Rohloff E-14

Dionigi

Well-Known Member
Region
USA
City
Santa Cruz & Pittsburgh
Test rode a R&M with the Rohloff E-14 transmission at bicycle show in Brimingham. WOW what a quick and responsive run through the gears.
 

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On Friday, I test rode a R&M Supercharger GH Vario and one with an E-14 Rohloff as well.

Attached is a photo of the Enviolo in close-up (sorry I didn’t photograph the E-14).

Interestingly another customer in the shop was doing a similar demo on the two bikes, and whilst he preferred the E-14, I definitely preferred the Enviolo transmission. He was coming from a derailleur non e-bike, whilst I haven’t ridden a bike for many years and preferred the cruiser/smooth nature of the Vario. The E-14 was awesome as well (I loved the way that the hears electrically drop back to lower gears when you come to a standstill), but to me, it still felt too jerky for the cruiser type riding that I’m planning. Whichever one people choose, they won’t be going far wrong, and whilst not for me, the E-14 Rohloff is a great system and very slick. According to the bike shop, the Rohloff is more reliable than the Enviolo - they’ve had fewer issues.

ATB. George.
 

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I’d recommend you try both, as like you, I’d read that the Rohloff was better (and in many ways it is), but I wasn’t prepared for my own personal experience which showed that for me and my style of riding, the enviolo hub better suits me. Surprising, but if I hadn’t tried it for myself, I wouldn’t have believed it.

Also, I’ve just seen the EBR video with Court and Chris Nolte on enviolo hubs in which they mention that after an initial ‘run-in’ period of the enviolo, it actually loosens up and becomes more efficient.

So, recommendation/suggestion is to try both and see which you prefer. At least you’re then making a decision on your experience rather than based on 3rd party reviews.

ATB. George.
 
I've had the E-14 now for 3 weeks. Using for commute on cycle paths & roads. I find I use gear 6 for take off and cruise in 11 on level ground. The ratio between the gears is close and find that on flat ground - 6,8,10,11 is all you would really need. 11+ for downhill. Haven't found a hill yet where below 6 and turbo was needed.

Shifting is mostly quick. A little of bit of learning to back off pressure when shifting up gears under load. The shifter buttons are a tad small in my opinion. I also question if they will last more than a couple of years with frequent use.

Love the auto downshift on stop function.
 
I find I use gear 6 for take off and cruise in 11 on level ground. The ratio between the gears is close and find that on flat ground - 6,8,10,11 is all you would really need. 11+ for downhill.

Having the plain ole manual shift Rohloff I've made almost the same observation on my commutes. I have the HS version (28 MPH) bike so I frequently use and bottom out the 14:th gear. But I seldom use anything below 6:th gear even if some steep forrest trails offer possibilities. Rohloff could make a 6 or 7 speed hub with the same bulletproof build quality, it would suite e-bikes better and hopefully be a bit cheaper.
 
I live someplace with a lot of steep, rugged terrain and have been very glad to have the lower gears. While I only rarely find myself in 1 I am very relieved when I do have that gear!

7 and 11 are the most efficient gears on a Rohloff. If you are going up a fairly easy hill 6 and 8 will feel a bit draggy compared to 7. 11 is the direct gear and I find it is sweet for fast flats and gentle downhills. Because 7 and 11 are so efficient I've found that a 5-7-9-11 pattern is usually a good one for riding on paved roads or rail-trails in non-crazy terrain.

Interestingly and a bit weirdly, while 11 is the direct-drive "gear" 7 appears to be slightly more efficient.
 
Having the plain ole manual shift Rohloff I've made almost the same observation on my commutes. I have the HS version (28 MPH) bike so I frequently use and bottom out the 14:th gear. But I seldom use anything below 6:th gear even if some steep forrest trails offer possibilities. Rohloff could make a 6 or 7 speed hub with the same bulletproof build quality, it would suite e-bikes better and hopefully be a bit cheaper.
I am so jealous you have the HS. If only we could get that here..... legally.
 
I've had the E-14 now for 3 weeks. Using for commute on cycle paths & roads. I find I use gear 6 for take off and cruise in 11 on level ground. The ratio between the gears is close and find that on flat ground - 6,8,10,11 is all you would really need. 11+ for downhill. Haven't found a hill yet where below 6 and turbo was needed.

Shifting is mostly quick. A little of bit of learning to back off pressure when shifting up gears under load. The shifter buttons are a tad small in my opinion. I also question if they will last more than a couple of years with frequent use.

Love the auto downshift on stop function.
I read somewhere that the E-14/Bosch motor has built-in shift detection so that when you press a shift button, it automatically backs off before shifting so that the rider doesn't have to. Since a shift takes only 180ms, it should hardly be noticeable. Is this not true, are you not seeing this?
 
I read somewhere that the E-14/Bosch motor has built-in shift detection so that when you press a shift button, it automatically backs off before shifting so that the rider doesn't have to. Since a shift takes only 180ms, it should hardly be noticeable. Is this not true, are you not seeing this?
Yes it does do that, and its hardly noticeable on level surface, however when accelerating up a hill I find I still have to back off a little.
 
Has anyone here considered replacing the controller buttons for the E14 shifter? I find them very hard to use (normal human hand) and I want to replace mine when it arrives.
 
Has anyone here considered replacing the controller buttons for the E14 shifter? I find them very hard to use (normal human hand) and I want to replace mine when it arrives.

No. You get used to the buttons so fast. Shifting feels so natural after you've driven about 100-200miles...
 
Has anyone here considered replacing the controller buttons for the E14 shifter? I find them very hard to use (normal human hand) and I want to replace mine when it arrives.

It's called "Nokee-u" display button. You can order it from Alibaba or King-meter directly.
Chinese manufacturer "King meter" sells them in millions for all kinds of bikes in the Asian market.
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

I have seen those buttons on few other bikes as well.

A more sophisticated solution would be get something like Shimano XTR Di2 buttons. They are crisp, solid tactile response and feels really good.
 
Yeah, those "King Meter" buttons are the ones I'm talking about.
Those Shimano XTR Di2 levers look great. Are they compatible with the E14?
 
That's fantastic news.
I've been considering this-
Thanks for the info; I see where that might help with position The problem I'm having, and what you described, is that the buttons are too hard to push. I have several hundred miles on the bike and the buttons have not broken in or gotten any easier to use. In the attached photos you can see there is a micro switch located under the rubber shift button. On the back side of the rubber button is a nub which is supposed to align with the switch. As we know it does a lousy job of actuating the switch for several reasons: the button is too soft, the wrong shape, aligns poorly with micro switch, and the embossed arrow irritates your finger after repeated use. Also, 50% the rubber outer switch is above the micro switch, so there is a region of the button where pushing does not effect a shift at all since it is not aligned with the micro switch. Other than that its perfect haha. A hard plastic button would probably work better since it could supply more force directly to the switch. If I was a 3D printer guy, I'd try to make one.
 

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