Changing The Gear On A Rohloff Speedhub

By Andrew on February 2, 2026 • ( Leave a comment )

I do like it when I recieve an email from someone who has listened to an episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast and has picked up on a specific point that has been discussed. It’s often by a person who is offering more information or clarification and such emails are always welcome. This week I receieved such an email from a chap called Emmanuel who is a cyclist from Belgium. He had listened to episode 098 of the podcast – the most recent episode – and was interested in the discussion I had with Helen and Ben Rivers about our touring bikes.

Here’s the relevant section from the podcast:

And here is what Emmanuel had to say in response in his email:

Funnily enough… my partner… also owns not one but two Koga [touring] bikes [and] she is a big fan of this brand as well. The first that she owned was a bike she bought years ago, well before we met, a Koga Randonneur probably very similar to the one Helen Rivers owns. It has no Rohloff, but a derailleur with reliable and easily serviceable Shimano XT and LX parts.

The second one is much more recent, probably very similar to the one you own, it is a Koga WorldTraveler Signature with a carbon belt and a Rohloff she bought a couple of years ago.

I also own an “Off Rohler” travel bike from a brand less well-known than Koga here in Flanders, named idworx, a brand created by Gerrit Gaastra (from the Gaastra family). It is a used bike, also equipped with a Rohloff and a chain. The advantage of a less known brand is that it is less prone to be stolen, which is a big, I mean BIG, problem in Belgium currently.

I do a lot of maintenance myself on my bikes (I also own [a] Brompton, Orbea race bike, idworx mountain bike…). I bought the owner’s manual of the Rohloff for a few euros (version WS 2.13 Fr 2007-05). It is also available online in different languages:

Documentation – Rohloff AG

Definitively worth reading!

You will learn that the cog/sprocket installed on the Rohloff exists in different sizes from 13 to 21 teeth, and on newer Rohloffs, you can replace it very easily, because it is only attached with a lock ring (plug-in sprocket).

Rohloff Speedhub Plug-In Sprockets | bike-components

On older Rohloffs, you must buy an extra part as the sprocket was screwed on earlier models: the part is called a Splined Carrier. This is clearly documented on the previous webpage.

And as you said during the interview, it is also possible to change the front sprocket for a smaller one. Gerrit Gaastra, who often comes here in Antwerp to give explanations about the idworx bikes, is fan of uneven teeth number on the front chainring, by default 39 on idworx bikes. According to him, it allows [you] to extend the life of sprockets, which can also be reversed. But you can also choose for 35 or 43 teeth. Gerrit Gaastra is also not a big fan of carbon belts, especially if you are going to tour the world. Chains are much easier to find everywhere in the world than a carbon belt. But I guess the same changes of sprockets can also be done on Rohloff with a carbon belt.

We climbed a few years ago with our fully packed bikes (mine was about 50 kg) l’Alpe d’Huez and Col de Sarenne, and later during the same trip, le Col de la Croix de Fer, and other challenging climbs on Route 7 in the Swiss Jura, it has never been a problem for me on my Off Rohler idworx.

Hope this tip somehow helps.

Thanks for your interesting podcasts.

…and thanks to Emmanuel for taking the time to respond in such detail about the Rohloff hubs. As a non-technical person, a few things he says are over my head but I just about follow the thread of what he is saying.

Here’s a picture of the idworx Off Rohler:

A black bicycle with a sturdy frame, featuring a rear rack, thick tyres, and a minimalist design.

Should you wish to listen to the full podcast, here it is:

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 098 – Helen & Ben Rivers

Find out more about my Koga WorldTraveller Signature in the following video from a few years ago:

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