Environ 2000km avec l'alfine 11 sur mon vélo couché et j'ai de plus en plus souvent des problèmes de vitesse qui sautent.
Le réglage des repères préconisés (traits jaunes) ne marche pas alors il faut tâtonner d'un côté ou de l'autre. Parfois ça repart mais au bout de quelques dizaines de kilomètres certaines vitesses ne fonctionnent plus.
Juste une question: as-tu fait la vidange du moyeu? Généralement, les constructeurs de moyeux (du moins pour Rohloff et Shimano) recommandent de faire une première vidange à partir des premiers 1000/2000km ou au moins une fois par année. Ensuite, on ne doit plus que faire les changements tous les 5000km, même si le vélo est fortement utilisé.
Bonjour Olivier,
J'ai fait la vidange au premiers 1000 km avec le kit shimano en utilisant leur huile.
Je pense que le problème vient non pas du moyeu lui-même mais de la commande par câble qui semble avoir du mal à se positionner aux bons endroits.
Pendant un temps j'ai légèrement ralongé le câble et ça a marché quelques temps. Il y a quelques temps j'ai fait l'inverse et après 100km c'est reparti en couille !!!
J'avoue que je ne vois que trois possibilités: (j'ai un peu écarté les options comme le mauvais montage, câble mal enfilé dans le rail autour du hub et les autres grands classiques...)Un défaut de fabrication. Dans ce cas là, aucune réparation possible - à moins d'être un excellent mécanicien - et s'adresser au revendeur et faire jouer la garantie, s'il y en a (encore) une. Une tension trop grande ou un mauvais alignement de la chaîne. J'ai constaté en regardant sur internet que de nombreux Trikes équipés avec de l'Alfine ont souvent un "tendeur" (http://harriscyclery.net/product/shimano-alfine-chain-tensioner-silver-2817.htm) comme par exemple ce Trike: http://www.roulcouche.com/image/AzubTRIcon/AZUB_TRIcon_trike_couche_pliant_alfine_11.jpg ou celui-ci: http://www.utahtrikes.com/RECENTTRIKE-Davids_GTO.htmlune autre piste plausible mais assez peu probable: si le vélo couché est équipé de pattes verticales, il est peut être bon de se pencher sur sur les "Washer" (http://www.hubstripping.com/shimano-alfine/shimano-non-turn-washers.jpg), petites pièces qui évitent l'axe de tourner. Suivant la forme des pattes, il faut s'assurer d'avoir le bon modèle. Plus d'informations: http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/shimano-nexus.html (vers le bas de la page). Note: à l'origine, les hubs n'étaient pas destinés aux pattes verticales. Par curiosité: quel type de vélo couché as-tu?
Bonjour Olivier,
J'ai un tendeur de chaîne, obligé avec l'amortisseur sur l'Orca de chez optima, guidon dessus.
J'ai monté les bons washer, et pour cause, j'ai du faire 1500 km sans problème. L'arrivée du cable est bien dans l'axe pour une bonne rotation du sélecteur
J'ai fait une entretoise pour la poulie intermédiaire ainsi j'ai un alignement pile poil sur le grand plateau.
J'envoie régulièrement un coup de dégripant dans la manette et sur le mécanisme de sélection.
En dépression ) depuis ma dernière sortie en vélo couché en raison des vitesses qui ne passaient plus sur mon alfine onze, j'ai maudit shimano, le fournisseur du rohloff du pauvre, je me suis traité de tous les noms comme quoi j'aurais mieux fait de prendre un rohloff tout de suite à la place de cette m....e qui tient pas 2000 km et tout et tout...😊
Puis j'ai parcouru les forums à la recherche de déçus de l'alfine 11 comme moi. Mais faut bien dire qu'on en parle pas beaucoup, ni en bien ni en mal.
Ce matin, plein de motivation je me dis que ce ne peut pas être le moyeu, shimano fait quand même du bon matos ... 😇
Je sors la roue et démonte le sélecteur qui une fois nettoyé semble nickel, je le remonte en graissant les parties en friction, ça vient pas de là !
Je démonte le shifter, comme neuf à l'intérieur, c'est pas lui (bonjour la galère pour le remonter, surtout le petit indicateur rouge de vitesse, remonté avec un petit fil pour le tenir en place) :triste2:
Je débranche le câble du sélecteur et m'aperçois que l'embout en caoutchouc a du mal à coulisser, en raison d'une bague en bout à l'origine cylindrique qui est un peu écrasée.
Deux trois coups de pince légers pour arrondir la bague et je teste si elle coulisse librement. Eh non toujours pas, bizarre ! Et c'est la que putain de con, c'est le câble qui coulisse pas vraiment bien !
Je coupe le câble avant le serre câble et le tire à partir de la poignée et effectivement il vient mais on sent une résistance. Il ne doit plus réagir précisément aux mouvement indexés du shifter.
Un coup de seringue d'huile diluée dans la gaine (raccourcie au passage pour optimiser le cheminement du câble), un câble neuf et le réglage préconisé par shimano (alignement des deux repères jaunes)
Et me voilà parti sur la route avec encore ma blouse de mécanique et l'angoisse disparaît, les vitesses passent comme au premier jour, en montant en descendant, j'ai retrouvé mon super moyeu ! 😄
Au retour du canal de Nantes à Brest fait quasiment sous la pluie j'avais nettoyé et graissé tout le vélo, sauf les câbles de dérailleur, les seuls d'ailleurs puisque j'ai des freins magura.
FATAL ERROR ! 🤪:
Moralité : je sais bien qu'il faut toujours se remettre en cause avant d'accuser les autres, alors toutes mes excuses à monsieur shimano et à mon moyeu que j'ai copieusement insulté.
Désolé pour monsieur rohloff, c'est pas ce coup-ci que j'investirai (j'étais à deux doigts)
Au delà de la différence de nombre et d'étagement des vitesses, la grande différence entre l'alfine 11 et le rohloff est la façon dont se passent les vitesses.
Dans le rohloff le mécanisme d'indexage est dans le moyeu actionné par deux câbles. En cas de casse d'un des câbles on peut toujours changer les vitesses avec une clé. Si les câbles se grippent, le passage sera moins onctueux, mais fonctionnera toujours puisqu'il y a un câble pour chaque sens de passage de vitesse.
Sur l'alfine l'indexage est dans le shifter actionnant un seul câble tendu par un ressort interne au moyeu.
Mon expérience prouve que, à la moindre détérioration du guidage du câble, et à plus forte raison du shifter, l'indexage va devenir approximatif et entraîner des faut points morts et autres craquements désespérants.
Comme il est difficile de ré-enfiler un câble qui a été écrasé par le serre câble ou coupé, j’inclurai le changement du câble lors des révisions annuelles.
Pour conclure un alfine 11 avec un grand et un moyen plateau, et en surveillant le câble, c'est royal ! 🙂
Mais si je passe en guidon bas sur mon Orca, le shifter risque d'être très exposé en cas de chute et le câble risque aussi d'être exposé, à voir !
Aurais-je trouver une bonne excuse pour changer de moyeu ? 😏
J'ai investi dans un vélo équipé en alfine 11 tout récemment. Je viens de changer le câble du dérailleur, et je pensais pour cela qu'il m'était nécessaire de démonter le "capot" du shifter. Belle erreur !
Le câble changé, impossible de refaire fonctionner le petit index rouge dans le shifter...
Il me semble que cela t'est arrivé. Peux-tu m'expliquer plus précisément comment tu as résolu ce problème ?
Merci pour ce retour d'expérience.
J'ai à priori le même problème que toi avec un affine 11. J'espère avoir la meme solution.. je vais regarder ça ce WD.
Que pensez vous des vélos équipés d'un moyeu shimano nexus ou alfine 8 v couplé à un plateau de 42 ou 46 avec chaine ou courroie. pensez vous que l'on puisse…
Je reviens encore vers la communauté voyage forum avant mon départ pour la vélodyssée demain! Il s'agit d'un problème potentiel de ma nouvelle selle brook B17…
Je me tourne vers vous pour vous exposer un problème que j'ai déjà rencontré sans savoir bien comment le régler... après avoir roulé quelques milliers de km ma…
J'ai un souci depuis plusieurs mois avec ma sacoche avant tenue avec le klick fix, quand je la met le clic ne se fait pas tout seul je suis obligé de poussé…
Hi there, I’m planning a cross-Canada bike trip, and I’ve got a question that might seem silly, but could someone tell me how to pack a bike (in a box, with a fragile sticker... I don’t know) for a flight? Thanks in advance!
This summer, we’re planning to cycle along the EV 19 that follows the Meuse River from Langres all the way to Rotterdam.
My question is about getting back to Nantes.
Do any of you know what the best return option might be? I’d love to hear about your experiences.
I saw that FlixBus doesn’t take bikes.
By train, I think it’s possible but would involve multiple local trains.
We were also wondering if there’s a boat from Rotterdam to Saint-Nazaire that could take passengers with bikes.
Any tips or experiences you can share would be really helpful—thanks in advance!
Have a great evening
I’ve got my flight ticket sorted—departing in mid-November and returning in mid-March. I’ll arrive in Santiago and leave from Buenos Aires.
I’ve already been to southern Argentina, specifically Torres del Paine National Park, and I’d love to go back to do the full W trek (I only did the shorter version last time).
I also want to do some hiking and maybe even tackle a summit. I climb and occasionally do some mountaineering, so I’ll definitely be going with a guide.
I plan to start around Temuco in Chile, with the idea of heading toward the lakes, then taking the Carretera Austral.
I’m not sure if I’ll go all the way to Ushuaia—it’s supposed to not be *that* worth it, except for the bragging rights of saying you’ve been to the end of the world.
I saw there are lakes in Argentina too.
I don’t have a precise itinerary, but what I’d love is, once I reach the southernmost point of my trip, to take a mini-cruise to see some wildlife. Any tips for that?
What kind of sleeping bag did you take? Is a 0°C (32°F) one enough?
And one last question: white gas stove or can I get by with my gas stove?
I’ve gotten used to crossing Europe by bus to return by bike.
It was really convenient to take the bike without having to disassemble it.
But FlixBus no longer accepts bikes...
What alternatives do you know about?
Thanks.
Hi there,
I’m planning to ride the Dutch section of the EuroVelo 19, from Maastricht to Rotterdam.
Since it’s too complicated to bring my bike on the train, I’m looking to rent one locally.
I’d love any tips or bike rental shop recommendations—I’m struggling to find options even in Rotterdam.
The plan is to rent in Rotterdam, take the train to Maastricht with the bike, then cycle back to Rotterdam.
Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!
Nath
I’m planning to cycle from Morlaix to Brest (via Roscoff and the V45 coastal route). We’ll start riding on August 16th for 13 days (with stops for island visits, surfing, etc.). Is there a lot of traffic at this time of year? I’ve got two kids, 11 and 13, and we don’t like riding in the middle of cars (we’ve already done the Vélomaritime—Caen to Cherbourg—the Loire route from Orléans to Saumur, the Vélodyssée from Nantes to Royans, and the canals like the Nivernais and Bourgogne, where there were plenty of bike-only lanes, which isn’t the case on this route).
Thanks for your help if you’ve already done this route in late August!
Virginie
Hi there,
I’ve been road cycling for several years, and I’m about to switch to gravel in the next few days—I’m waiting for my bike, which should arrive this week.
I’m planning a bikepacking trip in a few weeks along the Véloroute V81, also known as the Vélosud, from Biarritz to Le Barcarès.
Has anyone here already done this route? Any info is welcome, whether it’s about the route itself, gear, or accommodation. I’ll prioritize staying with locals as much as possible. On that note, I just signed up for the brand-new site *Guidon et Couette* ((www.guidon-et-couette.fr)), which offers free accommodation between cyclists across the country, but there’s almost no one listed along my route!
Thanks in advance.
Laurent.
I’m planning to build a new touring bike.
I want to prioritize lightness.
That said, I’m tempted by a suspension fork that could offer some comfort on rougher roads.
The recent appearance of gravel suspension forks on the market might meet my needs—at least on paper.
I’m particularly considering the RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR fork.
Unlike MTB forks, its travel is short: either 30 mm or 40 mm.
It weighs 1400 g, which is 400/500 g more than a steel fork.
Any thoughts or real-world feedback on this?
I’m also wondering about the durability of magnesium (lower leg) for long-distance bike touring.
And what’s the impact of skipping the manufacturer-recommended maintenance every 50 and 200 hours? That’s bound to happen on a long trip unless you carry extra gear.
More generally, how reliable are these kinds of forks?
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share with you the incredible feat my friend José, who’s 72 years old, is currently undertaking. He left Auterive near Toulouse on Monday, May 18, 2026, on his non-electric bike, heading for the North Cape in Norway!
You can follow his route on the link below—he’s currently in Sweden:
https://thierry-thomas.travelmap.net/jose-de-toulouse-a-nord-cap-2026
You can zoom in on the map and click on each stopover town to see the photos
I’m making an exception and creating a separate post this time, since it’s all about France. In May, we spent a week in Provence, specifically in the Luberon, exploring the cycling routes *Autour du Luberon à Vélo*, the *Véloroute du Calavon* (part of EuroVelo 8), and the shorter *Les Ocres à Vélo* route. Together, they gave us an amazing journey through rolling hills, vineyards, lavender fields still green in spring, and some of the most stunning landscapes in southern France.
It was, of course, the perched villages that impressed us the most. We visited Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Lacoste, Lourmarin, Ménerbes, Oppède-le-Vieux, Cucuron, and Lauris. Many of them are among the most beautiful villages in Provence, and it’s hard not to agree with that reputation.
One interesting point is the route of EuroVelo 8 in this part of the region. The official path mainly follows the old railway line of the *Véloroute du Calavon*, which is very comfortable and safe. But in our opinion, cyclists traveling EuroVelo 8 around the Mediterranean would discover even more treasures if the route passed through villages like Bonnieux, Lacoste, or Oppède-le-Vieux.
We were also pleasantly surprised by how safe cycling felt. Most of the route takes small local roads, but traffic is light, drivers are respectful, and road design really takes cyclists into account. It’s one of those places where you can ride peacefully even without separated bike lanes.
Our full story:
Around Luberon by bicycle - the most beautiful villages of Provence
You can also find all our cycling travel stories on the forum:
Cycling Thread - Europe’s most beautiful bike routes
Hi there, we’re a group of 4 cyclists looking to get from Treviso in Italy to Munich with our 4 non-folding bikes. It seems complicated! Are there any solutions? Thanks so much.
hello fellow cycling enthusiasts
here’s a travel journal of the cycling tour through the Rhône-Alpes Auvergne region by Claudio
zouli
it was the plan
http://cbandiera.free.fr/parcours/auvergne-Ralpes/
the trip was completed
story being posted online soon
1100 km in 11 days
beautiful and varied regions
Hi there, we’re planning a Munich to Venice bike trip at the end of June 2026. Getting back from Venice to Toulouse by train with 4 bikes isn’t straightforward. What return options have others who’ve done this trip chosen? Any tips or great deals would be much appreciated. Thanks a bunch! !
Hi everyone,
Happy owner of a Pegasus Estremo bike with a Rohloff hub, which is giving me trouble with the SF11-NCX-FT-E-LITE 700C TS 300/0 fork (serial number TD01329060). It’s starting to show its age, and I’d like to repair it to extend the life of my beloved bike.
The suspension is gone, and there’s an oil leak from the seals.
Does anyone know how to repair it? Where can I find parts that are about fifteen years old? Or where to find an identical replacement fork? Just to clarify, the Magura HS11 brakes are mounted using Firm Tech, meaning they’re on pivots behind the fork, facing the frame.
Hi, I'd like to know if anyone has done this route recently or has reliable info.
Does the track exist, and most importantly, is there sand (for biking)?
Any info is welcome.
Cheers,
diego ambilobe: mangaoka, manondro, ramena
vohemar sambava: masondrono, tanambao
Hi there,
New to bike touring,
I’d love to start with a section of the Via Rhona to explore and share (route to be decided).
Looking forward to exchanging tips!
I’m landing in Madagascar with a buddy before the end of April 2026. We’re planning to bike around for about twenty days or so. We don’t have a specific goal other than exploring the country and meeting the locals.
Ideally, we’d prefer a loop route starting from Antananarivo with a good chunk of it along the coast. On the bike side, we’re used to riding 6 to 8 hours a day, depending on the needs, encounters, and mood 😉 Any feedback or tips from trips around this length?
A big thank you to Lazarou for all the info you share in this forum!
I'm passionate about Morocco, which I cycled through back in 2009.
Last year, my wife and I explored the High Atlas by tandem. Completely smitten, we're heading back in April (Anti Atlas) and May (High and Middle Atlas), still on our tandem.
Do you have any info on the track between Amezri and Ali Ait Nito? Are the river crossings in the Tessaout still there? It's not easy to navigate with a loaded tandem... especially if the river level is high due to this year's heavy snowmelt!
Thanks in advance for any tips you might have, and best wishes for health in this new year!
Claudio specializes in the route of the Savoie lakes
Here are his travels
Between Bornes, Chartreuse, the Savoie foothills, and Dauphiné
Five lakes: Léman, Annecy, Paladru, Aiguebelette, Bourget, not to mention a few ponds along the way
Plenty of accommodation options: camping, hotels, and more...
A lovely route not far from his place
Rural and quite peaceful
A road cycling route created by Serge B...
First of all... happy New Year! Wishing you great roads in 2017!
I’ve been traveling for a few years now with a high-quality mountain bike, but it’s equipped with hydraulic disc brakes. I live (pedal) with the constant worry of a breakdown (leak, air bubble, heat causing the fluid to...). My bike mechanic tells me it’s impossible to switch them out for V-brakes.
What do you all think? Am I taking a big risk continuing (alone) with these brakes? Thanks in advance for your great tips!
First post here to share a quick recap of our west-to-east bike trip along Algeria’s coast in January 2025.
It was just the two of us—my partner and I—with French passports and not a word of Arabic. No friends or welcoming hosts in the country.
Under those conditions, we’d strongly advise against going.
Our original plan was to follow the coast from Algiers to Tunis. We ended up cycling from Algiers to Béjaia, then took the train from Béjaia to Annaba (with a stop in Constantine), and finally biked to the border.
We were tailed by police the whole way—whether on our bikes, on the train, or even on foot while exploring towns. On top of that, we couldn’t wild camp and were limited to the few state-approved hotels that accept foreigners. Under those circumstances, connecting with locals was especially tough.
With such an omnipresent and intrusive police presence, we’d definitely recommend against this destination for bike touring. A really sad situation that completely cuts you off from the local population...
We’d been warned, we went to check it out, and we weren’t disappointed!
Hi there,
I’m planning the route to cycle from Lille to Nordkapp with my partner.
Duration: 3 months, from May 1st to July 31st, 2026.
In the attached details below, I need to add some "non-riding" days (rest days, basically).
So I’m looking to "shorten" the trip by taking ferries or trains for some stretches. Which areas could I skip?
Thanks in advance for your great tips.
Have a good evening.
https://www.komoot.com/fr-fr/collection/4023980/-lille-cap-nord-1er-mai-au-31-juillet-2026?ref=collection
I’m planning to bike back from Poland this summer. Does anyone know a way to ship it there without having to take it apart? Otherwise, it’s a real hassle to fine-tune all the settings before departure!
Thanks in advance.
Hi, has anyone recently bought Primus or Butagaz gas, possibly puncture-style, in Dubrovnik or the surrounding area? Same question for Albania... thanks. aichatou
Just a few words about the loop I did by bike in Yunnan.
Entry and exit
I entered China through the Sino-Vietnamese border crossing at Lào Cai / Hekou under the 30-day visa exemption currently available to French nationals and others.
The process was simple and quick. A Chinese police officer even helped me complete my electronic pre-registration at a computer kiosk. I wasn’t aware this formality was required—it’s similar to Thailand’s TM6.
No issues with the bike.
I left the country via the Sino-Laotian border crossing at Mohan / Boten.
The atmosphere was a bit chaotic there, but again, no problems with the bike.
The timing
I visited Yunnan in February 2026.
Weather-wise, at higher altitudes (between 1,500 and 2,000 meters), it was around ten degrees at night and in the mornings, and around twenty degrees at the hottest part of the day.
I had two days of rain, so I took the bus to keep moving. Otherwise, clear blue skies.
Culturally, Chinese New Year fell on February 17th (and the 15 days following), right in the middle of my trip. Because of this, my take on the traffic might be off.
Accommodation and food
I always found a hotel to stay in for prices ranging from 8 to 15 €. Except in Kunming (the capital), where many hotels were fully booked (Chinese New Year). I ended up at a 100 € hotel with great value for money.
A bowl of noodles costs about 1.5 € on average.
Onboard electronics
Since my smartphone doesn’t support eSIMs, I subscribed to a China plan with my carrier. Otherwise, for much cheaper, Alipay offers eSIMs for foreigners that allow access to services usually blocked for Chinese users (WhatsApp, Facebook, etc.).
An internet connection is essential for paying with Alipay or WeChat, as this payment method is widespread.
I only managed to use Alipay.
Either way, always carry cash because sometimes there’s no signal, or the merchant only accepts WeChat.
Also, it’s best to bring a power adapter when you arrive rather than struggling to find one.
Traffic and roads
The Chinese aren’t reckless drivers. They follow traffic rules and watch out for cyclists. This is slightly less true in Xishuangbanna (the region bordering Myanmar and Laos).
In urban areas, there are almost always wide bike lanes, separated from other roads, where bikes, electric mini-scooters, and scooters share the space pretty harmoniously.
The roads are in great condition, and traffic is generally manageable—even light—except for one stretch (Eshan -> Yangwu).
Most traffic is absorbed by expressways, China’s equivalent of highways: toll roads that are off-limits to slow vehicles.
You’re never far from these expressways; sometimes you even ride alongside them, which can be noisy at times.
The climbs are usually reasonable, around 5% to 6%. From what I remember, the steepest section was between Menglun and Mengla, with gradients of 8% to 10%, sometimes more.
Riding at these altitudes—though modest—took a bit of getting used to.
The route
I didn’t plan anything in advance. My only goal was to reach Kunming. I don’t know why, but just hearing the name of that city, like Yunnan, always felt dreamy to me.
Hi! I’m planning to visit the Stockholm Archipelago by bike in early April.
Do you know if the boats will be running between the different islands at that time of year? For those who’ve already been, all your tips and recommendations are welcome—accommodation, etc. Also, do you know where I can rent a bike in Stockholm? Thanks so much in advance for your help!
Hello there, pedal-powered Young Boys!
Claudio (still from Faverges)
dreaming about a cycling getaway in Italy from Faverges (train all the way to Turin)
from Turin down to Venice along the Po River and back via the Padana (Alta Italia da attraversare – Northern Italy to cross)
The tricky part is getting from Chioggia to Venice.
I read it’s possible by hopping on a boat from island to island,
but it sounds a bit stressful.
Has anyone already tackled this route?
