Even in soft conditions, some hard-used drive units on mountain bikes can only survive a whole season with difficulty. After that, even a rather favourable Sram GX Eagle MTB gears can cost around 300 euros to breathe new life into them with a new chain and cassette. As soon as wet conditions, mud, snow and road salt come into play, wearing parts on the bike can give up the ghost within weeks. Just the idea of exposing your beloved MTB fully or expensively built custom bike to the nasty conditions of winter sends a shiver down the spine of many a rider. Many mountain bikers prefer to spend the winter on the Roller trainer before Zwift or even give up their hobby altogether in winter. But the carefree concept of the Rapid-Rohler from Idworx gives hope for year-round biking fun in the fresh air.
The key data of the Idworx Rapid Rohler
- Frame material: Aluminium
- Gears: Rohloff Speedhub 500/14 gear hub
- Wheel size: 29 inch
- Weight: 12.55 kilos in size L
- Price: 7348 Euro
- Suspension travel: 100 millimetre suspension fork
- Equipment customisable via configurator
Minimal maintenance and maximum durability for the Idworx mountain bike
The fact that the aluminium mountain bike from Wachtberg near Bonn is a genuine carefree bike is clear from the company name. Idworx, based on the English "it works", has set itself the task of building mountain bikes and touring bikes for eternity. Every detail is designed to make the bike last longer.
To meet this requirement, Idworx sacrifices the efficiency and low weight of a classic derailleur system in favour of durability. The solution in the carefree bike: a Rohloff gear hub with 14 gears. Encapsulated from external influences, there are no limits to the drive system in terms of mileage. In order to transfer the leg power to the gearbox with as little loss as possible, Idworx uses a KMC chain instead of the traditional carbon fibre belt from Gates. Although a chain has to be replaced at regular intervals, it costs only a fraction of the 150 euro belt.
Also exciting: Odd numbers of teeth on the chainrings made of hardened blade steel mean that the same teeth do not always engage in the same outer or inner plate of the chain. This leads to slower and more even wear. Details such as a bottom bracket with rust-free ball bearings and the particularly corrosion-resistant crank made of 7050 aluminium with an indestructible steel axle live up to the company name. The only drawback is the SID Ultimate suspension fork from Rockshox in the head tube. This 100 mm suspension increases the riding fun off-road. However, to round off the carefree character of the Idworx Rapid Rohler, purists are better off opting for a rigid fork in the online configurator.
The geometry of the Idworx Rapid Rohler
"This is a special bike for a very specific purpose." With these words, Idworx founder Gerrit Gaastra sends the Rapid Rohler into our test. The bike is not only intended to be extremely robust, but was also specially developed for Dutch flow trails. "The trails there are not technical and have hardly any metres in altitude. But there are endless bends," explains Gaastra. To fulfil this requirement, the riding position on the Idworx mountain bike is almost compact. The reason for this is the extremely short reach of 399 millimetres and the high cockpit with positive stem. The dimensions of the rear triangle with 424 mm chainstays and the extremely steep steering angle cut the wheelbase to just 1066 millimetres. The Idworx Rapid Rohler is available in three frame sizes: 46, 51 and 56 centimetres.
Rapid Rohler shines with its carefree concept - driving characteristics take some getting used to
Off-road, the unusual geometry is noticeable with an enormous amount of pressure on the front wheel and very direct steering behaviour. The Rapid Rohler winds its way through winding paths with noticeable ease. Just like you would find in the Netherlands. Beyond this area of use, however, the Idworx MTB hardtail can hardly make an impression with its riding characteristics. Both uphill and downhill, the unusual geometry robs the bike of riding confidence and requires a sophisticated riding technique to follow classic mountain bike hardtails off-road. In addition, the Rohloff gear hub, which weighs around 1.8 kilos, ensures uneven weight distribution. Bunny hops or small tricks on the trail are therefore somewhat more difficult. The shifting precision of the Rohloff drivetrain lags behind the performance of the Pinion gearbox behind. As the cadence increases, the gears also start to grind audibly. The bike scores points with the sensitive SID suspension fork and the grippy XT four-piston brakes. Also good: the flexing titanium seatpost, which increases riding comfort.
Customers can also configure a steering damper headset from Cane Creek on their Rapid Rohler via the Idworx website. The so-called Visco Set calms the nervous steering behaviour of the steep steering angle and eliminates vibrations in the steering on loose surfaces. To achieve this, the Visco Set is slightly higher than a conventional external headset. There are 12 metal rings stacked in the upper headset shell. The inner six are firmly fixed to the headset with a pin. The outer six rings can move freely with the steering and are pressed into the headset by the headset cap. This allows the plates to rotate against each other during steering movements. Paired with a specially developed damping grease (fluorocarbon gel) between the metal rings, resistance is gently created when turning into corners.
Conclusion from BIKE test editor Max Fuchs
The riding characteristics of the Idworx Rapid Rohler have been perfected for a very specific target group - and with success. Outside of this niche, the mountain bike cannot keep up with modern hardtails. Nevertheless, Idworx sets new standards with the Rapid Rohler when it comes to carefree riding.
Technical data and evaluation Idworx Rapid Rohler
Manufacturer information
- Price: 7348 Euro
- available from specialised dealers
- Frame material: aluminium
- Frame size: 46 / 51 / 56 cm (tested in size 46 cm)
Measured values
- Weight without pedals: 12.55 kg
- Frame weight: 1850 g
- Weight of wheels: 5400 g
- Acceleration of running wheels: 3036 kg x cm²
- Suspension travel: 102 mm
- Handlebar width: 700 mm
- Seat comfort: 8.4 mm
- Frame rigidity (absolute): 79 N/mm
Equipment
- Wheels: Idworx DaRim Law with DT Swiss 350 and Rohloff Speedhub 500/14 hubs
- Tyres: Schwalbe Racing Ralph / Ray; Addix Speed Super Race Evo TLE 29 x 2.35
- Fork: Rockshox SID Ultimate SL Remote
- Brakes: Shimano XT BR-M 8120 / 180 mm / 180 mm
- Gears: Rohloff Speedhub 500/14
- Ratio / bandwidth: 39; 17 / 526 %
- Seatpost / Ø: USE Ultimate Titanium / 27.2 mm
- Ease of maintenance: medium
BIKE test rating²: Good 169 out of 250
* The BIKE judgement reflects the laboratory measured values (BIKE laboratory measurement) and the subjective impression of the test riders. The BIKE judgement is independent of price. BIKE judgements: super (250-205 P.), very good (204.75-180 P.), good (179.75-155 P.), satisfactory (154.75-130 P.), with weaknesses (129.75-105 P.), unsatisfactory (104.75-0 P.). ¹
Price may be subject to additional costs for packaging, dispatch and coordination.
² The BIKE judgement reflects the laboratory measurements (BIKE laboratory measurement) and the subjective impression of the test riders. The BIKE judgement is independent of price. BIKE judgements: super (250-205 P.), very good (204.75-180 P.), good (179.75-155 P.), satisfactory (154.75-130 P.), with weaknesses (129.75-105 P.), unsatisfactory (104.75-0 P.).
Max Fuchs
Editor
