As fat bikes have adopted wider, and symmetrical rear axle spacings, the original 135mm offset has remained relevant, basically for a single reason – internal gear hubs. Until now, all of the internal gear hubs (IGH) on the market were offered in only 135mm spacing making their use on fat bikes only possibly with a 135mm offset frame.
Now, first shown as a prototype, the new Rohloff Speedhub XL will change all that with its updated 170mm spacing. Heralded as the first major change to the Speedhub 500/14 since 1998, the new model is the first and only fat bike specific IGH according to Rohloff. In the US, the Speedhub XL will be offered through Cycle Monkey at the end of August, who stand as the Rohloff hub experts in both service and sales.
Full details inside…
When the Speedhub XL becomes available, the hub will be sold in a single configuration in black. The hub will be 32h, disc brake only and feature the same 100mm spoke hole diameter, QR or threaded axle optinos, and the same axle plate options as the original. Because of the changes needed to make it fit 170mm frames, the hub will use a 71.5mm chainline, and 93mm flange spacing.
Pricing is estimated to be 10% more than the original Speedhub 500/14, which means about $150-160 more on the typical US price of $1500-1600. Cycle Monkey provided the following list of production frames that will accept the Speedhub XL – Salsa Mukluk, Kona Wo, Trek Farley, Lynsky Stratus, Moots FrosTi, Reeb Reebdonkadonk, Ventana El Gordo, Schlick Ape, On-One Fatty, Twenty 2 Bully, Carver Ti Snow, Lamere Carbon Pro, Fatback 170, Muru Witjira, Muru Finke, Genesis Caribou, Nicolai Argon Fat, Norco Bigfoot, Squatch, Viscious Thunderwing, and others.
