Weight Comparison
Rohloff Speedhub 500/14: Lightweight - durable - reliable!
The Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 is the lightest gear hub on the world market. -> and this since it's fist presentation in 1996!
Rohloff Speedhub is with a weight of 120g per gear, the lightest internal gear hub and at the same time the most reliable bicycle gear hub available.
There are plenty of Rohloff Speedhubs rolling on the road - and off road - with more than unbelievable 100.000km!
Derailleur system on the scale
On the scale you can see all the chain salad items, that you need when riding the standard derailleur system - and what you get rid of. Please have a closer look at the figure on the display.
Speedhub 500/14 on the scale
Everything you need! With the new Speedhub lightweight shifter you reduce the weight for at least 30 grams - and some bike frames don't even require a chain tensioner. So you save even more weight!
Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 - Derailleur gears
The Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 gear range is the same as high quality 27 gear derailleur systems due to the 14 gears within the hub being evenly spaced out at 13.6% increases. With the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 there is no longer a need for the following parts:
- Front and rear derailleur
- Two shifters including shifter cables
- Rear hub with cassette
- Small and middle chainrings
- The total average weight of all these components is approx. 1600g.
The weight of a fitted Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 CC OEM including twist shifter, shifter cables and cable guide is approx. 1820g.
The comparison between the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and the derailleur system shows only a slight increase in weight. For that, the user receives a service-free, dirt-free full-encapsulated, user-friendly gear system and high reliability along with a long life span.
Rohloff Speedhub 500/14 in comparison with Shimano Alfine (SG-S700)
Comparison of Internal Gear Hubs: which IGH is the heavy one?
Mass of internal gear hub
The cyclists from "www.fahrradmonteur.de" did some brainstorming about:
"How to measure the mass of internal gear hubs to get comparable figures?"
The manufacturers do it on different ways...
Some state the complete hub, incl. all required parts which are needed to use the hub, while others just state the "naked" IG-hubmass. On this way it is, off course, impossible to compare those.
Based on the fact that different hubs can not be compared by 100% with each other, it is necessary to interpret them. Details, such as different hub flange PCDs and thus different spoke lenght and masses, different sized chainrings and chain lengths as well as other influencing factors, are neglected. Serial fluctuations of even 2% are not rare and need also to be considered.
Basicmass hub - hub, creating equal conditions
To allow a decent way to understand the figures of both internal gear hubs, it is necessary to create equal starting conditions. Therefore this weight comparison is based on the basic version supplied by each manufacturer. As the Shimano Alfine comes always with disc brake mount, the difference in weight of the Rohloff Speedhub disc brake cap is added.
Shifter cables and housings
As every bicycle needs different shifter cable length, a direct comparison is not possible. For the weight of the cables and housings we use following values:
- Shimano Alfine (SG-S700): 44g / per meter
- Rohloff Speedhub 500/14: 75g / per meter (devided hose; double wires and hose)
- Rohloff Speedhub 500/14: 132g / per meter (undevided hose; double wires and hose)
Result
The Rohloff Speedhub is approx. 120 grams lighter than the Shimano Alfine.
Concerning the final result, we want to add following points:
- they measured the old Rohloff Speedhub twist shifter (Knubbel). The new "Light" twist shifter is approx. 33 grams lighter than the "Knubbel".
- the Shimano Alfine has only 11 gears while the Rohloff Speedhub comes with 14 gears.
If we consider the weight per gear, then we have the following weights
- the Rohloff Speedhub has only 137 grams per gear.
- the Shimano Alfine has 186 grams per gear.
Shimano Alfine SG-S700 basis mass
1.665 grams
Rohloff Speedhub 500/14 basis mass
1.545 grams
Difference between disc brake mount
not applicable
and non disc
82g - 55g = 27 grams
Triggering and accessories
130 grams
Accessories
59 grams
Sealings and spacer
19 grams
Shifting mech and axle plate
126 grams
Alfine system mass w/o wires
2041 grams
Speedhub system mass w/o wires
1921 grams
Thanks to fahrradmonteur.de
Upper comparison and pictures of Shimano Alfine and Rohloff Speedhub were made by "www.fahrradmonteur.de".
We appreciate their effort and permission to use the text and pictures on our web pages.