IGH Battle - Rohloff vs Shimano Alfine 11

[Daytriker]

If your partner bought this hub new & installed/used/maintained it according to Shimano specs & had multiple problems with the hub then you either need to find another Bike Mechanic or figure out what is causing the problem. Not all Bike Shops or Mechanics have experience with these hubs & if as you say you have had poor results from Shimano then I would go to Shimano Headquarters directly with your problems. Most problems can be traced to user error but it is also possible to get a bad set up due to a mechanic that thinks he knows what he is doing. Many owners have put 10's of 1000's of miles on their hubs with simple oil changes & bi-annual inspections. If you desire a referral for an excellent mechanic who specializes in these hubs I can send you one in the U.S. & one in Canada.

[Farawayvisions]

Hi Daytriker
It was pre-installed on a Genesis Ioid bike and sent back still in the wheel. Serviced by a certified bike shop and still faulty and returned to Shimano Uk who said there was a fault and fixed it. When it arrived (in the wheel) there was oil spilling from it. Sent back again and replaced and rebuilt into the wheel. BTW this took about 4 months of tooing and froing. So again after about 200 miles it's faulty again, just like the first Alfine 11. If there was ever an alfine 11 user who has the experience to say how awful they are, it's a customer who has tried two of them. Our rides are not exactly what you'd call radical. And you are lucky you have a good one. Keep on rolling. 

[honkonbobo]

i have owned 2 Alfine 11s and my experience was not a positive one much like Faraway visions' experience (mine was skipping and leaking).  cable setup and adjustment is obviously key and its tricky but its not rocket science and it shouldn't be.  i had this hub shifting perfectly for the first 500km of easy break in commuter style miles.  i know how to set it up and i know how to shift it (another key).   

as soon i hit the dirt this hub showed a completely different personality.  my experience was its simply not robust enough for mtn biking.  Daytriker's comments of how you need to find a unicorn mechanic to get it working is testament to how temperamental it is.  i have not owned a rohloff for comparison but if i ever go back to IGHs it WILL NOT be the Alfine 11.

[jackkessler]

When the chain falls off with a derailleur one has to stop and fool with it.  Once, unbeknownst to me, I happened to do this near a baby bear.  I simultaneously saw the cub and heard the roar behind me.  Mother bears are notoriously humorless about people getting too close to their cubs.  I did what any brave strong man like me would do, I ran like a little bitch.  Now I tour with a Rohloff.

[Daytriker]

While I can only base my positive experience on my own use I find there can be many reasons for dissatisfaction on any equipment - not just an internal gear hub. Many internal gear hubs have gone through a teething period including Srams, Sturmey Archer & Shimanos. Rohloff may or may not have had their own problems, from what I hear some of their shifting components cause headaches but I don't have experience with the Rhollies so will let others voice their own experiences. Since I am using my Alfine 11 way out of factory specs & pulling 300lbs road touring weight if anyone should experience problems of a defective product I would think I would. I look after my equipment, don't intentionally abuse it & have had several years of great service from the hub so far. I don't doubt that someone that paid $2000. Cdn for a Rhollie would also look after their equipment & get good service from it but I can buy 3 Alfine's for the price of one Rhollie & new upgrades still keep money in my pocket.

[JoePavlik]

Having used an alfine11 and now have a rohloff hub. I can honestly say the rohloff is the better choice. My alfine had a lot of problems holding oil and didnt like even being a millimeter out of adjustment for cable tension. this caused miss shifts occasionally and eventually one gear broke and was completely unusable. My rohloff has been amazing i've never had a problem with shifting and it has built in safeguards if you do happen to missshift on a climb. If you ever get an alfine, make sure its the Di2 version.