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Hesitation shifting and free-wheeling apparently.
The only reported issues we have are from Rohloffs that are <year old. While in Germany, he also heard that with Rohloff's business blowing up thanks to being spec'd OEM on a lot of high-end German eBikes, they've changed their production process and are experiencing some QC issues, I assume the two are connected.
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Holy hell. One of my bosses just got back from a trip to Germany where he picked a few brains about issues we've been getting from Rohloff customers and what the actual fuck!
Something Rohloff isn't telling people is that the QR version of the hub suffers from poor shifting if the QR is tighter than 7nm. 7 FIG NEWTON METERS!
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Ah yeah, Midtails have become really popular with the Tern GSD and the Xtracycle RFA coming out in the last couple years (shed a tear for the Benno Carry-on/Boost and the Kona Minute never breaking out of niche status). The HSD is kind of "quartertail" if that's even a thing. Honestly, I see it as being to the longtail what the cycletruck is to the bakfiets. Also, you can still clip a Yepp seat into it, which is great!
I'm all for it. Smaller cargo bikes may not be as capable as a proper long-john or a longtail, but they do mean a wider demographic of people -specifically people living in walk-ups in dense cities- getting a taste of that #cargolife that hopefully ends up being a gateway to a more hardcore lifestyle.
If someone gets a "quartertail" and it never leads to a more hardcore commitment, that's ok too - nothing wrong with a broad range of cargo designs on the roads, especially if it means one-less-car.
We sell the Abus one at my shop... I just don't get the appeal.
In America anyway, almost no one hears a car alarm and thinks "OMG SOMEONE IS STEALING A CAR!" Instead, it's met with a vague resentment toward whoever owns it.
Customers are also stunningly skilled at setting the bike alarm locks off in the store.