I like to ride sporty and fast. Which drive suits me best?
The derailleur is unrivalled here: it is light, technically mature and highly developed and, depending on the number of teeth, offers a wide gear range of up to 605 percent - sufficient for steep climbs with luggage and always with enough thrust to pedal downhill. Shimano's XT groupset has proven itself in practice. It offers the best compromise between shifting quality, durability and price. A current XT drivetrain with 3x10 gears weighs around 2100 grams, including the shifter, and is often fitted to bikes costing around 1300 euros.
You should also be aware that it is not just the rear derailleur that determines the quality of a groupset. XT shifters, for example, are much crisper, smoother and have shorter lever travel than their cheaper counterparts. And, of course, you need to regularly maintain and service a derailleur in order to keep it working well.
Low maintenance is important to me. Which gear hub is suitable for touring?
The Rohloff hub is the measure of all things here. With 14 gears and a total gear range of 526 per cent, it offers the best package of number of gears, gear ratios, shifting quality and durability. However, this marvel of German engineering comes at a price: it can only be found on bikes from 2500 euros upwards. In addition, its noise and the twist shifter are not to everyone's taste. Shimano's Alfine 11 (11 gears, 406 per cent gear ratio) is also wonderfully sporty to ride with a carefully adjusted gear cable. However, its gear gradation is more irregular, making it less suitable for mountainous terrain. It is also not recommended for touring with luggage.
Is the 18-speed Pinion gearbox recommended for touring cyclists?
Touring cyclists in particular will love the P 1.18. After all, it's not every gram of weight that counts here, but as many well-graded gears as possible and a maximum gear range. This is exactly where the Pinion gearbox is unique: all 18 gears are fully usable, can be shifted easily and precisely and are closely spaced and absolutely regular. The gearstick covers 636 per cent transmission in 11.5 per cent steps. Its higher weight (about 1 kilo heavier than a comparable Rohloff bike) is not so noticeable due to the ideal, centred and maximally low position in the bike. Since the beginning of 2014, the gearbox has been almost completely eliminated through careful fine-tuning. However, minimal pressure must be taken off the pedal during the shifting process. The resulting interruption in thrust can be a little annoying on extreme inclines with luggage.
What should I pay particular attention to with disc brakes?
- New pads and/or discs must always be braked in, otherwise they will never be fully effective or they will squeal.
- Every brake must be meticulously aligned during installation or after repairs. Even slight, invisible misalignments can lead to miserable squeaking. The frame material also plays a role: the thinner the tubes, the easier it is for resonances to build up.
- On long descents, you should never use the brakes continuously, otherwise the system will overheat. Short braking intervals are ideal so that the material can cool down in between.
- If the braking effect decreases or the pressure point in the lever wanders, the brakes must be bled. With DOT, the brake fluid must also be replaced at regular intervals.
- Make sure that the discs do not bend (e.g. when parking in bike stands).
- Heavy riders (from approx. 85 kg) or when riding with heavy luggage should make sure they have at least 180 mm discs at the front.
There are four different wheel sizes: 26, 27.5, 28 and 29 inches. Which size is best for what?
The smaller the wheel, the more stable and smooth-running it is. Short spokes and a short distance between the tyres and the hub mean lower leverage, the small wheel is stiffer than a larger one. Lower weight makes a smaller wheel easier to accelerate and brake. This makes a bike more manoeuvrable and agile, as the gyroscopic forces are significantly lower due to the lower rotating masses. However, please note: A smaller wheel diameter makes it somewhat more difficult to roll over obstacles and the bike's handling tends to be bumpier and less stable than with larger wheels.
You can find more questions and answers about the new technology, costs, clarification of the most important technical terms and a checklist in our comprehensive buying guide. Free to download.
