The Rohloff story
It started with a chain
Section titled “It started with a chain”In 1986 Barbara and Bernhard Rohloff founded Rohloff GmbH in Kassel, and filed their first patent that same year: for the S-L-T 99 chain. In 1990 Greg LeMond won the Tour de France on it. Precision tools and care products followed the chain — among them, in 1994, Oil of Rohloff chain lube, still made today.
The birth of the SPEEDHUB
Section titled “The birth of the SPEEDHUB”The SPEEDHUB 500/14 was first presented in 1996, at the company’s tenth anniversary; in 1997 the trade saw it live at Eurobike. The first hubs shipped in 1998. The concept has not changed since: 14 even gears, a sealed oil bath, an almost unlimited service life.
Kilometres that say it all
Section titled “Kilometres that say it all”
Touring cyclists built the SPEEDHUB’s reputation. In 2009, 55 riders were honoured who had each covered more than 60,000 km on their own hub. In 2019 the first SPEEDHUB reached 384,400 km — the distance from the Earth to the Moon — and in 2025 Michael Janke’s hub passed 500,000 km.
Milestones
Section titled “Milestones”| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2004 | Rohloff AG moves to Fuldatal near Kassel |
| 2008 | Bernhard Rohloff assembles the 100,000th SPEEDHUB live at Eurobike |
| 2009 | 55 riders honoured, each with more than 60,000 km on their SPEEDHUB |
| 2011 | 36-hole hub shells and the new twist shifter |
| 2014 | SPEEDHUB XL for fat bikes; silver anodised shell for better corrosion protection |
| 2015 | A12 axle for 12 mm thru-axle frames |
| 2016 | the splined sprocket system for every SPEEDHUB, and the PM Bone adapter |
| 2017 | the electronic E-14 is presented, Eurobike Gold Award; A12 Boost (148 mm) |
| 2018 | the E-14 goes into series production; lock-ring carrier for Gates belts; all Rohloff oils readily biodegradable |
| 2019 | the first SPEEDHUB reaches 384,400 km, the distance to the Moon |
| 2020 | the 300,000th SPEEDHUB; the E-14 with Panasonic too |
| 2021 | every dropout width officially approved for tandems |
| 2023 | the 400,000th SPEEDHUB; E-14 2.0 for the Bosch Smart System |
| 2024 | the Trigger shifter for the E-14 |
| 2025 | E-14 for Bafang and Brose drives, automatic functions on the Bosch Smart System, a new external cable box; a SPEEDHUB passes 500,000 km |
| 2026 | E-14 Solo — electronic shifting for any bike, Eurobike Gold Award |
Today Rohloff works with a team of sixty in Fuldatal, and 99% of the SPEEDHUB’s parts are made in Germany. What makes the gearbox special is summed up in The SPEEDHUB 500/14.
Awards
Section titled “Awards”The VSF..all-ride quality seal is awarded by an independent expert panel of the VSF, the German association of specialist bicycle dealers — only to proven, long-lived, repairable products whose maker supplies spare parts for years and manufactures sustainably. Since 2013 the seal has been valid for three years. Rohloff products have carried it since 2007: in 2014 the SPEEDHUB was recognised among hub gears for the longest service life and the highest load capacity, and Oil of Rohloff among chain lubricants for the best lubricating properties. The SPEEDHUB currently carries the 2025–2027 seal.
Electronic shifting has won the Eurobike Gold Award twice: the E-14 in 2017, the E-14 Solo in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
- How long has the Rohloff SPEEDHUB been around?
- The first SPEEDHUB 500/14 was presented in 1996 and shipped in 1998. More than 400,000 have been made since, and one hub has passed 500,000 km.
- What awards has the SPEEDHUB won?
- It has carried the VSF..all-ride quality seal since 2007, which the German association of specialist bicycle dealers gives only to durable, repairable products; in 2014 it was recognised for the longest service life and the highest load capacity. The E-14 won a Eurobike Gold Award in 2017, the E-14 Solo in 2026.