Nicolai Argon FR & Rohloff Speedhub 6 Month Up-date

Like many MTB’ers in the UK I have a hardtail for winter use, mine is a Nicolai Argon FR fitted with a Rohloff Speedhub. I have used the hardtail almost exclusively for the last 6 months during the winter of 06/07 and this is a report of the good and bad.

A hardtail is harsh compared to a full suspension bike. The Argon is fitted with Hope M4 brakes, the lever of the front brake became jammed in the ‘off’ position, it needed a full bleed and replacement piston set, not too bad after 3 years use with zero maintenance. The frame is stiff and the force from pedalling causes the bottom bracket bearings to wear out relatively quickly, approximately every 3 months. The chain has become stretched way past the limit where my chain length checker says it should be replaced. The single front cog (middle ring of an LX crankset) is also very badly chewed up and needs replacing this must be due to wear from the chain as the crankset is fitted with a bashguard.

On the upside the hardtail is very easy to keep clean during the muddy winter months, a quick squirt with the hoze, lube the chain and the job is done. The Fox Vanilla forks are great. The Rohloff Speedhub has been a revelation; I love it and would fit one to my other bike if I could afford to. The gear changing has been perfect and it is completely unaffected by all types of mud, snow and slush including the thick chewy mud that is common on the South Downs. I have become practiced in the technique of easing off the pedal pressure for a split second while twisting the grip-shift and never end up in the wrong gear. The ability to change gear while stationary is a fantastic feature that is more useful than I ever imagined.

The question ‘is a hardtail more suitable for winter than a FS bike’? From my experience the answer is a resounding yes if you get one with a Rohloff speedhub. The hardtail with speedhub enables me to ride wherever I want to go whatever the conditions, this is freedom that is worth paying for. Without the speedhub then cleaning would be a longer and much more fiddly job also the front and rear mechs would get clogged with mud.

In summary get a hardtail with Rohloff speedhub don’t worry about the cost it will pay for itself in the time saved cleaning the bike and the freedom to ride wherever you fancy whatever the conditions. Get one.