SPEEDHUB 500/14
I
"Quicker than the surf"
France 1994. The atmosphere at the "Tour de France" was exhilarating and working with the
teams and mechanics was exciting too. Our
30 km of beautiful sandy beach lay ahead of us. It is a great feeling to have the waves roll out
under the bottom bracket!
Rohloff S-L-T 99
chan has proven a success with
its reliability! So at last, a couple of quiet days on the Atlantic coast. Why not take the Moutain
bike on the beach?!Crazy idea, yes! Riding exactly where the surf runs out! After just 200m,
total stand still! The rear wheel is stuck fast in the wet sand. Changing the gears impossible!
Derailleur gears won’t work when you are stuck! The next wave came and both rider and bike
received the first salt-water shower. Chain and sprockets are grinding full of fine sand. The
next wave came - now nothing works. The waves were rolling in faster than we could change
gears.
Still, it must feel great to have the waves roll out under the bottom-bracket. This idea didn't let
go of me.
The lights were now burning bright and late into the night. The construction department in the
Rohloff Company was working overtime. Successful gear changes and sprocket
combinations were investigated. Mountainbike, downhill, touring and everyday riders were
asked along with sports physicians: How many gears do you need and what has a gear hub got
to be capable of in order to achieve maximum riding fun? 1997: findally we had our answer
and put it to the test! Guess where...
The rear wheel is stuck fast in the wet sand. The first wave is coming. Change the gears down
while stuck. 1st gear, gentle on the pedals, riding further - 2nd - 3rd - 4th... These gears are
quicker than the surf!
