Alaskan
Well-Known Member
I ride a 2018 Homage Rohloff HS. There are several key differences between the bikes Homage vs ST5) that will make a big difference in your overall satisfaction and pleasure with your new bike. I do
The Homage has a full suspension which adds greatly to riding comfort and the ability to ride distances with way less, if any, pain. It is also a significant added safety factor, especially in a 28 mph bike. With the suspension, the tires are kept in contact with the road, making the bike more surefooted in the corners and vastly improving braking performance. The other safety factor is that, with a suspension you spend far less time avoiding bumps and flaws in the road making your path much straighter and more predictable to surrounding traffic...way less sudden veering of your bike to avoid pits and bumps in the road. They just don't matter with a good fully suspended bike. Riding in traffic, I actually feel much safer in a bike that can stay with the flow of the cars. I take the lane where needed, making sure the car in front has seen me and getting front and rear protection with only right and left being exposed. For me a rear view mirror is key to safe riding in traffic.
Having a CX 20mph version of the Bosch on our Nevo Nuvinci and the HS version on the Homage, I can definitely say that once you ride a speed version it is hard to go back unless you're riding with a slower rider anyway. The new Homage is available with carbon fiber belt drive. Rohloff Hub and Rohloff e14 shifing. My bike has the Rohloff but not the Gates belt or E14. I have three bikes, one with Shimano 8000 gears and deraileur, one with Nuvinci, and one with Rohloff. I wish they all had the Rohloff with its huge gear range, sealed system and reputation for durability.
The Bosch speed version is still only a 350 watt motor so it is less of a rocket on the flats than a 500+ watt hub motor. I live in a hilly town with lots of 12-15% grades. In "SPORT" assist, I set the Rohloff to 3rd gear for those hills, rarely ever using 1st or 2nd gear. The range on the gear Rohloff allows me to keep pedaling and actually still pushing at a cadence of 90 going down hill in 14th gear at 35 mph.
I actually want to get some exercise on my bike and don't want a throttle, I realize that some want it and some in fact need a throttle to make biking feasible. So far at 68 I'm good to go as far as keeping my heart rate around 100 for extended rides and typically average around 20-30 miles per riding day. If I want a speedy ride, I can do 24 mph for an hour at level three or "Sport" assist level. If I slow down to under 18 I can use "TOUR" boost level and extend my range out to 45 miles or even 65 at 'ECO" with a speed of around 15 mph. My effort is about equivalent at each of these values.
The Homage has a full suspension which adds greatly to riding comfort and the ability to ride distances with way less, if any, pain. It is also a significant added safety factor, especially in a 28 mph bike. With the suspension, the tires are kept in contact with the road, making the bike more surefooted in the corners and vastly improving braking performance. The other safety factor is that, with a suspension you spend far less time avoiding bumps and flaws in the road making your path much straighter and more predictable to surrounding traffic...way less sudden veering of your bike to avoid pits and bumps in the road. They just don't matter with a good fully suspended bike. Riding in traffic, I actually feel much safer in a bike that can stay with the flow of the cars. I take the lane where needed, making sure the car in front has seen me and getting front and rear protection with only right and left being exposed. For me a rear view mirror is key to safe riding in traffic.
Having a CX 20mph version of the Bosch on our Nevo Nuvinci and the HS version on the Homage, I can definitely say that once you ride a speed version it is hard to go back unless you're riding with a slower rider anyway. The new Homage is available with carbon fiber belt drive. Rohloff Hub and Rohloff e14 shifing. My bike has the Rohloff but not the Gates belt or E14. I have three bikes, one with Shimano 8000 gears and deraileur, one with Nuvinci, and one with Rohloff. I wish they all had the Rohloff with its huge gear range, sealed system and reputation for durability.
The Bosch speed version is still only a 350 watt motor so it is less of a rocket on the flats than a 500+ watt hub motor. I live in a hilly town with lots of 12-15% grades. In "SPORT" assist, I set the Rohloff to 3rd gear for those hills, rarely ever using 1st or 2nd gear. The range on the gear Rohloff allows me to keep pedaling and actually still pushing at a cadence of 90 going down hill in 14th gear at 35 mph.
I actually want to get some exercise on my bike and don't want a throttle, I realize that some want it and some in fact need a throttle to make biking feasible. So far at 68 I'm good to go as far as keeping my heart rate around 100 for extended rides and typically average around 20-30 miles per riding day. If I want a speedy ride, I can do 24 mph for an hour at level three or "Sport" assist level. If I slow down to under 18 I can use "TOUR" boost level and extend my range out to 45 miles or even 65 at 'ECO" with a speed of around 15 mph. My effort is about equivalent at each of these values.
Last edited:
