Nuvinci and Rohloff Wheel Removal

Hello and welcome back to another Utah Trikes article. Today we're going to show you how to remove and reinstall your rear wheel if you have an internally geared hub installed. We are going to go over our two most common hubs, the Nuvinci N380 and the Rohloff 14-speed. We will also have a video linked at the bottom of this article. So let’s get started!

Tools Needed

15mm Wrench

Part 1: Removing and Reinstalling the Nuvinci N380

First we are going to start with the Nuvinci N380 rear hub wheel. The only tool you’ll need is a 15mm wrench.

We will start by making sure that the shifter is set in the lowest position. You can tell by pedaling the trike. It should be the easiest to pedal. Then we will locate the cable keepers on the chain side of the Nuvinci.

To remove the cables, flip up the locking cover and shimmy the cable keeper out of its slot. Once the first cable is removed, we should have enough slack to remove the second keeper relatively easily.

Now that the cables have been removed, we can take our 15mm wrench and loosen the axle nuts on each side of the hub. The wheel can now drop out from the rear fork.

To reinstall the wheel, we are going to reverse these steps. First, place the axle back into the rear fork, making sure the chain is set on the gear, and tighten the axle nuts down.

Then we will reinstall our cables by placing the first keeper back into its slot. Once the keeper is set, we will make sure to place the cable housing into its place. Then we will take the other keeper and place it into its slot. We can then route the cable through the channel on the opposite side and set the cable housing in its place.

Now that everything is back in place, we can check that the Nuvinci shifts smoothly and properly. And you’re done.

Part 2: Removing and Reinstalling the Rohloff 14-speed

Next we will show how to remove and reinstall the Rohloff 14-speed.

Most of the time your Rohloff will have a quick release skewer so you will not need any tools. However, if yours has axle nuts like the Nuvinci N380 you will need a 15mm wrench.

First we will start off with where the shifting cables meet the hub. We like to call this the ‘click box’. This box controls the shifting for the hub and is easily detachable.

Make sure to remember what gear you are in and to not change anything when removing the shifting components.

Now we will loosen the thumbscrew located on the ‘click box’ and the cable assembly should come right off. We can now put this out of the way.

Finally we can loosen the quick release, or axle nuts if you have them, and drop the wheel and hub right out.

Now to reinstall the wheel and hub we will reverse these steps. Start by placing the wheel back into the rear fork dropout, making sure the chain sits correctly on the gear. Then tighten down the quick release or axle nuts

From here we will reinstall the ‘click box’ by lining up the pegs located on the hub with the two holes on the shifting assembly. Then place the assembly onto the pegs and shimmy it until it meets up flush with the hub.

Finally tighten down the thumbscrew.

Make sure the hub is shifting properly and then you are done!

We hope this article has helped you remove and reinstall the internally geared rear wheel on your trike. If you are reading this and looking to upgrade to an internally geared hub on your trike, check out the options we have on our website.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact our support team through email or call us and we will be happy to get back to you as soon as we can.

In the meantime, Relax. Spin Fast. Ride Trikes.