Wheel #2 Wins Race - Arrives First

I've been tracking the two wheel packages,unimaginatively labeled wheel #1 and wheel #2 for a couple weeks not knowing which package contains which wheel nor which box would arrive first.  I received wheel #2 today, which turns out to be the rear wheel ... mystery solved.  It looks like the crankset will come in second as status updates show it arriving in my state early this morning.

So, why did I go through the hassle of having wheels built in Germany?

1.  Price - For the price of a shipped Rohloff hub alone (from the US), I got not only the hub but also the entire wheel build, plus a Schmidt dynamo hub laced into a wheel from Germany (shipped).  The dynamo hub and wheel builds would have added hundreds of dollars on top of the hub price if ordered stateside ... $400+ for parts, plus the cost to build the wheels, plus shipping from the wheel builder.  Hallo Deutschland.

2.  Built to Rohloff spec - German wheel builders know Rohloff, with SpeedHubs being much more prevalent in Germany.  The hub, because of its large diameter, causes sharp spoke angles consequently Rohloff recommends specific rims, spokes, nipples and lace patterns.  Radsport Erdmann builds their Rohloff wheels according to this spec by default.  For anyone considering a Rohloff on 26" wheels, the spoke angle is even more extreme.  Ryde (formerly Rigida) Andra 30 rims have angled spoke holes explicitly designed for Rohloff hubs.

3.  Inclusiveness - Radsport Erdmann not only sent two expertly built wheels, they included a Rohloff OEM2 axle plate and a MonkeyBone rear brake adapter, two parts necessary to mount the wheel. Rohloff hubs generate torque that needs to be secured so the whole thing doesn't try to spin.  The Monkeybone brake adapter, unlike the Shimano version, has a Rohloff-specific tab on it.  The axle plate, which attaches to the outer hub, has a notch that straddles this tab, directing the hub's torque onto the Monkeybone, hence onto the frame.  Radsport Erdmann includes both the axle plate and adapter with the wheel.  Monkeybone adapters are a product of Cycle Monkey here in the states, so this adapter has been well traveled.