[Closed] bombproofing a tourer?

Belt driven Rohloff.

hub gear (nexus or sach derived sram). steel chainring/ cog. and a kmc chain.

Another Rohloff vote here but I wouldn't go belt after having one tbh although you'd struggle to beat your suggestion vfm as long as you can cope with the gear range.

would a rohloff fit on my frame?

You can get them working on pretty much anything these days you would need a chain tensioner I believe but it's definitely doable

Rohloff or Alfine 8 enjoyed my 8 for the time I had it, hate the hub on my current set up.

Not managed to kill my Alfine 8 yet and I've tried pretty hard!

I've got an ordinary derailleur on my commuter - it's withstood going through numerous airports protected by nothing more than a thin polythene bag (containing the whole bike).

So I'd vote for a derailleur.

It has bar-end shifters though rather than brifters - I think they're pretty much indestructible as there's really not very much inside them.

My 8 speed Deore kit has been bullet proof since the late 80s! Replace the chain, a couple of cables but nothing else..

Will you still have an inner ring? Can you shift onto a narrow wide?

I'd say steel rings would be the way to go for longer life

^^ Yep, never had a Deore setup fail on me. From first MTB in 1990 through many LX equipped bikes to now. I'm still using Deore (2x10) in the twentyseventeen! Ace 🙂

Tried Alfine (11) once but it felt clunky, no idea if it was supposed to feel that way. I prefer my Nexus 3spd anyway 😀

would a rohloff fit on my frame?

Yep, 135mm O.L.D. and there are adapters to get the non-turny bit to non-turn

http://surlybikes.com/bikes/disc_trucker/frame_highlights

I'm guessing you'll need the OEM 2 axle plate

http://www.cyclingabout.com/understanding-the-different-types-of-rohloff-hub/

While I sort of understand the Rohloff/alfine appeal, I have come to the conclusion that the evil gear danglers do actually work pretty consistently for quite a long while, and don't really need that much maintenance, plus they're easier to get at to fix/maintain...

I agree with oldnpastit again re' Sti's/triggers which are the other big weak point to many modern derailleur drivetrains.

Thumbies, Gripshift, Gevenalle or bar end shifters all provide an arguably more bombproof/grime/neglect tolerant solution (IMO of course)...

Of course for true "bombproofness" it's hard to beat fixed or SS, but then just how much compromise are you really willing to make?

What you need is an old school Deore DX chainset and some Onza Buzzsaw chainrings. No one has ever worn them out, fact. 😉

I believe Deore DX rear mechs will survive the apocalypse. 🙂

I have some Dura Ace 9sp thumbshifters on my tourer - converted using Paul Components adaptors. Will never wear out. But then I forgot my Deore DX thumbies I have - I can't ever see them wearing out in my lifetime.

A hub gear will probably use the wider 1/8th chain like a singlespeed, these last a lot longer than derailleur chains.
Not sure id bother with a steel chainring, a decent singlespeed chainring will last a long time, due to the extra width of the chain.
My road bike is 135old and has discs, so I built wheels around a dmr revolver hub, done around 2k miles on them and still look like new.
I use 105 derailleurs and brifters on mine, works really well.
My mate has a genesis (its like a croix de fer, but with alfine 11 and versa shifters), my bike rolls noticeably better than his, although his hasn't done that many miles.
If i had a good budget, id probably go hub gear, something like the alfine 8, or 11, with alfine chainset, with the jtek bar end shifter. This is assuming drop bars.

the weak link appears to be the transmission.

How weak Ton? what are you actually going through and at what kind of interval?

done around 2k miles on them and still look like new.

I should blimmin hope so! 2k can be < 4months use for some people, my last SS road transmission got 'retired' at just under 12k as part of a spruce up, but still had some life left in it...even a derailleur setup should manage to get several thousand miles out of a cassette and a couple of chains if not going offroad.

thinking of putting a snaggletooth 32 nw ring on, ditching the outer as it is never used.
deore 11/36 cassettes seem to last too.
anything that just lasts?

I'd +1 the Alfine or 'Hoff option, but if you must stay dangly then stop looking at 10 speed for starters, stick with 7 or 8 speed transmission, the parts cost peanuts and are a lot more robust than 10/11 and last a fair while longer.

9 speed is not too bad longevity wise but it's the most finicky of the lot in terms of adjustment as it was getting to the limits of cable pull/mech ratio* (hence 10 speed MTB cable pull changing), still needs a narrow chain and the sprocket spacing is tight enough for the normal adjustment and muck issues to kick in. 8 is the sweet spot really, nice wide chains, sturdy sprockets, lots of adjustment leeway and handles gunge and crud well too, and cassettes still available up to 32/34 tooth which should be fine if you're keeping a granny ring.

Also, use decent touring biased chainrings, either steel or decent Alu ones from TA or Stronglight (or Spa Cycles own Zircal stuff) etc. Basically stay away form anything MTB or lightweight, they invariably are built for shifting performance or light weight rather than longevity. If you do go the hub gear route then a nice wide 1/8th ring chain and sprocket will go for many thousands of miles if looked after.

* for Shimano anyway.

Of course for true "bombproofness" it's hard to beat fixed or SS, but then just how much compromise are you really willing to make?

I've switched from fixed to geared on the commuter, and I've actually had less to replace - I just kept snapping things (bbs, cranks, stem bolts, eventually the frame) running fixed - as well as the replacements having been due to wear rather than sudden unexpected failure (you might see a crack on the frame in time, but you'll never see one on the BB or stem bolts). I'm not sure it's right for everyone.

it is the middle ring, chain and cassette that is in need of sorting.
just been scouring the internet for a half good 8 spd set up.
chainsets are available, cassettes are available.......only rear mechs are acera. not much good.

think it may gonna have to be 9spd deore throughout.

Don't fear the Acera! Some of the lower level Shimano stuff is fine- I recently got a crankset because I needed one with a square taper, and it looks really good! 🙂

might have a used but OK 8 speed rear derailleur ton.
Let me have a look and get back to you if interested, came off a MTB or was got as a spare.

only rear mechs are acera. not much good.

Shimano pull ratio for MTB 7/8/9 is the same, and road 7/8/9/10 (except Tiagra 4700) so you can use any 7/8/9 speed mech of your choice all the way up to XT which is still available if you look, the cage is wide enough to take an 8 speed chain with no issue.

But, as above, don't fear the current Acera (M390), it's actually a very robust mech and should last many thousands of miles and only need jockey wheels from time to time as with any mech.

can't you tour on the Jones? 😀

so a sora 9 speed rear mech will work with a 8 speed cassette and shifter?

can't you tour on the Jones?

I can indeed, but this is all to sort my workbike out.

Ahh. So not actually for touring then?
In that case you need what's actually the cheapest you can get hold of. FCM131 chainsets (or equivalent) with non replaceable rings are astonishingly tough. 8sp Acera or Alivio is perfectly fine. It's utterly pointless trying to over-think a bike like this. The cheapest most basic stuff is brilliant, it's just that most 'cyclists' their noses up at it.
I've got a Trek 7.1fx in the garage that cost me £38 to buy and put a new drivetrain and brake pads on. I've been running it round locally and I struggle to see why anyone needs anything more than that.

Ahh. So not actually for touring then?

yes for touring also.

I might have an XT rear mech you can use in my spares. Would be ok on 7/8/9 speed.

so a sora 9 speed rear mech will work with a 8 speed cassette and shifter?

yep, if you want to go as posh as Sora 😉

newrobdob......cheers mate. might be in touch.
amedias.......perfect.

Got some SRAM 9 speed in work if it's any good to you? Been sat in my locker for months... it's either X7 shifters and X9 mech or X5 shifters and X7 mech, I'm not back in work until Saturday night though.

Friction thumbies (XT etc) alway gave me the best experience. That sounds wrong somehow. Anyway, XT thumbies on friction are bombproof. Dropped a bike (steel Lava Dome) from a bike carrier on a 60 bend about ten years ago (don't ask). Saw bike bounce end over end via the rear mirror. One wheel rim snapped in half, the saddle was destroyed. The thumbies were bounced and scraped and the friction selector lever broke off. No worries though, I carried on using them without any issues whatsoever until recently sold on (fitted to another bike.). Amazing bit of kit. Seem to keep high used prices though...

My 9sp thumbies.

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I've been running an Alfine now for 4ish years and a SH Rohloff for two.

The gear range of the Rohloff is great but I often end up only using the top 7 gears kind of defeating the point of it but .......... it's clearly earned it's place in the bombproof category, not tested by me but by plenty of others in all manner of applications.

The Alfine ..... I have 2 eight speed hubs and in the time I've owned them they've never missed a beat. I use all the gear range and have shown them no love and a tenth(?) the price of a Rohloff.

I'm actually taking the Rohloff off of one bike putting an Alfine on in its place to use as a tourer .....

Alfines what you need ton.