Originally Posted by
Bad1
I dont believe OneIsAllYouNeed was complaining one bit he was stating all of the difference in gearing available in different packages. I believe OneIsAllYouNeed is a mechanical engineer, bike builder, and tandem enthusiast, and creator of Cycles Chinook. I've never have had the pleasure of meeting him, but I would say he is very measured not to reply to your idiotic statement.
When the touted 600%+ range includes useless tall gears for a heavy touring application, it seems presumptuous to dismiss a Rohloff because of its nominally "narrow" range. With a middling 55 x 22 tooth belt drivetrain on 700-35c tires your low end is 19.1 gear inches, top end 100. 44/34/24 x 11-40 turns out 16.4 - 110 gear inches in that glorious 667% range. Anyone that thinks they need >100 gear inches in as heavy a setup as the OP is suggesting must be ashamed of being seen coasting 19+ mph down a 2% grade. Plus, the jump from 13T to 11T is the most unsatisfying gear shift ever inflicted upon us cyclists by the component pushers.
To address the low end on the Rohloff you could go with a 50T drive ring and approach the triple with 17.4 at the bottom and a still have respectable 91.3 at the top. To get any lower you have to go with chain instead of belt to avoid overtorque limits on the hub. So that might be the deal breaker for someone with their heart set on belt drive.
Rohloffs are not for everyone or for every type of riding. Which is really the only reason to discourage it. If you want a single versatile bike that can do many things well - like tour on one weekend and keep up with a sporty club ride the next, do not get one. You will want another bike for the swift ride fix. Assuming OneIsAllYouNeed's handle reflects his philosophy on number of bikes to keep, it's the narrowness of the overall versatility and "performance envelope" not just the gearing range that potential buyer's need to seriously consider.