Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,203
Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
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I like my Rohloff bike for some things, derailleur bikes for other things. I like to have both kinds of gearing, that gives me a choice of which bike to use.
First photo, my Rohloff bike (Thorn Nomad Mk II) in Iceland interior last summer.
Second photo, one of my derailleur touring bikes (Thorn Sherpa) this past February in Florida Everglades and Keys.
Third photo, my other derailleur touring bike (Lynskey Backroad, built it up a couple months ago) in Western Wisconsin last month.
I like all three bikes and I am sure I will use all three on future tours.
Regarding drag while coasting downhill, as the Rohloff wears in the seals will loosen up a bit and you will have less drag while coasting. I also found the noise in gear 7 was noticeably diminished after my first oil change. But the hub will always have noise in gears 1 through 7, mostly in 7.