A journey to the end of the earth. The nearest bike shop? Hundreds of miles away. If you’re diving headfirst into a self-supported cycling adventure, there’s one thing you’ll want from your drivetrain: reliable shifting performance with zero maintenance hassle. With their sealed design, gearbox systems are renowned above all for their durability. But how big are the differences between different systems? We’ve put the Pinion Smart.Shift and the Rohloff SPEEDHUB with SternShift through the wringer to find out. Both are fully electric and yet fundamentally different.
Minimal maintenance, no worries about wear, and still no breakdowns? Sounds like the dream of the perfect touring bike… but is it even possible? We wanted to find out and tested two high-end bikes: the Falkenjagd Aristos R Rohloff Gravel and the Rennstahl 853 PI Gravel. Both use a belt drive and electronic gearbox shifting – yet the technology behind them couldn’t be more different.
At the heart of the Falkenjagd’s rear wheel lies the Rohloff SPEEDHUB, a 14-speed internal gear hub that has been electronically upgraded with the SternShift system. The Rennstahl, on the other hand, features the Pinion Smart.Shift gearbox positioned at the bottom bracket. This system offers some exciting extra features via its dedicated app. Two concepts that look similar at first glance but reveal crucial differences upon closer inspection. Time to uncover the secrets hidden within these gearbox systems!
You can find the full review at our sister magazine GRAN FONDO.
Words & Photos: Julian Schwede
