The twist shifter

The Rohloff twist shifter fits any straight handlebar of 22.0–22.3 mm, on the right or the left — each side has its own grip rubber. The grip is TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), not rubber or latex.

Pos.	Part	Art. no.
1	clamp screws	8192
2	clamp	8193
3	cable stops	8191
4	shifter housing	SA 01
5	cable drum with both O-rings	8194
6	grip rubber with O-ring	8190 (left: 8195)
7	circlip	SA 18-N

The shifter works two cables: turning towards 14 pulls the 14 cable, turning towards 1 pulls the 1 cable.

Fitting it to the bar

1. Slide the shifter onto the bar end and turn the housing so the cable stops sit evenly above and below the brake lever.

2. Tighten both clamp screws (M3×12, TX20) with a light turning motion so the gap on each side of the clamp is about equal. Turn the TX20 key by its shaft between two fingers, then give each screw another ½ turn — about 2 Nm. The shifter then sits firmly on the bar.

   

Caution

Overtightening the screws can damage the clamp or the handlebar.

Threading the cables

1. Remove both cable stops. Push the 14 cable in until it comes out of the housing.

2. Turn the grip so the mark sits between 8 and 9, hold it there, and pull the cable fully in until the nipple sits firmly in the cable drum.

   

3. Push the 1 cable in, turn the mark between 6 and 7, and pull it in the same way.

   

4. As a check, pull both cables alternately to the stop: the grip should turn easily and go slightly past the 1 and 14 positions.

5. Thread the cable stops on and push them, the right way round, fully into the housing. A sealed Rohloff end cap goes between each stop and the cable housing.

   

Caution

Do not push or pull the cables without the cable stops fitted: the barrel nipple can jam at the exit and the end cap in the housing.

For routing and cutting the cables, see Cables with external actuation or Cables with internal actuation.

Changing the grip rubber

The rubber can be changed without removing the cables.

1. Lever off the circlip with a narrow flat screwdriver.

   

2. Before fitting the new rubber, check the O-rings: one sits on the cable drum next to the two cable grooves, the other inside the grip rubber. Together they keep dirt out.

   

3. Grease the cable drum and the inside of the rubber lightly with Vaseline.

4. The rubber has five pins that fit the drum’s five holes in only one position. Push the rubber up to the drum, turn it slowly until it drops in, then press it fully home onto the O-ring.

5. Refit the circlip and check that the grip turns easily. If the O-rings are not seated properly, the grip turns stiffly.

Replacing the cables in the shifter

1. Release the cables at the hub and pull off the housings with their end caps.
2. Turn the grip (cable stops fitted) between 8 and 9, remove the stop, and push the 14 cable out until the nipple emerges, then pull it out completely.
3. Refit the stop, turn the grip between 6 and 7, remove both stops, and pull out the 1 cable the same way.
4. Thread the new cables as in “Threading the cables” above.

Fitting on the left

The right and left shifters are mirror images. The one rule: the 1 cable always runs below the brake lever, the 14 cable above it. Everything else is as on the right, using the left-hand grip rubber.

Drop bars and thumb shifters

The mechanical twist shifter is 60 mm long, so it will not pass over the curve of a drop bar. Rohloff makes no thumb shifter: the SPEEDHUB shifts under load and up to eight gears in one movement, which takes a force and a cable travel a thumb lever cannot deliver safely.

If you want mechanical shifting on drop bars, there are ways too:

• A Vario-type handlebar (such as the Humpert Vario): different end pieces fit a straight centre section, so the twist shifter can go on the top of the bar.
• Bar ends in the drop bar: internally clamping mountain-bike horns that screw into the ends of the drop bar — the twist shifter goes on them. It cannot be damaged in a fall, and a bar bag still fits.
• Drop-bar twist shifters from other makers (such as Gilles Berthoud or Co-Motion), made for the SPEEDHUB to replace the shifter.

Caution

Only choose parts that replace the shifter. Products that replace the original Rohloff units between the dropouts — the cable box or the shift actuation — have not been tested or approved by Rohloff: they can affect shifting, the torque support and the oil seal. If in doubt, ask us: Contact.

For drop bars, Rohloff’s own answer is the E-14 Solo with the TRP Hywire Brifter — electronic shifting, no e-bike needed: E-14 Solo.

For the triangular shifter used before 2010, see Twist shifter up to 2010.