Rohloff fault diagnosis

Most Rohloff shifting faults come from the shift cables, not from the hub itself. Find your symptom below: it lists what you can check yourself and when the job belongs in our workshop. If you contact us, a short video or a photo of the problem helps us a lot.

Too much play in the twist shifter

The twist grip should have about 2–5 mm of rotational play. If there is more, readjust the cable tension at the cable adjusters on the cable box; see Twist shifter: play, gear marks and grip rubber.

The gear numbers do not line up with the mark

Turn one cable adjuster in and the other out by the same amount; see Twist shifter: play, gear marks and grip rubber.

The shifter does not turn through all 14 gears

Remember: 14 gears means 13 detents.

After refitting the rear wheel: the cable box was fitted in the wrong position. Refit it in gear 14 as described in Removing and installing the Rohloff rear wheel.
The cable adjusters are screwed out too far on both sides, because the cables and housings have settled: set them correctly; see Twist shifter.
The shift cables are cut to the wrong length: this is a workshop job; please contact us.

The shifter turns stiffly

Shift cable tension too high: reduce it at the cable adjusters.

Narrow down the cause: shift into gear 14. Pull the cable box off the hub only far enough that the shifter turns without detents, leaving the cables in their usual routing. Turn the shifter back and forth.

The shifter still turns stiffly: the cause is in the cables or the shifter.
- The shifter rubs against the grip rubber: leave a small gap between the two halves of the grip.
- The grease has washed out of the shifter: remove the grip rubber, clean the shifter and grease it again, as described in Twist shifter.
- The cables are worn, dirty or damaged, are not original Rohloff cables, run with too many bends, or their plastic liner has shifted: the cables need replacing in our workshop.
The shifter turns freely: the cause is at the hub, for example a shift housing bent in a fall or a stiff shift shaft. Please contact us.

Then refit the cable box in gear 14 and tighten the knurled screw.

The shifter will not turn below 0 °C

Water has got in and frozen.

Frozen shift cables: where the cables run under the bottom bracket, they form a low point where water collects and freezes. Gently move, press and knead the housings to free the inner cables. Then keep the bike in a frost-free room so the water can drain out of the housings. Rohloff’s sealed cable end caps greatly reduce this. If it keeps happening, have the cables and liners replaced.
Frozen twist shifter: remove the grip rubber, clean the shifter and grease it again; see Twist shifter.
Frozen cable box: the cable box needs to be opened, cleaned and its cable pulley thinly greased. Please contact us.

The pedals spin freely after a gear change (slipping)

Possible causes:

The shift cable tension is too high, so the gear does not engage cleanly: adjust it; see Twist shifter.
The oil is too thick or old, for example if it has not been changed for a long time: change the oil; see Rohloff oil change.
In cold weather: condensation in old oil can cause slipping even at mild sub-zero temperatures, typically in gears 4, 6, 7, 11, 13 and 14. Change the oil, and for riding below about −15 °C use the winter mix described in Rohloff oil change.
The oil drain screw is screwed in too deep after an oil change. It must sit at most flush with the housing, never deeper. Please contact us.
Quick-release hubs only: the quick-release is overtightened. Close it hand-tight, max. 7 Nm. This does not apply to A12 hubs, whose screws are tightened to 15–20 Nm.

If none of these applies, contact us.

The freewheel or the wheel runs stiffly

Test: put the bike in a repair stand and shift into gear 14. Spin the rear wheel up to speed with the crank, then hold the crank still and count the wheel’s revolutions. It should turn at least 15 times.

If it stops sooner, check the belt tension first (Belt tension), because a belt that is too tight also brakes the wheel. Other causes, such as a rubbing shaft seal or a hub bearing under tension after a fall, need our workshop: please contact us.

Oil on the hub

A light film without drops is not a leak. It can form at the shaft seals, at the housing cover and at the drain screw through temperature and pressure changes; see Oil traces on my Rohloff hub.
After transport lying on its side, oil can come out of the seals; see Riding with your Rohloff.
On quick-release hubs, the hub breathes through the bore of its axle, so oil traces on the quick-release axle are harmless.
Oil at the drain screw: do not tighten it any further. It needs fresh thread sealant or a new drain screw; this can be done at the next oil change (the oil change kit contains a new drain screw), or by our workshop.
Drops at the axle plate, at the housing cover or at the shaft seals: please contact us with photos. Our workshop checks the screws, the gaskets and the seals.

For questions about warranty, see What does the warranty cover?

My pedals spin freely after a gear change. Can I keep riding?

No, not until the cause is found: a slipping drive can make you lose your balance. Common causes are too much shift cable tension, old or too thick oil, or an oil drain screw turned in deeper than flush after an oil change. Check these, and contact us if the slipping continues.

How can I tell whether my hub's freewheel is too stiff?

Put the bike in a repair stand, shift into gear 14 and spin the rear wheel up to speed with the crank. Then hold the crank still and count the wheel’s revolutions: it should turn at least 15 times. If it stops sooner, contact us.

My twist shifter is frozen. What can I do?

Water has probably frozen in the cable housings, typically at their lowest point under the bottom bracket. Gently move and knead the housings to free the inner cables, then keep the bike in a frost-free room so the water can drain out. If it keeps happening, have the cables replaced.