Reversable sprockets with 15, 16 and 17 teeth.

The Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 comes fitted with a 16 tooth reversable sprocket. 15 and 17 tooth reversable sprockets are available as alternatives. Hereby, an individual sprocket/chainring combination can be applied. The 15, 16 and 17 tooth sprockets are reversable, and therefore, can be used from both drive sides. For sprocket removal, a special Rohloff sprocket tool is needed.

Sprocket with 13 teeth

For the use of the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 on small wheeled bicycles (eg 20", folding bikes and recumbants) the special 13 tooth sprocket is needed. It uses a different chain line (58mm instead of 54mm) and is not reversable. When using a Rohloff chain tensioner on frames with dropouts thinner than 7mm, the longer chain tensioner mounting bolt must be separately ordered. For sprocket removal, a special Rohloff sprocket removal tool is needed.

The Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 has been developed for racing which means that it can handle the heavy loads encountered during competition. Maximum torque loads in extreme conditions can be as high as 250Nm on the crank (= 150kg on the pedal). This will not damage the gear box because the high chainwheel/sprocket ratio transforms the low number of crank revolutions into a higher number of revolutions at the cog. The higher the chainwheel/sprocket revolution ratio, the lower the torque transmitted to the gearbox. For this reason you must not use a chainring/cog ratio of less than 2.35. The smallest permittable chainring/cog ratios are: 42/17, 38/16, 36/15 and 32/13.

These are the equivalent to a 22/32 combination on a conventional drivetrain. There is no limit whatsoever for higher ratios which means that you can mount bigger chainrings than shown on the table for extreme downhill racing.

If mounted on a tandem or if the rider weighs over 100kg, the following sprocket ratios must not be undercut: 32/13, 38/15, 40/16, 42/17.