Winter Is Coming

 I know....we haven't even officially gotten to Fall yet, and GT is talking up Winter! I get it, but like the wild animals, I feel Winter coming, and it is time to get ready for it now, not later when it may be too late.

One of those things I need to get done, (besides the stuff around the house I need to do), is refresh/clean/lubricate my Rohloff Speedhub. 

The internally geared hub has 14 speeds and if you have never used one, it is a very nice piece of gear. In my estimation, there is nothing quite like a Rohloff Speedhub, with the possible exception of the Pinion gearbox, which I have not had the chance to use. 

The main advantage here is the lower maintenance and the ability to shift gears when not pedaling. In fact, letting up on the pedals, or a slight "hiccup" in your cadence is necessary before a gear change can be made at all. Internally geared hubs do not like to shift with pressure on the pedals, no matter what brand they happen to be from.  

All these internal Sun and planet gears, with all their bearings and bushings, look like a Swiss watch's guts, and all that stuff requires a lubricant to keep everything happy and spinning along. here is where the Rohloff Gear Lubricant and cleaner comes in. 

I was changing this out once a year, but I decided this was a bit foolish as I was only riding the Ti Muk 2 around five months a year, if that. Plus I was mainly only using it as a commuter bike, and therefor the mileage was very low on the bike. So, I decided not to change out the gear oil last year at all, and now I will change it out for the remainder of 2025 and for 2026. 

Okay, so another interesting thing to consider here is the folowing: I have had the Ti Muk 2 since 2018, and I have changed out the fluids probably maybe five times since then. Kits cost around 30 bucks. This means I have spent about $150.00 on maintenance on the Ti Muk 2's hub since 2018. Given that I have gone through a bottom bracket and a chain ring and chain as well, this means I have spent around $225.00-ish on this bike in seven years. This does not include labor, as I do my own work, so the price would be higher for anyone who relies on outside labor services. 

So.....I don't know that IGH hubs are less money on service. Some believe they are, but I feel it is bike-dependent. I mean, a single speed bike is still probably far less money for maintenance over a period of years than this fat bike has been. Then add in a fixed gear, brakeless situation, and it gets even less expensive. 

Anyway, just some things to think about there. The main point is Winter is coming and I have to get the Ti Muk 2 up and going for the season.