for goodwill and because it is the right thing to do. Also, very difficult to service from local bike shops in rural locations like where I live in Montana. R&M and Rohloff market with maintenance free other than the lubricant change and durability/dependability for the big trips. Admittedly, most seem to have had that experience. Not sure why I have not. I lighten up as I do on any bike for any gear change and have for decades, so it is not abuse. I store the bike well. Overall this has me contemplating going back to traditional or trying a different internal system........Maybe I need a new R&M anyway, but they only offer Vario alternative. Don't like the auto shift and the range is too low for the climbs in the rockies under load in eco or tour that I use 95% of the time. So with new it is Rohloff derailleur or replace wheel for competing system. This was only one of the challenges (included challenges finding charging for first time, little available water and camping spots, and the more common multiple days cold, windy/heavy rain) but this was the first time I have encountered stairs with no good alternative of this size anywhere on ebike and on this beast, it was interesting.

 

[ZSoloTour]

A few modifications over the weekend:

Seatpost

The previous weekend, I swapped out the Cane Creek New Thudbuster ST Evo (Gen 4) for a Thompson Masterpiece 16mm setback seatpost that I had, as I was not convinced that the Thudbuster really made a difference. The Thompson lasted a week, and the Thudbuster is back on the bike. It is married to the Selle Anatomica H-Series saddle that I had on hand.

EBB Rohloff eShift Under-Bar Mount

I have now fitted the EBB Rohloff eShift Under-Bar Mount. It mounts to the Magura brake lever and drops the eShift control underneath the handlebar. Initially, I thought this was not a great modification, but after two hours of riding, it felt natural. I am glad I made the change.

Mirrcycle Bicycle Mirror

I fitted a Mirrcycle Bicycle Mirror on the right-hand side. It sits below the handlebars inbound from the end of the bars. It works well in this position for me, and I am actually quite impressed with Mirrcycle. Much better than the Busch and Muller mirrors I have used in the past.

Water Bottle Cage and Pump Mount

As a temporary install, I have fitted a PRO Right Side Alloy Bottle Cage Black within the triangle and a Lezyne Micro Drive HVG pump I had on hand. The cage and pump will be removed once I receive my frame bag from Bike Bag Dude. I will then mount a water bottle at the rear of the top tube, and the pump will likely go into the frame bag.

Which frame bag from Bike Bag Dude fits and attaches to the large tube dimensions? I love my virtually identical bike after thousands of miles of large climb,large load journeys (with a two major issues with Rohloff I detail in another reply.

 

[sammcneill]

C

Still love my Rohloff Supercharger 2 with Roholoff, except questioning and may replace Rohloff with my bike down for a 2nd time for over a month. More on that below. My only question for the forum is what are the advantages of the water bottles you all seem to prefer over the Fabric. Now on the Rohloff e-14 - Rohloff has not been near as reliable as needs to be with two major issues that have required a long time to get back on the road each time. Most recently in May total system failure happened on the last day of 1,000 mile heavy load self supported ride. Not yet resolved or on the road at about the 21 day mark. Previous issue was mid 2,000 heavy load self supported, but was not trip ending. First was oil leak, been replaced consistently at 2k miles on recommended 3k and done correctly so that was not the cause. Good news is they warrantied the first one. Don't think they will on 2nd one at >2yrs., but with their representations, seems they should for goodwill and because it is the right thing to do. Also, very difficult to service from local bike shops in rural locations like where I live in Montana. R&M and Rohloff market with maintenance free other than the lubricant change and durability/dependability for the big trips. Admittedly, most seem to have had that experience. Not sure why I have not. I lighten up as I do on any bike for any gear change and have for decades, so it is not abuse. I store the bike well. Overall this has me contemplating going back to traditional or trying a different internal system........Maybe I need a new R&M anyway, but they only offer Vario alternative. Don't like the auto shift and the range is too low for the climbs in the rockies under load in eco or tour that I use 95% of the time. So with new it is Rohloff derailleur or replace wheel for competing system. This was only one of the challenges (included challenges finding charging for first time, little available water and camping spots, and the more common multiple days cold, windy/heavy rain) but this was the first time I have encountered stairs with no good alternative of this size anywhere on ebike and on this beast, it was interesting.View attachment 177104

Could you have placed your wheels on the 'rail' to the right of the stairs and used walk assist mode to walk it up the smooth part of the stairwell?

I have a Rohloff on my custom bikepacking gravel bike (not electric) and was also disappointed to get an oil leak around the 2K mark. ruined the brake disc and needed replacing, the Rohloff was repaired under warranty but given I store it well and generally look after it I was disappointed in this outcome.

I'm also wondering how it will perform as I'm off the bike for around 5 months due to knee surgery.

 

[Aushiker]

Which frame bag from Bike Bag Dude fits and attaches to the large tube dimensions? I love my virtually identical bike after thousands of miles of large climb,large load journeys (with a two major issues with Rohloff I detail in another reply.

All Bike Bag Dude frame bags are custom-made, specific to your bike and colour choices. Mine is being made as we speak and costs AU$395 delivered (US $263), so not for the faint-hearted

I do not have any specific issues with the Fabric water bottles peruse, I just I prefer Camelback bottles (valve, lock feature and that they have chill and ice versions). I will be mounting my two spare bottles on the rear rack's rear down leg and the bottle in use will go on the top of the top tube. I am also not a fan of the mounting position on the SuperCharger. I appreciate that the bottles could be mounted in a normal cage before the reasons given I will keep them as spares.

 

[ZSoloTour]

C

Could you have placed your wheels on the 'rail' to the right of the stairs and used walk assist mode to walk it up the smooth part of the stairwell?

I have a Rohloff on my custom bikepacking gravel bike (not electric) and was also disappointed to get an oil leak around the 2K mark. ruined the brake disc and needed replacing, the Rohloff was repaired under warranty but given I store it well and generally look after it I was disappointed in this outcome.

I'm also wondering how it will perform as I'm off the bike for around 5 months due to knee surgery.

 

[ZSoloTour]

Sorry to hear of your Rohloff experience. I have had no leakage issues for about 3k miles since warranty replacement. And yeah, I did end up doing that. Ended up only having to remove bags but wanted to share what I thought when I first saw the old looking stairs and did not even know those rails existed.

 

[ZSoloTour]

All Bike Bag Dude frame bags are custom-made, specific to your bike and colour choices. Mine is being made as we speak and costs AU$395 delivered (US $263), so not for the faint-hearted

I do not have any specific issues with the Fabric water bottles peruse, I just I prefer Camelback bottles (valve, lock feature and that they have chill and ice versions). I will be mounting my two spare bottles on the rear rack's rear down leg and the bottle in use will go on the top of the top tube. I am also not a fan of the mounting position on the SuperCharger. I appreciate that the bottles could be mounted in a normal cage before the reasons given I will keep them as spares.

Hope you post how you like the bag. Pricey for a bag but not for the R&M and the riding I do. Trying to eliminate front bags and not have to use my rear Ortlieb Duffel.

 

[Aushiker]

Hope you post how you like the bag. Pricey for a bag but not for the R&M and the riding I do. Trying to eliminate front bags and not have to use my rear Ortlieb Duffel.

I do have one, which I have had since 2015, on my Salsa Mukluk. I am very happy with it. So much so, that I have gone with one for the Riese and Muller SuperCharger 2.

One thing to remember is that the frame diamond on the Riese and Muller is relatively small, so the frame bag will only add a limited increase in storage.


Holland Track Day 2: Salsa Mukluk at Granite Rock Outcrop by Andrew Priest, on Flickr

 

[ZSoloTour]

Hope you post how you like the bag. Pricey for a bag but not for the R&M and the riding I do. Trying to eliminate front bags and not have to use my rear Ortlieb Duffel.

I do have one, which I have had since 2015, on my Salsa Mukluk. I am very happy with it. So much so, that I have gone with one for the Riese and Muller SuperCharger 2.

One thing to remember is that the frame diamond on the Riese and Muller is relatively small, so the frame bag will only add a limited increase in storage.


Holland Track Day 2: Salsa Mukluk at Granite Rock Outcrop by Andrew Priest, on Flickr

thanks for that info. going to get mine for the supercharger 2 also. on the Supercharger do you carry any bags/cargo up front? I use the Topeak M1 for small Ortliebs, gone thousands of miles but can never seem to stop the slippage completely. Great rack and solution for suspension forks, just would like to tighten more. just might be the nature of the beast.

 

[Aushiker]

Latest update. I am getting set up for a couple of weeks of bikepacking. I fitted my new Bike Bag Dude custom frame bag today. It is a perfect fit and is really nicely sewn. Top quality, once again, from Kedan.


Bike Bag Dude by Andrew Priest, on Flickr


Bike Bag Dude - Close UP by Andrew Priest, on Flickr

The next step is to fit the Ortlieb Fork Packs, and hopefully, if they come in time, a couple of water bottle cages on the rack stay.

 

[Aushiker]

A couple more updates on Sunday in preparation for next week's bikepacking.

I fitted a pair of Ortlieb Fork Packs [4.1 litres] - This Increases my carrying capacity by 8 litres.


Ortlieb Fork Packs by Andrew Priest, on Flickr


Ortlieb Fork Packs Mount by Andrew Priest, on Flickr

I fitted a pair of Ergon GP3-L Biokork Grips - I still need to fine-tune their position.


Ergon GP3-L Biokork Grips by Andrew Priest, on Flickr

 

[sammcneill]

A couple more updates on Sunday in preparation for next week's bikepacking.

I fitted a pair of Ortlieb Fork Packs [4.1 litres] - This Increases my carrying capacity by 8 litres.


Ortlieb Fork Packs by Andrew Priest, on Flickr


Ortlieb Fork Packs Mount by Andrew Priest, on Flickr

I fitted a pair of Ergon GP3-L Biokork Grips - I still need to fine-tune their position.


Ergon GP3-L Biokork Grips by Andrew Priest, on Flickr

Looking really good mate!
I was thinking about front fork storage for my gravel bike. I usually ride with a water bladder backpack which is great for fluid hydration, but also means carrying up to 3kg on your back when it's full. I was thinking about storing water on the forks so may look at either straight bottle racks or Ortlieb Fork Packs and put some gear in there too.
Need my knee to recover from surgery before I get back on the bike, but watching a HEAP of bikepacking videos lately so I'm excited and motivated to get back on the road.

 

[Aushiker]

Looking really good mate!
...
Need my knee to recover from surgery before I get back on the bike, but watching a HEAP of bikepacking videos lately so I'm excited and motivated to get back on the road.

Thanks. Sorry to hear about the knee. All the best with the recovery

 

[Aushiker]

Proof of Concept. With my forthcoming e-bike bikepacking trip, I must go wild camping one night. That means taking camping gear, a tent and six litres of water. So, I worked out the best load option for that overnight. For the rest of the trip, the water bladder is wrapped around the tent, and the tent is secured to the top of the rack.

All is good so far


Proof of Concept – LHS by Andrew Priest, on Flickr


Proof of Concept – RHS by Andrew Priest, on Flickr

 

[sammcneill]

Proof of Concept. With my forthcoming e-bike bikepacking trip, I must go wild camping one night. That means taking camping gear, a tent and six litres of water. So, I worked out the best load option for that overnight. For the rest of the trip, the water bladder is wrapped around the tent, and the tent is secured to the top of the rack.

All is good so far


Proof of Concept – LHS by Andrew Priest, on Flickr


Proof of Concept – RHS by Andrew Priest, on Flickr

It’s looking awesome mate! Especially the custom frame bag - sounds like an exciting adventure in your future.

Can I ask a question? Given the hauling power of the eBike and fact you’ve got front fork panniers on your bike, going super aerodynamic probably not the #1 factor in terms of bags…. So why go with a seat post tail bag instead of traditional panniers at rear?
In terms of storage capacity they hold more, are easier to pack / search etc (I admit, they don’t look as cool!).

Are you planning on doing much narrow single track where you don’t want wide bags getting caught on bushes etc?

My only bikepacking on my supercharger 2 was a single overnight trip camping:

Waitangi Weekend eBike Wandering – February 2021

Sharing my eBike Touring journey around Banks Peninsula on Waitangi Weekend 2021

samuelmcneill.com

Panniers on rear and tent on front rack made it pretty easy to pack and go.

All my subsequent bikepacking has been on non-electric bikes and used a setup more similar to what you’re going with now (frame bags + inline rear bag)

Redundancy Ride + Alps 2 Ocean – May 2023

In late March I was let go from my job at Microsoft, so I took some time to go on a bikepacking adventure before starting my new role – this is the collection of memories from an unforgettabl…

samuelmcneill.com

So yeah, love the setup, just curious why opting for this bag setup over panniers ?

Cheers
Sam

 

[Aushiker]

It’s looking awesome mate! Especially the custom frame bag - sounds like an exciting adventure in your future.

Can I ask a question? Given the hauling power of the eBike and fact you’ve got front fork panniers on your bike, going super aerodynamic probably not the #1 factor in terms of bags…. So why go with a seat post tail bag instead of traditional panniers at rear?
In terms of storage capacity they hold more, are easier to pack / search etc (I admit, they don’t look as cool!).

Are you planning on doing much narrow single track where you don’t want wide bags getting caught on bushes etc?

There will be a little bit of single-track but nothing to exclude the use of panniers. I do have and use panniers as well, but I am not carrying that much so wasn't sure I could justify the panniers, but will take another look as I am not happy with the tent mounting.

The Pocket Rocket saddle bag (clothes) is quick to remove. One buckle, and it is out. The Sea to Summit bag on the front (yellow) is the camping gear, so it will only used for one night.

All that said, you have me thinking. So the next photos on the 'road' may be with panniers

 

[sammcneill]

There will be a little bit of single-track but nothing to exclude the use of panniers. I do have and use panniers as well, but I am not carrying that much so wasn't sure I could justify the panniers, but will take another look as I am not happy with the tent mounting.

The Pocket Rocket saddle bag (clothes) is quick to remove. One buckle, and it is out. The Sea to Summit bag on the front (yellow) is the camping gear, so it will only used for one night.

All that said, you have me thinking. So the next photos on the 'road' may be with panniers

It’s a great set up either way - you’ll have a ton of fun!

I’ve gone with this for my rear rack/bag option:

Aeroe

The patented Aeroe Spider Rear Rack provides an innovative and versatile way to carry gear on your bike using the lightweight and waterproof Quick Mount Pod or Dry Bags. The Aeroe system is perfect for bikepacking, on or off-road touring, commuting or riding your e-bike or full suspension...

aeroe.com

Using that rather than a seat post bag as means I could mount on my eMTB that has a dropper post as well if wanted to.

One system, could go on my R&M, eMTB or gravel bike … it’s a great setup. Can put two or three dry bags on if you have a lot of gear.

 

[Aushiker]

An update: I had to pull out of the tour on day 7 due to an Achilles Heel injury, which I suspect was a result of a change to my pedalling technique with my left leg. But first, I did ride 526 km without any bike issues; well, besides getting bogged four times ... a process of locking the wheels due to the amount of mud, finding a stick, clearing the mud, pushing forward a few metres in search of harder ground; rinse and repeat. Of course, at the point where I left that road, there was a sign, 'Closed for Winter.'

Back to the injury. At the last moment on my departure day, my parcels arrived from Germany, so I decided to make some quick changes to the bike setup. The critical one was using a mount for a bottle cage (for some stupid reason, I only ordered one instead of two), which meant shifting the water bottle cage mount to the front of the pannier on the down-stay. I also decided to go with the panniers instead of the saddle bag (that was a good decision as it allowed me a little bit of flexibility in carrying things).

With the water bottle cage in front of the left pannier, I rode with my foot slightly further forward on the pedal, whereas normally, I am a front-of-foot-on-the-pedal person. I suspect that this may have resulted in the damage to my Achilles. Also, I may have had the seat a few millimetres too high, but it was too late when I decided to lower it by 5 mm.

Reading about Achilles injuries and cycling, I see that seat height and pedalling techniques are known causes.

Anyway, besides the injury, the ride on the bike was a good experience. I found that I pretty much stuck to cruising in Eco mode, and then with around 20 km to go for the day, I would up the assistance to Tour or Sport or a combination of both just because I could

Based on each day's riding, I estimate that I could get a range of around 171 km, so well within the distances I wished to ride daily.

The only technical issues I had where

[1] Post the day getting bogged, I noticed that if I was in the wrong gear and pushed too hard on the pedals, I got a clunk. I have not yet been able to narrow down the source.

[2] The Bosch Nyon and Komoot do not play well. If I went, off course, the Nyon would not pick up the route again and show the turn-by-turn directions or the other data related to ETA, etc. Whereas my Garmin 1030 would do this. It was not a big issue, but it should still work better than this. I did try a reset, but that didn't help.

 

[Jean-Paul B.]

It seems you have a mud leak on your Rohloff.