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Mountain Bikes


Like most humans, I, too, have succumbed to purchasing bikes designed for global averages and mass marketing. In all honesty, I hadn't given much thought to the concept of owning a custom bike, until recently. I had normalized the idea that bikes were manufactured in overseas factories and then purchased from bike shops with stock build kits. That's just how the world worked. Right?!

Over the past few decades, the industry has gradually eroded any appreciation for craftsmanship and the connection to the bicycle manufacturing process, replaced by a focus on over-the-top branding and nonsensical viral videos. It wasn't always that way. I'm old enough to remember a time when brands as big as <a href="http://www.vintage-trek.com/images/trek/93/Trek93.pdf" target="_blank">Trek were actually cool</a>. Back then, bikes were manufactured closer to home, and brands proudly emphasized their quality and authenticity alongside performance. 

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#### Finding WZRD.

Last year, I started considering getting a new bike for the type of riding I do and the terrain here on the island. I needed a bike that could handle our local chonky trails and also let me ride fast-gravel to connect a few different mountain biking zones. Since starting this site, my eyes have been opened to just how many custom builders and small batch brands there are out there. When I started getting to know some of the people directly, the idea of purchasing a big brand bike started to seem almost irresponsible. The authenticity that the big brands once flaunted had been passed down to a new breed of bike builder.

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Around the same time, Em from WZRD. posted about how "<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfmEoW2L8IZ/" target="_blank">XC will never die</a>" and it really struck a chord with me. I used to race in the 90s when things were simpler, before all the genre divergence. Back then, it was all about getting on your bike and riding as fast as you could over anything in front of you, whether it was gravel or singletrack. Em's words woke me up to the fact that I'm probably an XC rider—more than gravel or bikepacking, even. I loved Em's bikes and everything about WZRD. - no nonsense with a slap to the face of societal norms. I made a decision and messaged Em on the spot to see what was possible.

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#### Welcome to NEW COUNTRY

I didn't have many clear ideas on geometry but I knew I wanted an XC hardtail beefed out for local terrain. Em immediately understood what I was looking for and quickly whipped out a bikecad drawing that was very close to what I was after. Together, we decided on one small tweak to the HTA and locked in the design.

The result is what Em calls <em>New Country</em>. In Em's words “New Country takes everything you loved about your cross country bike - efficient, quick handling, comfortable pedaling position, two water bottles but removes all the things that scared you about your cross country bike - 70° head tube angles, paper thin tires.” All of this with a handpicked tubeset from Dedacciai, Tange, and Reynolds. It doesn't rely on yokes for clearance; instead, the ample clearance is achieved through the artful bending of steel. For me, the design strikes a perfect balance between a slack trail destroyer and a high-speed XC machine, allowing me to go anywhere I want. Purrrfect.

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        <th>Highlights</th>
        <th></th>
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        <td>Head Tube Angle:</td>
        <td>66°</td>
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    <tr>
        <td>Seat Tube Angle:</td>
        <td>75°</td>
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        <td>435mm</td>
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        <td>BB Drop:</td>
        <td>65mm</td>
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        <td>Wheels:</td>
        <td>NOBL TR35</td>
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    <tr>
        <td>Tires:</td>
        <td>Maxxis Rekon 29x2.3 w/ Cushcore XC</td>
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    <tr>
        <td>Fork:</td>
        <td>FOX 32 100mm</td>
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    <tr>
        <td>Drive:</td>
        <td>Shimano XT 12sp</td>
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#### Look & Build

For the look, I had a clear vision of an <a href="https://d2bkdfyoj2xgsx.cloudfront.net/stockmoduleprod/423722e0-72fa-4517-87aa-cc5fdc534b0d/3e4cf134-53f6-47b8-b10a-1d7986c57f23/JAGUAR-XJS-igXYK1DDwXezUAr5-LpON.jpg?maxwidth=3200&maxheight=3200&mode=max&t=20230527060013" target="_blank">80s Jaguar XJS in my head</a>, a car that my Dad's friend owned and blew my mind as a young child. I still adore the combination of British racing green, chrome trim, and tan interior to this day. The XJS is a perfect metaphor for a modern rig—long, low, and fast. However, I found an even better color example in my neighbor's large dumb truck, which I shared with Em as inspiration for the bike's color. A big shout-out to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kingpaintwerx/" target="_blank">King Paint Works</a> in Squamish for their amazing work on the color, especially the sun-catching metal flake. The final result exceeded my expectations and brought the whole thing to life.

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One crucial aspect that Em and I discussed was incorporating as many BC-based brands as possible into the build. Yet again I was blown away this time by the amount of representation of BC in the final product. We managed to secure some fantastic components from various local brands: <a href="https://noblwheels.com/" target="_blank">NOBL</a> TR35 wheels (stay tuned for a full review), an exceptional stem and brake adaptors from <a href="https://northshorebillet.com/" target="_blank">North Shore Billet</a> in Whistler, a <a href="https://chromagbikes.com/" target="_blank">Chromag</a> Lift saddle and dropper post, grips and a front chainring from <a href="https://www.oneupcomponents.com/" target="_blank">One Up Components</a>. Many of the finer details were filled with <a href="https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/" target="_blank">Wolf Tooth</a> components, which we can consider a BC brand for the purposes of this article (but don't tell them I said that). The entire setup is complemented by a lightweight XT 12-speed drivetrain and a 100mm Fox 32 fork, perfectly matching the overall color scheme. 

The result, in my mind, is the raddest looking bike I have ever seen. As I'm getting to know it better, I'm realizing that its ride is unlike anything I've experienced. It's sleek, low, and, most importantly, incredibly fast. The riding position feels unique, upright yet slightly leaned-over posture (🤷‍♂️), reaching over the bike rather than directly over the rear wheel like on an enduro bike. The 66-degree head tube angle and fork rake push the front wheel out in front, resulting in a quick and snappy front end. The fork lockout allows me to switch between fast-gravel and singletrack modes effortlessly. I still have a lot to learn about this machine, but even after a few rides, I can feel the bond beginning to form.

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#### Wrapping Up

Working with Em has completely transformed my outlook on bikes and how they are created. After this, I can never go back to mass manufactured bikes. Also, I've come to understand that getting a custom bike is more than just building something that fits your body; it's commissioning an artist. I must admit, I was a fan of WZRD. before embarking on this project, but I never fully grasped the level of dedication Em puts into their bikes. It's Em's unique tastes and extensive experience that shaped this bike into what it is. I was more than happy to take a backseat and let Em guide the way. I made a conscious effort to trade my need for control for a sense of excitement and surprise, and I'm incredibly grateful that I did. 

This machine is Em's creation—I'm just the lucky guy who gets to ride it.

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Barry partnered with WZRD. Bikes to develop a custom XC rig and gave rise to a new category of bikes: New Country.

WZRD. Bikes #45: Welcome to New Country

Recently, Barry teamed up with <a href="https://www.wzrd.bike" target="_blank">WZRD. Bikes</a> to craft a unique XC rig that suits his riding style for the local terrain. The project not only expanded his knowledge of custom bike building but also gave rise to a new category of bikes: New Country.

WZRD. Bikes #45: Introducing New Country

If you are looking for a new custom or small batch bike for gravel grinding, bikepacking or simply having some all-terrain fun, you have landed in the right spot.

28 All-Terrain Bike Builders & Brands For 2023

The theme for this year's list of all-terrain bike builders is “find your forever bike”. If you are looking for a new custom or small batch bike for gravel grinding, bikepacking or simply having some all-terrain fun, you have landed in the right spot. This year features builders from the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Netherlands, Australia, Spain and Malaysia! Get going.


At Bike Gear Database, we live in that no-man's land of cycling that confuses much of the industry where gravel and mountain collide. As much as we love the term ATB, in our opinion it doesn't always fully describe the entire category or range of bikes in it. To us, All-Terrain Bike conjures images of party-pace, flat bars rigs with seemingly old school MTB geometry. On the edge of ATB is a type of bike that we have jokingly started referring to as “grountain”. Grountain is definitely not our term but we think it effectively describes a more serious version of an ATB for endurance racing and deep backcountry single-tracking. <em>Growntain is ATB on steroids</em>.

The Yaupon from Chumba epitomizes this space. With its “adaptable” geometry the Yaupon can be set up as <em>anything for anything</em>—drop or flat bar, grinding gravel or flying down mountains, fully bagged or not. You decide. We absolutely love these unclassifiable bikes that are made to carry anything and go anywhere. We spoke with Vince Colvin the Director of Operations and Product Design at Chumba about the Yaupon and this specific titanium build that has us drooling all over our keyboard.

#### Who and what was the Yaupon designed for?

The Yaupon is designed for long days in the saddle riding singletrack and fire roads. It is loaded with features for the bikepacker and endurance rider from the material choices and geometry to the frame/top tube bag mounts and cargo bosses. If you like riding to the trail, then all day long or are looking for the perfect bikepacking ride you'll appreciate the thought put into our Yaupon models. 

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We have learned so much over the years building team bikes and riding with ultra athletes like Alexandera Houchin, Katie and Andrew Strempke. After meeting our design criteria we then see how far we can push the bikes outside of their intended comfort zone. We tested the Yaupon ATB with many combinations of parts across a wide range of trail conditions. From there we can really listen to the rider's goals and recommend the best configurations.

#### So...Yaupon?!

The Yaupon name comes from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex_vomitoria" target="_blank">Yaupon Holly plant</a>, which is the only indigenous plant in North America that you can brew a caffeinated drink from. Locally, it is found in our trail systems, usually with a thick grouping of green leaves and sometimes with a bright red berry which birds love to gobble up. We love names that you can say in different ways, some pronounce it Yau-pon some Yo-pawn. I enjoy how the openness of the name speaks conceptually to the duality of the frames design. Yes, I went to art school... Ha!

#### How does the Yaupon bike differ from your hardtail, the Sendero?

The best bikepacking bike should be totally adaptable for any route. Dropbars, mtb bars, suspension forks, rigid forks, 29er x 2.6” tires to 700x50mm or 27plus x 2.8”. One bike for any ride or event was the goal. After years of fitting riders to gravel bikes and endurance mountain bikes we saw a thread pairing wider drop bars to the shorter stems and slacker head tube angles like on our Sendero MTB.

Compared to our Sendero mtb the Yaupon's top tube and reach are shorter. While the Sendero with mtb bars is designed for 32-60mm stems, the Yaupon with mtb bars is designed for 40-90mm stems. For example: I am 6'1” and ride the large in both models. My Yaupon has a 50mm stem and Beacon XL drop bar 52cm. When I ride the Yaupon with MTB bars I run a 800mm wide bar with 14º sweep and a 90mm stem. On my Sendero a 50mm stem with 800mm wide and 9º sweep mtb bars. On both bikes my back angle is about the same. A more subtle difference on the Yaupon is we have more stack and a larger front triangle then the Sendero for a bigger frame bag zone.

The key to this is balancing the top tube and reach numbers with the seat tube angle. We are controlling the fit numbers and handlebar compatibility with those key measurements. On the Yaupon by pushing past traditional gravel top tube/reach lengths and into mtb territory we are able to unlock that shorter stem. The longer top tube and slack head tube angle give you a lot of confidence riding a drop bar bike on singletrack. This also gets the front wheel more out front then with a gravel/road top tube lengths/geometry. The seat tube angle and BB drop put you over the BB and inside the bike so traction is really predictable. 

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The Yaupon is a mountain bike that also fits a drop bar. It is a really different starting point to design an ATB from. We've noticed the majority of bikes in the drop bar MTB category are really just gravel bike geometries with larger tire clearances. The Sendero is our go to for something more downcountry, trail or XC focused. Don't run a dropbar on the Sendero. The Sendero is pure mtb and intended to be a fast bike that can handle really technical courses and stay playful.

#### So what's your beef with gravel bike geometry on a dropbar mtb?

Riding a 100mm stem with a gravel width bar is great on a gravel road on something like our Terlingua with a smaller tire and lower fork axle to crown. On a bike like the Yaupon, designed for races like the Tour Divide and singletrack, a shorter stem, wider bar and slacker head tube angle equals a much more capable bike in the tech, less chance for an OTB and more predictable handling off-road. The Yaupon is designed to be capable. Wide bars also equal more bag space. It all goes back to wanting one endurance bike, the most capable for the widest variation in course conditions whether you build it dropbar or with an MTB bar.

#### What can you tell us about the Ti Space Yoke?

The space yoke is a 3-d printed, or additive printed, titanium chainstay yoke. The goal here is to provide broad tire and chainring compatibility with the maximum amount of mud clearance. Without the yoke we can't run the massive 22.2mm chainstays and hit the same tire/ring specs. They are super strong, built of 6/4 titanium and heat treated to a Roll Royce Aircraft certification level. We've completely designed the yoke and invested in FEA structural testing to optimize the strength to weight ratio. They are made for us with our own design here in the USA. The downside is they are costly to produce. So, we are happy to announce here we are now offering the Yaupon Ti and Sendero Ti also without the yoke for $3595, $400 lower than with the yoke. Now you can choose either option at 2 different price points.

All of our first prototypes on both models were made with double butted oval chainstays, those frames are still going strong. So this is what you will get for the new lower price. Chainring clearances are nearly the same. Tire clearances are nearly the same. So why choose one over the other? Ride quality!

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#### Why the 22.2mm chainstay with the 3D Space Yoke?

Use this for the most responsive ride quality. This works best for those who like to get rowdy, carry more weight on the bike or want the most performance out of every pedal stroke. Fits a 2.6” tire all the way forward in the sliding dropout.

#### Why the double butted oval chainstay?

Use this for the smoothest ride experience. The full tube is 3/2.5 titanium so it has more compliance built in and for a lighter rider or those not tackling as rough of terrain it can provide a supple ride quality. Fits a 2.6” tire in the middle of the sliding dropout.

#### What's amazing about this specific (pictured) build? 

This Yaupon Titanium was built specifically for ultra-racing on singletrack and gravel. Its rider just completed the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stagecoach400/?hl=en" target="_blank">Stagecoach 400</a> on it! The build features a 48cm ENVE G Series Handlebar wrapped in comfy Wolf Tooth Supple tape, ENVE 35mm stem, carbon post for comfort. A SRAM 12 speed XO1 AXS drivetrain to a 34T oval chainring. For some events they may opt for a 36T oval. The wheelset runs the reliable Schmidt SON Boost Thru Axle SON Dynamo hub to a Chris King rear hub on carbon We Are One hoops, handbuilt here at Chumba. The Force AXS levers have been paired to Level TLM Calipers for mtb level stopping power. Fast Vittoria Mezcal tires are a favorite choice among Yaupon riders, and in this case they paired it to a lightweight, but feature-packed ENVE MTN Boost Carbon fork. For a bikepacking bike this is a light/fast setup! We also sourced the complete Dispersed bag set and a full on-trail repair kit including many small parts, tubeless repair kits, Chumba/Silca Mini-pump, a curved needle kit, and multitool.

#### How invested is Chumba in the ATB market?

We are all in! We have been designing and riding bikepacking bikes for 9 years now. The first few years we had some of the first 29 and 27.5 plus bikes out there. Over the years we've always tried to offer our bikes with the broadest compatibility and the Yaupon ATB (All Terrain Bike) is the example of where this area of the market will be in the next 5 years. You can already see it coming with more gravel bikes designed around suspension forks and more bikes pointed specifically towards bikepacking.

Riders ask a lot of their bikes doing events like the Colorado Trail Race, Arizona Trail Race and Tour Divide, an ATB is particularly suited to being the ideal bike for any of those routes. Easily optimized for each trail or event.  Unique to the ATB category is compatibility with the latest 120mm travel forks and the ability to ride with drop or mtb handlebars paired to these shorter stem lengths.

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#### Are any of your riders currently riding a Yaupon?

Yes, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jerodfoster/" target="_blank">Jerod Foster</a> aided us with feedback on our first Yaupon prototype during the route building of the Great Plains Project. He has been riding his Yaupon with dropbars, SRAM AXS 1x12 gearing, 120mm suspension and rigid forks.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/alexanderahouchin/" target="_blank">Alexandera Houchin</a> will be racing a Yaupon Titanium as a single speed with MTB bars on this years Tour Divide! We are in the process of building her bike up right now to prepare for the event. We'll be posting an in-process view of this soon, so people can follow along from raw tubes to a complete bike!

Also, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/henley.phillips/" target="_blank">Henley Phillips</a> is about to tackle a yo-yo thru-hike then bikepacking back to the South trailhead with his Yaupon as a mtn handlebar configuration.

#### In-house fabrication and locally sourced materials? 

Yes, all of our bikes are made in the USA. We build our bikes in our shop at Chumba USA HQ in Austin, TX.   All of our materials are sourced within North America with some shipping to us from Canada. Our titanium tubing is domestic and certified. We use many USA made frame components as well like Paragon Machine Works dropouts, head tubes, bottom brackets and our 3-d Space Yoke is made here as well.

Frames and complete builds are all made to order. We have loads of customization options to choose from. Each frame goes through a multitude of quality and alignment checks, tubes are meticulously cleaned, mitered and deburred then cleaned again before welding. Many of our finish options we perform inhouse or with our local painters. Generally, we build Ti in batches of 4 frames at a time and steel in batches of 7-9. A titanium frame takes us about 2.5 times as long to produce as one steel frame.

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jRgt1e7Bpq8" frameBorder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>

#### Can you put the new SRAM Transmission on a Yaupon?

<a href="https://chumbausa.com/blog/2023/3/31/sram-transmission-compatibility-is-here" target="_blank">Yes</a>.

#### How much does a Yaupon cost and how do we get one? 

Our Yaupon Titanium with the SpaceYoke is $3995. Our Yaupon Titanium w/ oval chainstay is $3695. Our Yaupon Steel is $1895, but currently on sale for $1695! Complete builds range from $4K and up. You can order them directly <a href="https://chumbausa.com/yaupon-titanium-mountain-bike-29er-27plus" target="_blank">from us</a> or if you are local to one of the dealers we've partnered with, we recommend you work with them.

#### Thanks, Vince.

Last summer, Chumba Bikes introduced the Yaupon, an endurance-focused ATB designed to be adaptable for pretty much any terrain you can throw at it.

The Titanium Chumba Yaupon: ATB++

<a href="https://chumbausa.com/" target="_blank">Chumba</a> is a family-owned business that builds stunning gravel and mountain bikes out of steel and titanium in Austin, Texas. Last summer, Chumba introduced the <a href="https://chumbausa.com/yaupon-steel-mountain-bike-29er-27plus" target="_blank">Yaupon</a>, an endurance-focused ATB designed to be adaptable for pretty much any terrain you can throw at it. 


A friend recently introduced me to the work of Dickson Bou, an indie frame builder based in London, Ontario, Canada. Coming across new builders in Canada is one of my favorite things and I loved what Dickson was doing immediately. Dickson's business, Wake Robin Cycles, specializes in creating custom, handmade frames, stems, racks, and accessories. Dickson's ultimate goal is to be a "constructeur," crafting unique and beautiful bikes in collaboration with his clients.

Wake Robin's bicycles strike a nice balance between modernity and nostalgia, thanks in part to Dickson's unconventional entry into the world of frame building. He started by hacking old steel road frames and converting them to gravel machines, which inspired his love for classic lugged steel. His bikes are a testament to the beauty of simplicity, and it's easy to long for the bygone era of lugged steel when looking at his creations. He recently finished a build for his friend Ben that optimizes much of this feeling into a stunning machine simply called the 'Single-Speed ATB'.

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#### How long have you been doing your thing?

I have been modifying my toys since I was young. I turned my regular Batman into Arctic Batman and poured layers of white glue over the faces of my G.I. Joes, then painted them and made masks for them. I kit-bashed model kits and built things I wanted but didn't have. In University, I studied Visual Arts, specializing in sculpture and installation, which further developed my problem-solving skills.

After Grad school, I opened a used bike shop with a friend. Unfortunately, the shop closed due to covid. That shop provided an environment and space for me to explore frame building. I started rebuilding old steel racing frames, usually of higher quality tubing like Columbus SL or Reynolds 531. I would convert the wheel size from 700c to 650b to run tires as big as 42mm wide. I dimpled the chainstays and put long-reach brakes on. I was interested in riding trails, gravel roads, and rail trails outside the city. I made them look like French Randonneur bikes equipped with fenders and racks. Eventually, I wanted to do more to the frames, build and design my racks, and add brake bosses, rack tabs, and other braze-ons, so I bought a torch off Kijiji (Craigslist of Canada). I watched videos and looked at photos on the internet, and just experimented. I had a Mariposa around the same time and made friends with them, and got to see their shop. I'd send photos to  <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Barry_(cyclist)" target="_blank">Michael Barry Jr.</a> of my brazing, and he'd give me pointers on what I could do. It wasn't like a lesson or anything like that, just tips. Having someone to ask questions and point me in the right direction was very helpful and reassuring for me. Anyway, I eventually built a fork for an old Miyata Two-Ten, so I could fit 650x48mm tires and then a frame around that fork. I still ride that bike regularly, but it runs 26x2.0 wheels and tires now. I guess to answer your question, I feel I've been doing my thing, being a maker, for most of my life.

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#### What were the design goals for this machine?

The geometry of this bike is specifically designed to handle the variety of roads we ride here in Southern Ontario. Most of the trails are flat and run alongside rivers, while the gravel roads are straight and open, and can get pretty windy. The front end of the bike works well in those conditions, and the overall goal was to create a lively-feeling bike that can handle any kind of road.

To build the main triangle of the frame, I used Rene Herse's extra light <a href="https://www.renehersecycles.com/shop/equipment/framebuilding/kaisei-tubeset-superlight/" target="_blank">Kaisei tubing</a>, Kaisei seat stays, and stiffer/thicker-walled Reynolds chainstays. This tubeset works particularly well for me since I'm on the smaller side, but Ben's feedback was invaluable in determining how the tubes would perform for larger frames. If you can get in sync with the flex that the extra light tubes provide, the ride will be lively, and your legs will feel great even after a long day in the saddle.

In this region, we generally travel on paved and gravel roads with some short trails that connect the roads. Ben prefers to bike to the trail instead of driving, so the bike had to perform well on paved roads as well. The smaller 26-inch wheels with 2.0-2.2 tires have roughly the same diameter as a 700c with 23mm tires, which allows us to keep the frame closer to road bike geometry. These wheels also give the bike more nimble handling, especially when climbing out of the saddle, which Ben does frequently since he runs only one gear!

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#### This bike makes me pine for the old days and the simplicity of what bikes used to be.

I personally enjoy the appearance and sensation of a high-quality vintage frame. Good is simple, and simplicity lasts longer. I prefer items that are easy to fix. I just want to have things that I would still want to own ten or twenty years down the road. These things usually end up being simple, nice-looking, well-made, and well-designed.

#### Lugs not drugs?

Bicycles don't need lugs, it's more work to build with lugs and you are restricted to a handful of angles available, mainly road geometry angles. However, I personally use lugs because I appreciate the appearance, the process, and the opportunity it provides me to be more innovative with the aesthetics of the joint. My goal is to construct bikes that glide over rough terrain and yet ride like a road or rando bike, therefore I adhere closely to road geometry and lugs. Lugs were common back in the day, but now they feel special, and I like to build bikes that are special to me and to the owner. I have no interest in building a bike that is like one that you can get from a production frame company. 

<table>
    <tr>
        <th>Highlights</th>
        <th></th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Headtube:</td>
        <td>73°</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Seat Tube:</td>
        <td>73°</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Stack/Reach:</td>
        <td>565mm/405mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>BB Drop:</td>
        <td>60mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Bottom Bracket:</td>
        <td>BSC square taper</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Chainstay:</td>
        <td>460mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Tire Clearance:</td>
        <td>Ultradynamco Mars 26x2.2</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Price:</td>
        <td>Frame/fork $3000 CAD (+$200 for lightweight tubing), Custom WR stem +$400, custom WR front rack +$400 (chromed)</td>
    </tr>
</table>

#### That fork crown is something else. What can you tell us about it?

It's a Pacenti MTB fork crown, designed by Kirk Pacenti. It's beautiful, has good clearance, and is light in weight for what it is. It's special and I like special. 

#### How long did this build take? What was the process?

I think this build took a little over a month, maybe two. I work part-time at the University student art gallery and spend a few days each week at my parent's restaurant. Since Ben's build, I've also started working at the professional gallery on campus. As a result, it takes longer now to produce new builds. At one point, I was aiming to build one frame a month, but I eventually decided to focus on the frame at hand and make it really good, without getting too caught up in the number of frames I'm producing per year. I'm more interested in building for many years than in the quantity of Wake Robins I can release into the world. I think I can achieve that by building slowly, at a pace that I'm comfortable with. It's also important to me that I build the bikes I want to build. As long as I'm consistently building frames and learning, I'm happy. Having income from elsewhere allows me to focus on frame-building and worry less about bills.

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I knew Ben before building this bike, so it was easy to understand his wants and demands for the bike. We still talked a lot before and during the process, and I showed him what I was doing along the way to see his thoughts. Doing that gave me a better idea of his vision, and it helped me create something that was both ours. I don't have a fixed process, and I've never made art following any predetermined instructions too closely. It's not that I don't have a plan, but I like taking steps because each step affects the next. For example, Ben wanted the stem to be paint-matched to the frame from the start, but it wasn't something I was into, so I gently tried to convince him to leave it chrome-plated. After talking more with Ben, I realized he was referencing old mountain bikes that had painted stems. From that point on, I looked at it differently, and now it's one of my favorite parts of his bike. I try to keep an open mind and listen as much as I can to understand the person I'm building for.

#### Is there any meaning to 'Wake Robin'?

Ontario's provincial flower is the trillium, which can be seen in white patches throughout the forest in early spring. The rarer dark red variety, known as "wakerobin", tends to grow alone and is larger. I decided to use this as the name for my brand because I didn't want to use my own name, and I thought it would be cool to have a made-up, gender-neutral name. I like that wakerobins have ties to Ontario, where I live and ride my bike. I split the name to make it look like a builder's name on the downtube: "WAKE ROBIN". Beyond those reasons, I simply like the way it looks and sounds. Sometimes I even receive emails that start with "Hello Wake, ...".

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#### Any other interesting projects in Wake Robin's future?

I am collecting parts for a frame that I am building for myself. It will have 26-inch wheels, extra-light tubes, 3 Rensho lugs, a Crust fork crown, and I am planning to use the new <a href="https://www.renehersecycles.com/shop/components/derailleurs/nivex-rear-derailleur/" target="_blank">Rene Herse Nivex rear derailleur</a>. I plan to have two sets of wheels: one with slicks and one with knobbies. The slick set will have custom 26-inch Velocity Quill rims in 28-hole anodized gray. I got them from Jonny of Jonny Cycles, who requested a custom run of 26-inch Quills from Velocity. It will be pretty special.

#### How do we get one?

You can contact me on <a href="https://www.wakerobincycles.com/" target="_blank">our website</a> or DM on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wake_robin_cycles/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

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Wake Robin Cycles recently finished a custom build that bakes in some modern ideas into a very nostalgic yet fun looking all-terrain bike.

The Wake Robin ATBSS: All-Terrain & Luggerific

Dickson Bou builds frames under his brand <a href="https://www.wakerobincycles.com/" target="_blank">Wake Robin Cycles</a> from London, Ontario, Canada. He recently finished a stunning custom build for his friend Ben that bakes in some modern ideas into a very nostalgic yet fun looking all-terrain bike. Let's go.


Last summer, my 7-year-old son Huxley suddenly became embarrassed by his Star Wars-themed BMX and asked for a <a href="/stories/trips/our-first-overnighter">hardtail mountain bike</a>. As a parent, I was thrilled to hear this, but I soon discovered that finding the right bike for kids is a real hassle. While the sizing and other technical aspects seem easy enough on paper, it's a whole different ball game when it comes to actually putting your child on the bike and seeing if it's the right fit. Additionally, kids' bikes seem to hold their value just as well as classic Porsches, making it almost impossible to find a good bike at a reasonable price. To make matters worse, many kids' bike manufacturers don't seem to care about making cool bikes - their main focus is simply ensuring that they can fit a wide range of children globally.

However, all of this goes away if your dad happens to be Daren Eric of Woodpecker Cycles. Woodpecker has been building some impressive steel hardtails since 2022. On the surface, Woodpecker's designs seem clean and functional, but upon further inspection, a ton of interesting details emerge. A couple of weeks ago, Daren and I got to chatting about a new build he was doing for his 8-year-old daughter, Rey, and he showed me a picture of the bike in fabrication. I was instantly blown away by the thoughtfulness, radness, and love poured into the project. The bike is called the Li'l Bill, named after the regular-sized Woodpecker hardtail, the <a href="https://www.woodpeckercycleco.com/projects-6" target="_blank">Billy Boy</a>.

Kids are people too, and damn straight, the bikes they ride deserve the same attention as ours. So, without further ado, let's chat with Daren about this stunning kids' ripper.

#### How did this project start?

Last winter, my 8-year-old daughter's 20” plus bike from Specialized was stolen from our front porch. I decided to build her a new bike, and after considering parts availability from big manufacturers, we landed on a 24” bike. Tires and forks (although forks were slightly more challenging to find) had become more accessible in the last couple of years.

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#### What was the idea behind the project?

The main idea was to build a kids' hardtail with aesthetically pleasing proportions and modern standards. I also aimed for it to be able to fit a 26” tire once she grows a bit, although that idea might be a bit of a stretch since it would raise the bb significantly, and I would need a longer stem. However, we'll cross that bridge when we get there! The rear can fit a 26” x 2.4 tire with the axle slid to the rear.

#### Can kids bikes be awesome?

They have to be. Kids deserve to have nice things. We spend a lot of money to enjoy a bike for ourselves for one year, maybe two, and then we get something new. If our kids are into riding they too deserve a nice bike. Having a nicer bike will also make them a better rider and also they'll learn to enjoy and respect the outdoors.

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#### How does building a kids bike differ from a regular bike?

Quite a lot. Proportions are obviously all smaller but also kids aren't as comfortable on a super tall stretched out bike. Cranks are smaller, and the gearing needs to provide plenty of range because they can't produce the same power that an adult can produce. The dropper post actually serves a huge purpose. It allows a child to mount and dismount the bike, with it in the low position, and then raise the seat to an optimal riding position.

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    <tr>
        <th colspan="2">Geometry 😍</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Headtube:</td>
        <td>65°</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Seat Tube:</td>
        <td>72°</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Stack/Reach:</td>
        <td>515mm/330mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>BB Drop:</td>
        <td>25mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Bottom Bracket:</td>
        <td>73mm/T47</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Chainstay:</td>
        <td>370-390mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Tire Clearance:</td>
        <td>24x2.8 - 26x2.4</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Price:</td>
        <td> $3750 USD: includes kids specific parts, a travel adjust dropper and your choice of powder coat</td>
    </tr>
</table>

#### How long do you expect your daughter will be able to ride this machine?

I am hoping that we can get a couple years out of it.  I have two younger daughters, 4 and 6 so it will continue to live on!

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#### How about that build kit?

The build kit is pretty neat on this! I'll mainly detail the kids' specific parts! The frame is 4130 with deda stays and a tapered headtube. The fork is a MRP Raven 27.5. MRP did some work on the internals to drop the fork to 475 ATC at 90mm travel. Boost front and rear wheels have Industry 9 1/1 hubs, Stans Crest rims 24” 32h and Maxxis Minion DHF 24 x 2.4. The crankset is a  Prevelo Heir Crank in 140mm length that fits a DM chainring. The Tektro m285 stoppers are affordable and have a lot of reach adjustment making it easier for smaller hands to grasp. The saddle is a SDG fly junior saddle that looks like an adult saddle, but fits a kid! Win! The rest of the parts are standard mtb parts-11 speed XT drivetrain and a 125mm dropper. 

#### What will your daughter use the bike for?

Trips to the park and learning to ride singletrack. Maybe pick some berries or ride to school?

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#### Is this a one-off or can I get one for my kids?

Sure! Everything is available. I would like to get the weight down a bit (25 lbs) but it has a pretty serious tube set on it right now. I think with a bit of work I can get the weight down to closer to 21-22 lbs without too much extra cost. Nicer bars and xc tires would be a good start. I also plan on using the Manitou Junnit 24” fork in the future.

#### Any other Woodpecker projects in the pipeline?

There's a big tire gravel bike in the jig right now. Next I'm doing a single pivot full suspension! I'm pretty excited about that one. This year, I am taking it easy on the builds and focusing on having fun with it. I like building but the summer in Washington is short, so I have to balance family, riding, and building!

If you want a Li'll Bill for the li'l rider in your life, get in touch with Daren over <a href="https://www.instagram.com/woodpeckercycleco/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

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Daren Eric of Woodpecker Cycles completed a stellar build for his 8 year old daughter, Rey. We adore the planning, skill and love that went into this bike. 

The Li'l Bill Kids Mountain Bike by Woodpecker Cycle Co.

Recently, Daren Eric of <a href="https://www.woodpeckercycleco.com/" target="_blank">Woodpecker Cycle Co.</a> in Lacey, Washington completed a stellar build for his 8 year old daughter, Rey. We absolutely adore the planning, skill and love that went into this bike. Our conversation with Daren covers the challenges of building smaller bikes, and how children deserve good bikes too. Let's go.

The Li'l Bill by Woodpecker Cycle Co.


In most aspects of life, I approach the world with a sense of openness and curiosity. I am always intrigued by new ideas, innovation, and progress, and I embrace technology and remain optimistic for the future. However, this openness disappears completely when it comes to bikes. Many people out there would dismiss a folding 20” bike immediately, and I know this because <em>I am one</em>. I have been a big-wheel, steel-framed purist my entire life, and anything outside of my narrow scope is immediately dismissed and considered folly. I once had someone tell me that “you can do anything on any bike”, and as much as I understood the lesson, I promptly ignored and forgot about it—that is, until meeting the All-Packa.

As I get older I do notice that my mind is opening to change and new ideas concerning cycling as well. After all, what kind of bike writer would I be if I wasn't open to change? In fact, I relish the opportunity to have my preconceptions challenged and proven wrong. Over the years, I have been introduced to countless products that have fundamentally changed the way I approach cycling; despite this, the notion of going off-road cycling and bikepacking on a 20" foldable bike still seemed far-fetched to me. But as I began speaking with the team at Bike Friday to arrange a review of their All-Packa bike, I found myself becoming more open to the idea of trying something different. 

I have been bikepacking for the past five years, and for the last four I have been using the same bike. Perhaps there is a whole other dimension to bikepacking that I have not yet experienced, and the All-Packa could be the tool to break open my closed-mindedness to different forms of cycling. In this review, I will do my best to identify all the moments when my mind was changed.

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#### About Bike Friday

Bike Friday, a leader in the folding bike scene, was founded in 1991 by Hanz and Alan Scholz in Eugene, Oregon. The company was initially named Green Gear Cycling but later took on the name of their signature product, the Bike Friday. Hanz and Alan have a rich history in the industry inventing famous products, such as the Burley trailer and tandem bikes. While I read a lot of bike company histories and about pages, I rarely suggest reading them. However, if you are considering purchasing any machine from Bike Friday, I highly recommend taking five minutes to read their <a href="https://bikefriday.com/our-story" target="_blank">about page</a>. It's a well-written and fascinating story that uncovers the people behind the company, their values, and how the whole thing started.

#### Getting An All-Packa

In my mind, there seems to be tension between the ideas of 'custom' and 'folding' bikes, but the All-Packa changed that perspective pretty quickly (Mind Change #1). Each All-Packa is uniquely custom-built for each rider by the skilled Bike Friday team. Almost every aspect of the bike is customizable, including colors, cabling and build. The All-Packa is available with a 1x or 2x 9-speed drivetrain and can accommodate riders up to 220 lbs. For an additional $350 USD, you can upgrade to the All-Terrain package, which includes features like upgraded cranks, tubeless-ready wheels, sealed cartridge bearings, and hydraulic disc brakes. And for $850 more, you can get the All-Packa with E-Assist. Although you can order the bike online, with so many options available it may be worth consulting with the Bike Friday team to ensure your All-Packa is perfect for you. The All-Packa I received for review was a hybrid of the All-Terrain and regular build options.

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My test All-Packa had an interesting journey to Vancouver Island, but let's just say it was built to withstand the adventure. Upon arrival, it came with its own Samsonite suitcase and was ready to go. From the very beginning, it was clear that the All-Packa was a beautiful machine, which is not something I typically say about folding bikes (Mind Change #2). With its beefy appearance and sturdy kickstand  (Kickstand?! Mind Change #3), it looked ready for action. The charcoal gray color with its lustrous finish and contrasting red cabling only added to its appeal. If its performance matched its appearance, I was in for quite a treat.

#### Learning The All-Packa

From the first pedal stroke, I knew that getting to know the All-Packa would be a lot of fun. The All-Packa has a different feel than anything I have ever ridden before, and that takes some getting used to. Moving from 29” to 20” is a big change. I haven't been on 20” tires since my Boa Constrictor BMX in 1983. The first thing I had to adjust to is that a 20” bike handles with a very quick turning radius. While this adds to the zippiness of the ride, it might be something you want to be aware of when trying the All-Packa for the first time.

It also took me a few tries to adjust my saddle position and seat height because when sitting on the bike and looking down, all the lines are completely different from a normal bike. The top tube seems like it's in a different world and the down tube meets the bottom bracket at an angle, poking out from under the top tube. In high gear, the chain line almost seems to go into the wheel. All of this is very strange for someone new to 20” folding bikes, but I probably shouldn't be looking down anyway. The biggest challenge was getting used to the play or wobble in the handlebars. This wobble is understandable when considering the distance from the headtube to the stem. This may sound worrisome, but it's not. I ended up getting used to it pretty quickly, and wow, the All-Packa flies!

<table>
    <tr>
        <th>Highlights</th>
        <th></th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Max Tire Clearance:</td>
        <td>20 x 2.4</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Weight:</td>
        <td>27 lbs (38 lbs with electric assist)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Frame Bosses:</td>
        <td>16 (!!!)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Upgrades:</td>
        <td>All Terrain Package: tubeless wheels, crankset</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Handlebar:</td>
        <td>Bike Friday Packalope Bar</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Price:</td>
        <td>$2,495 USD</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Frame Only:</td>
        <td>$1,595 USD</td>
    </tr>
</table>

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#### Ride & Glide

Although I had never ridden with many of the drive components that came on the All-Packa—such as the <a href="https://www.microshift.com/products/groups/r9/" target="_blank">MicroSHIFT R9</a> rear derailleur, <a href="https://www.koozer.net/" target="_blank">Koozer Hubs</a>, and Racework cranks—they proved to be impressive. Upon looking into the MicroSHIFT R9, I found that it was a road derailleur chosen for its cage length. Being a loyal SRAM fan, I was initially skeptical of the MicroSHIFT, but it proved to be solid and dependable (Mind Change #4). In fact, all of the component decisions made by Bike Friday and how they all come together is near magical. The gearing is smooth as butter, and power transfer is more than efficient. Prior to trying the bike, I had concerns about lateral movement from the folding hinges and extra release points for folding, but the bike remains fully solid in motion (Mind Change #5). It's hard to describe the sensation, but with most of the bike close to the ground and almost no friction in the drive, the whole experience feels similar to flying.

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As my confidence in the All-Packa grew, it was time to put it to the test fully packed and in the chonk. I rode the bike on many of our local trails which ranged from technical singletrack to crushed gravel. Initially, I had some doubts whether the bike would be suitable for the terrain in BC due to small wheels and big mountains. However, the gearing ratios were not a concern as the 1x 44t chainring and 11-40t cassette provided enough ratio to climb almost everything—even when fully loaded (Mind Change #6). That being said, the 20” wheels are (obviously) not ideal for hardcore singletrack and I did find myself slipping more than once on the slick tread of the <a href="https://shop.odysseybmx.com/products/odyssey-path-pro-tire" target="_blank">Odyssey Path Pro</a> tires. If this were my All-Packa, I would consider finding a set of <a href="https://shop.odysseybmx.com/collections/odyssey-tires/products/odyssey-aitken-knobby-tire-black" target="_blank">knobby BMX tires</a>. One other challenge I faced in the chonk was bombing downhill. The front end wobble I mentioned above can cause one to second-guess themselves while descending on thicker gravel. Nevertheless, this terrain might be beyond what the All-Packa is intended for, and it doesn't seem fair to blame the bike for it.

#### All-Packed Up

As I prepped the All-Packa with my latest bikepacking setup, I began to feel increasingly at ease with it. The bike felt rock-solid in every way, and packing it up for a trip was actually enjoyable. I love bikepacking, but I have to admit that I usually find getting my bike setup a bit of a chore. However, with the All-Packa, I was able to rethink my entire setup thanks to the numerous mounts and exposed areas on the frame. There seemed to be mounts on every available spot, including triple mounts on the seat tube, a quadruple mount (!!!!) on the top tube, triple mounts on the down tube, and on each fork blade. Riding the All-Packa while fully bagged didn't seem to have much of an impact on the ride or handling. This was likely due to the fact that most of the weight was so low, resulting in minimal changes to the bike's handling. Love.

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The small size of the inner triangle on the All-Packa may initially seem like a concern for any serious bikepacker, but there is no need to worry. The space can still be used effectively for packing purposes. A great option for this is a specially designed frame bag from Take A Trip, a company based in Bend, Oregon. This bag is designed specifically for the All-Packa and fits snugly into the narrow and sharply angled space in the triangle. It is a well-constructed and durable bag, with the added feature of a high-visibility interior. Although the bag is an additional purchase, it is definitely worth it and can be easily purchased from Take A Trip's <a href="https://www.takeatripbags.com/product/bike-friday-framebag/" target="_blank">website</a>.

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Folding the All-Packa is a breeze and can be done in just 30 seconds, which is incredibly quick and convenient. The process is easy to learn, taking only a minute or so to master. To begin, loosen the quick release on the head tube, then press the bearing and lift the handlebars up and off. Next, loosen the quick release on the seat tube and pull the bike up by the top tube. And just like that, you'll have a compact package that can easily fit into the trunk of your small car or suitcase for international travel. Very cool (Mind Change #7). I didn't have the opportunity to travel further-than-car distance with the All-Packa, but I am currently planning a trip to France in April and am planning on bringing my gravel bike with me. I cannot stress how much of a pain in the butt this is. Would I bring the All-Packa if I didn't have to give it back? Undoubtedly.

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#### Wrapping Up

If you were counting along, there were seven mind changes in the above review, which in itself is amazing. The All-Packa has probably taught me something about myself. I tend to get stuck in my ways and find comfort in my tried and true methods. However, trying out the All-Packa has shown me that it's important to keep an open mind and be willing to try new things. It's easy to get comfortable with what we know and what we're used to, but sometimes stepping out of that comfort zone can lead to new experiences and opportunities.

The All-Packa is a wonderfully confusing little thing—and perfect for bikepacking on gravel roads, doubletrack, and light singletrack. It exudes quality: for the price point, you can't ask for a better off-road foldable bike, even if there was another one on the market. Its unique design and components make it a standout in the world of foldable bikes. While it may not be the perfect bike for every terrain, it certainly has its strengths and can hold its own on the trails. It's versatile, easy to pack and transport, and has the potential to open up a whole new world of adventure for those willing to take the leap and give it a try.

A complete All-Packa starts at $2,495. Get it <a href="https://bikefriday.com/product/bike-friday-all-packa" target="_blank">here</a>.

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Read our review of the All-Packa by Bike Friday: one of the world's first folding bikepacking bikes handcrafted in Eugene, Oregon.

Bike Friday All-Packa Review: Good Thing Small Package

The <a href="https://bikefriday.com/product/bike-friday-all-packa" target="_blank">All-Packa</a> is one of the world's first folding 20" bikepacking bikes crafted by the wonderful humans at <a href="https://bikefriday.com/" target="_blank">Bike Friday</a> in Eugene, Oregon. Over the past few months, Barry has been getting to know this lovely, sturdy little machine, and it has even taught him something about himself. Let's go!

Bike Friday All-Packa: Good Thing Small Package


Bender Bikes is a small but mighty bike company founded by Will Bender, a bike builder hailing from Fort Collins, Colorado. I've been following Will's work for the past couple of years and am constantly impressed by the clean and modern designs he puts out. One thing that clearly sets Bender Bikes apart from other builders is Will's creative use of color.

Will comes from a design and architectural background and approaches his craft with a unique perspective. Instead of sticking to traditional designs and color schemes, Will finds inspiration in different ways. For example, his first eye-catching bike, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg4We4yuMEW/" target="_blank">the Sherbet bike</a> broke cycling-Instagram and made many of us reconsider all the dark, bland machines we have been riding.

His latest creation, the Sunset Hardtail, built for his customer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/msoosh22/" target="_blank">Michael Kim</a>, takes this to the next level with a tri-tone fade and spectacularly colored Paul and 5Dev components that complement the whole thing. The result is something that we have never really seen before and something that would stand out no matter where you ride. Swoon.

Photos by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/embryrucker/" target="_blank">Embry Rucker</a>. Build video by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/velohangar/" target="_blank">Velohangar</a>.

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#### First the Sherbert bike and now the Sunset. Where do you find your color inspiration?
My color inspiration comes from lots of different places. I would say the most common things I look at are vintage cars, art, architecture, and fashion. Even with the abundance of info and images on the internet, I like to go to old-school sources like books. However, a lot of the time, my clients also bring their own ideas and colors as well. This gives us a great place to start on a collaborative design.

This bike was a collaborative effort between my customer, Michael and I. Michael had already purchased some of the blue and purple parts, so I thought that it would be a great idea to compliment those colors. Michael also really liked the peachy color and wanted to try and incorporate that color, so it naturally progressed into the 3 color fade. On top of that, we add the cream speckle. This is an effect I have done on a few frames now, and it is quickly becoming one of my favorites. 

<table>
    <tr>
        <th>Highlights</th>
        <th></th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Headtube:</td>
        <td>66°</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Seat Tube:</td>
        <td>74.5°</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Stack/Reach:</td>
        <td>637mm/476mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>BB Drop:</td>
        <td>62mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Bottom Bracket:</td>
        <td>73mm threaded</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Chainstay:</td>
        <td> 430mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Tire Clearance:</td>
        <td>29x2.6</td>
    </tr>
</table>

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#### The bike seems loud and subtle at the same time. How is that possible?
The colors are bold, but they complement each other, creating a more subtle overall effect. Additionally, using parts that match the colorway of the frame helps blend the whole bike together.

#### Do you do your own color?
I do all my own designs and colorways, but I don't physically paint them. All my bikes are painted by <a href="https://fluxcustoms.com/" target="_blank">Flux Customs</a> in Denver, CO. Chris has been an excellent person to work with and is a super-talented painter. 

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#### There's a beautiful bike under all that fade too...
Thanks!  For me, the goal with every bike I build is not only to create something beautiful, but also something functional, versatile, and built to last. A well-designed bike should not only look great, but should perform well under a wide range of conditions, and stand the test of time.

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#### Beyond color, what makes Bender stand out?
When it comes to building bikes, my philosophy is about combining form and function in a way that truly stands out. Each bike I create is carefully crafted to fit its rider, with a focus on enhancing the overall riding experience. But for me, building a custom bike is about more than just the final product itself. It's about creating a seamless, enjoyable, and educational process for every customer.

That's why I put a lot of thought into the "Bender experience." From the initial consultation to the final touches on the build, I want my customers to feel involved and invested in the process every step of the way. Whether you're an experienced cyclist or a complete novice, my goal is to make the process easy, fun, and informative for everyone. 

#### What is happening with that chainstay yoke?
I have designed and printed yokes for all of my mountain bikes, and I have also created a custom yoke for my gravel bikes. The goal of these yokes is to seamlessly blend into the frame and almost appear yoke-free. By utilizing 3D printing technology, I am able to achieve a greater degree of customization and flexibility in my builds, resulting in a more polished and cohesive finish. By paying close attention to even the smallest details of my designs, I am able to create bikes that not only look stunning but also perform at the highest level possible.

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#### Why do so many great builders seem to come from Fort Collins, CO?
As many people have said, there is something in the water. Fort Collins has both thriving cycling and art cultures which creates a perfect breeding ground for frame builders. As a builder here, it feels very special to be surrounded by so many people who appreciate both the art and function of my craft. 

#### Any plans for more colorful creations in the works?
Always! The paint design and colorway is one of my favorite parts of the process, and something I love helping customers with. I'm thankful to all my customers who give me some creative freedom with their bikes. 

#### Thanks, Will.

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Bender Bikes Sunset Hardtail: Pushing the color needle.

Bender Bikes Sunset Hardtail

<a href="https://www.benderbicycles.com/" target="_blank">Bender Bikes</a> ran by Will Bender from Fort Collins, CO, has been producing some drop-dead gorgeous bikes since 2020. Last summer, Will shared photos of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg4We4yuMEW/" target="_blank">an ice-cream colored bike</a> that took the internet by storm. Recently, he finished a new machine that takes the colorful concept even further: the Sunset Hardtail.

The Sunset Hardtail by Bender Bikes


My love for hardtails started in the early 90s when rear suspension was something that only graced the covers of glossy magazines. I stuck with hardtails most of my life—even when I moved to the city and swapped out knobs for slick commuting tires. Over the years that I was focused on life in the city, mountain biking continued to evolve and became something totally different from the 90s technology and geometry I grew up with. By the time I came back to it, I was far from any “hardcore” label of today's standards. I'm a 45-year-old dad-of-two who loves the chonk but mostly keeps it on the ground. Hardtails are exactly where I am at in life and on the mountain.

Hardtails get a bum wrap from the FS crowd, and maybe if I was catching gaps and big-air I may have the same impression. However, contrary to a lot of mass thinking (and marketing), hardtails can still do the job while being supple and forgiving. Hardtails are meant to last and let you get back to the essence of what a bike is. They are the Macgyver of mountain bikes: simple mechanics that you can maintain by swapping out parts and handling issues in parking lots and at trailheads. But wait—this isn't an article on the merits of hardtails. I just want to preface that this review is from an <em>all-terrain mountain biking perspective and not that of a full-suspension rider that misses the squish</em>. So, let's get to work.

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#### First Impressions

Many of the bikes I get to ride these days are cross-category mountain-gravel-xc type things that are impossible to explain let alone categorize. So when an opportunity came up to try out the steel Knolly Tyaughton, I was over the moon. Released in 2021, the Tyaughton is an example of a typical modern progressive enduro trail bike. It has one function, and that is to help you rip the trail and do it well. I thought it would be refreshing to write about a one trick pony.

Unboxing the bike I was instantly impressed with the Tyaughton. The build that Knolly sent was off the charts and it showed up in one of the best states of any bike yet. The Tyaughton is easy on the eyes. It's mean, clean and mechanically simple. Just hanging on the stand it looks ready for action. I opted for the red model because I thought it would pop in the forest and make for some hot shots. I'll let you be the judge on that one. There is something about the powder and anti-corrosion coating that gives the frame an almost velvety feel. Assembling the bike, I noticed a lot of little neat details, like a well placed “BC Tough” Canada flag sticker on the seat tube that is noticeable through the seat stays. Looking deeper at the custom tubing, beefy yokes and immaculate welds, the entire bike oozes solidity and quality. It's a great looking thing and received more than a few nods once I got it on the trails.

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#### Build & Geometry

Knolly sent us the top of the line full XT kit which made me all giddy inside. It's easy to see there was an emphasis on BC-based (or originated) manufacturers where possible, which I really like. Raceface wheels, bars, and stem, as well as Chromag saddle and grips top the list. Beyond that, the build is full of great details: ultra-grip Maxxis Minion DHFs (2.5 up front, 2.3 in the rear),  29” 150mm Fox 36 Factory Fork, a threaded bottom bracket, ISCG chain guide mount, and clean external cabling. I'm 5'10” 170 lbs and am always between sizes. There was some back and forth on this and Knolly suggested that I ride the medium with a whopping 468mm reach and a 636mm stack. Wowza.

<table>
    <tr>
        <th></th>
        <th>S</th>
        <th>M</th>
        <th>L</th>
        <th>XL</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Head Tube Length</td>
        <td>102</td>
        <td>110</td>
        <td>115</td>
        <td>125</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Stand Over Height</td>
        <td>669</td>
        <td>725</td>
        <td>750</td>
        <td>790</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Seat Tube Length</td>
        <td>360</td>
        <td>404</td>
        <td>456</td>
        <td>506</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Effective Top Tube</td>
        <td>610</td>
        <td>639</td>
        <td>667</td>
        <td>697</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Wheelbase</td>
        <td>1190</td>
        <td>1221</td>
        <td>1250</td>
        <td>1281</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Stack</td>
        <td>610</td>
        <td>636</td>
        <td>640</td>
        <td>652</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Reach</td>
        <td>441</td>
        <td>468</td>
        <td>495</td>
        <td>522</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Head Tube Angle</td>
        <td>64.5</td>
        <td>64.5</td>
        <td>64.5</td>
        <td>64.5</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Seat Tube Angle (effective)</td>
        <td>75</td>
        <td>75</td>
        <td>75</td>
        <td>75</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Seat Tube Angle (actual)</td>
        <td>73.5</td>
        <td>73.5</td>
        <td>73.5</td>
        <td>73.5</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>BB Height</td>
        <td>323</td>
        <td>323</td>
        <td>323</td>
        <td>323</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Chainstay Length</td>
        <td>427</td>
        <td>427</td>
        <td>427</td>
        <td>427</td>
    </tr>
</table>

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#### Do you even SuperBoost?!

One potentially polarizing feature of the Tyaughton is the 157mm SuperBoost rear hub spacing. This is my first time coming across (or riding) a SuperBoost hardtail. For some of us, this might seem like yet another standard introduced by manufacturers to get more money out of us. And to be fair, it's hard to not think that. It doesn't feel like too long ago that we all adopted the 148mm Boost standard under the guise of it being better for us as riders and for engineers as a platform. Personally, I am still on the fence about the SuperBoost standard, only because I have a couple pairs of sweet 148mm wheels lying around with various rubber that I like to swap in and out. 

Regardless, Knolly has made the standard a part of their brand and boasts it across their full range of mountain bikes. Is it a deal breaker for those of us holding 148mm wheels? Definitely not. There are solutions and <a href="https://problemsolversbike.com/products/hubs/super_booster_hub_spacing_kit_-_rear_-_j1167" target="_blank">conversion kits</a> that seem easy to set up, so we can swap between the standards.

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#### The Dirt

When I first sat on the Tyaughton I was blown away at how long it felt—long with a super high front end. This feeling is most likely due to my riding gravel and ATBs over the past few years, and my body needed to adjust to the progressive geometry. I was immediately worried that the Tyaughton would be tough to climb with, so I ended up moving my saddle way up on its rails to get my position more forward and over the pedals. 

I spent the better part of a month taking the Tyaughton out on our local trail networks here in Victoria and ended up finding some excellent chonk for the bike on a trail called <a href="https://www.trailforks.com/trails/dave-s-line-1181/" target="_blank">Dave's Line</a>. Dave's Line connects a new climb trail to the rest of the mountain and ends in a zippy flow track called Sofa King before ejecting you on a connector. This line has pretty much everything any hardtail rider would love: skinnies, rocks, roots, berms and a few “dad” drops. After a few weeks with the bike on these trails, I can safely say the Tyaughton feels as natural going up and as it does going down. I assumed the long reach and high stack would make the Tyaughton tricky to control on climbing switchbacks, but not the case. The bike solidly gripped the terrain and climbed like the goat that it is. The geo (and forward saddle) kept me upright and over the pedals to provide a snappy and efficient climb.

I ended up finding a flow on the Tyaughton pretty quickly. On flats and features, the long reach let me move my weight around the bike and adjust to anything that was underneath it. Even though I was in over my head at points, I was able to lose myself in the ride and trust the bike. It almost knew more about the terrain than I did.

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The high stack of the Tyaughton came in really handy on steep descents. My body was well-balanced, even with the 150mm shock doing its job with brakes engaged or simply sagging over the terrain. This gave me a confidence I haven't found with a lot of bikes, which got me going down more than the occasional dad drop. In fact, I found myself always looking for more drop opportunities (dropportunites!? ugh) and challenging myself on what I considered possible. For these drops, the short rear end kept my weight on the back of the bike, and although that might be considered old school nowadays, it sure was fun as hell and I couldn't get enough. The long reach allowed me to lean forward into the corners, dig in deep on flowy tracks, and lean way back for more technical cornering. Technical cornering is where I noticed just how solid the whole rear end of the bike is, and also where that Superboost really shines. Hmmm ;)

Earlier, I called the Tyaughton a one-trick pony—and it is, when compared to the bikes that I have been riding the past few years. Knolly describes the Tyaughton as an “all around, do everything bike”— which is true as long as you are sticking to enduro level trails and the traverses between them. As they say, the best bike is the one you have, and I always try to look at a bike for more than its intended function. So how would the Tyaughton fare as a shredpacker, XC or All-Terrain adventure bike? I have noodled this question long and hard and I want to say that it would be great, but I simply have to give it a pass on being anything other than a straight-up mountain rig. Some of the issues would be solvable, like the lack of bosses and mount points. The larger issue is in the geometry itself, which just doesn't lend to long distance of any sort. Each time I rode the Tyaughton I pedaled it out to the trails from my house, about an average of 10-15 km each way, which was tough work. I do realize this is an unfair judgment, like asking a fish to read, and most likely not a consideration for most riders that would be attracted to a bike like the Tyaughton.

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#### Wrapping Up

Going into this project, I wasn't sure what to expect really. I was worried I wasn't enough of a mountain biker for the Tyaughton. However, I didn't expect to be taught by the bike, but that's exactly what happened. The Tyaughton showed me how to ride it, and I am without a doubt a better mountain biker for having ridden it.

I always love interacting with people that work at the brands to set these reviews up. For me, that interaction moment is a great window into how a brand conducts itself, and a signal of internal culture. I'll be blunt and say that I find many mountain bike companies an absolute pain in the ass to deal with. The one exception to this rule so far is Knolly. My time speaking with the people was always pleasant, and I legitimately enjoyed the interaction. It's rare to find a MTB company with the pedigree of Knolly that hasn't let it get to their head. I think in this regard I'll be a Knolly fan for life.

The Tyaughton comes with a choice of 4 build kits starting with NX for $4000 CAD and topping out at XT kit for $5300 CAD. Get it <a href="https://knollybikes.com/en-ca/products/tyaughton-steel" target="_blank">here</a>.

For the past couple of months, Barry has been thrashing the Knolly Tyaughton through the local networks of Victoria, B.C. Read on.

Knolly Tyaughton Review

In 2021, Vancouver-based <a href="https://knollybikes.com" target="_blank">Knolly Bikes</a> released a progressive hardtail called <a href="https://knollybikes.com/en-ca/products/tyaughton-steel" target="_blank">the Tyaughton</a>. For the past couple of months, Barry has been thrashing the Tyaughton through the local networks of Victoria, B.C. While he was in way over his head and trying to find "dad-friendly" drops, the Tyaughton taught Barry a few things about mountain biking. Read on.


We keep no secrets on how we feel about Marin Country-based Neuhaus Metalworks. Nick Neuhaus builds beautiful and modern hardtail trail bikes that are easy on the eyes and make us want to roam the hills. It seems we have not been the only ones to notice. A few weeks ago, the Neuhaus Hummingbird was awarded the <a href="https://youtu.be/3ooFgnSkCDU?t=2314" target="_blank">2022 Bike of the Year by Hardtail Party</a> and we couldn't be happier for Nick and the team. Steve from Hardtail Party describes the Hummingbird as “the hardtail that everyone needs but doesn't know it”. Looking at the Hummingbird it's hard to disagree with this sentiment.

When we heard Nick was working on a Ti version of the Hummingbird, we got excited and wanted to know all about it. So, here's our spotlight on the new Ti Hummingbird that will be ready for pre-order soon. Feast your eyes. The details on this rig are endless including a stunning black-on-black head badge, lovely 5 Dev components, and all those mind-bending additive yokes you expect from Neuhaus. Swoon.

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#### Let's back up. When was the Hummingbird designed and what was it intended for?

<a href="https://www.neuhausmetalworks.com/hummingbird" target="_blank">The Hummingbird</a> project started early in 2021, and was approached with the mindset: create the mountain bike that everyone needs, forget trends and marketing, and just build what we know works based on our experiences with real-world riders. The Hummingbird went through countless iterations and changes before we were happy with it. It has been tested as a gravel bike, and XC race bike, and as an everyday trail bike. All of this in an effort to make the Hummingbird the best bike it could be for a broad range of riding conditions and locations. Today the Hummingbird is a versatile and incredibly capable hardtail trail bike. The design prioritizes rider comfort and ergonomic efficiency to create a package that works just about anywhere you want to ride and anyway you want to ride. As it stands Hummingbirds have been used for everything from 8-hour race podiums to smashing the local double-black downhill trails.

<table>
    <tr>
    <th>Highlights</th>
    <th></th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Headtube:</td>
    <td>Titanium frames use a straight headtube for 44mm ZS/EC headsets, the angle is the same as the steel Hummingbird at 66.5 degrees.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Seat Tube:</td>
    <td>74.5°</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Stack/Reach:</td>
    <td>646mm/460mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>BB Drop:</td>
    <td>56mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Bottom Bracket:</td>
    <td>T47x73 for external bearing bb</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Chainstay:</td>
    <td> 430 on this one but all production Ti Hummingbirds will come with sliding dropouts, the chainstay length will be 420-442. </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Tire Clearance:</td>
    <td>Max 2.6 but I run 2.35's, call me weird, but I like narrow tires. </td>
    </tr>
</table>

We began to find some clarity with the project early in 2022. It was clear what the Hummingbird didn't need to be. After a few iterations, the canvas was wiped clean and the project approached with a new mindset: create the mountain bike that everyone needs, forget trends and marketing, and just build what we know works for real-world riders. Today the Hummingbird is a versatile and incredibly capable hardtail trail bike. The design prioritizes rider comfort and ergonomic efficiency to create a package that works just about anywhere you want to ride and anyway you want to ride. As it stands Hummingbirds have been used for everything from 8-hour race podiums to smashing the local double black downhill trails.

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#### So a full Ti Hummingbird? Why now?

Titanium was always a logical evolution for the Hummingbird, even in its earliest form. The material fits the bike well, especially for the rider that is looking to save some weight and gain a little extra pedaling efficiency. This project had been in the works for a good part of 2022, but with the change in material came a slight change in printed part supply and workflow. Before we could make the Ti Hummingbird available to the world we needed to make sure that we could build it in a manner that would suit riders of every shape and size, and we needed to be sure that our material supply was scalable to meet demand. We're very proud of the expansive size range we offer and one requirement that we have for every new model is that it does not lose that inclusivity.

#### Who is getting this 'bird and what will it be used for?

This one is all mine! I built this bike as my 2023 race bike though it will also be my primary ride as well. 

#### Tell us about that Lefty shock.

The Lefty Ocho 120 is a unique fork and conversation starter. If you can get past the look of the Lefty (which is much easier on the single-crown Ocho than it was on earlier dual-crown models) you find a fork that is absolutely packed with engineering ingenuity. For its size and travel the Ocho 120 is incredibly lightweight, tipping the scales at 1550g. Don't let the light weight fool you, the Ocho 120 is incredibly stiff in all the right ways and provides razor-sharp and precise steering inputs. The damper is a closed cartridge unit that uses a spring to preload the piston and eliminates cavitation. This setup provides better service life over bladder-type designs. The self-balancing air spring has a nice smooth, slightly progressive feel right out of the box. I personally find the stock volume settings to be on point but as expected volume spacers are available to fine-tune the air spring to your liking. 

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#### What else can you tell us about the build kit?

A few of the standout parts on this build besides the fork are the 5 Dev cranks, chainring, and titanium stem, all of which are made right here in California. The <a href="https://ride5dev.com/" target="_blank">5 Dev</a> parts are functional jewelry for your bike, and while the team there specifically told me “scratch those cranks up, make them tell a story!” it will hurt a little to put the first scratches on them. Keeping with the made in California theme, this bike is built with a stealth black White Industries headset. The wheels are Stan's Arch MK4 featuring hubs with P321's magnetic pawls. This is the lowest drag freehub configuration I have ever seen, it still shocks me how little resistance there is. The brakes are a set of fairly basic Magura MT Trail, I've never really been one to be picky about brakes, they just slow you down after all. The drivetrain is GX Eagle AXS with an ultra-light Garbaruk 10-52 cassette and a gold KMC Ti-N 12-speed chain.

#### What can you tell us about the printed bottle bracket?

The bottle bracket comes on every one of our mountain bikes and the titanium frames are no different. It allows for standard M5x.8 bosses to be used in the seat tube without interfering with dropper post insertion. On smaller frames, the angle also makes fitting a small second bottle possible. 

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#### What does the bike weigh ready to rock?

Ready to roll it is 24 lbs 5 oz. with a cushcore XC in the rear tire.

#### What is the price difference between the Ti and steel Hummingbird?

For 2023 the steel Hummingbird starts at $2200 for a frame only while a Titanium Hummingbird will start at $4200 for a frame. Adding sliding dropouts to the steel Hummingbird is an upcharge, the Titanium Hummingbird will only be offered with sliding dropouts. 

#### How do we get one?

Subscribe to our mailing list, follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/neuhaus_metalworks/" target="_blank">our Instagram</a> and check <a href="https://www.neuhausmetalworks.com/" target="_blank">the website</a>. The Ti Hummingbird will be available for pre-order soon and will be built in limited batches throughout the coming year. 

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#### Thanks, Nick.

In the coming months, Neuhaus Metalworks will be releasing an all-new titanium Hummingbird. We were lucky to get a peek and ask some questions.

Neuhaus Metalworks Ti Hummingbird

For the past 5 years, <a href="https://www.neuhausmetalworks.com/" target="_blank">Nick Neuhaus</a> has been building award-winning trail bikes from his shop in Marin County, California. It was his Hummingbird that first caught our eye and got us interested in his work. In the coming months, Neuhaus will be releasing an all-new titanium Hummingbird. We were lucky to get a peek and ask some questions. Photos by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/colbyglarson/" target="_blank">Colby Larson</a>.


At this year's <a href="https://phillybikeexpo.com" target="_blank">Philly Bike Expo</a>, Rodeo Adventure Labs unveiled a 4th version of its all-terrain, adventure beauty called <a href="https://www.rodeo-labs.com/shop/framesets/td4/" target="_blank">the Trail Donkey</a>. The TD4 is pretty much everything you'd expect from Rodeo Adventure Labs—a machine designed to do literally anything that is light, fast and with best-in-class build kit options. Hopefully, one day we'll be able to try one out and let you read our gushing words about it. However, this post isn't about the Trail Donkey 4. Well, not quite anyway.

Last week, the RL team started uploading photos to Instagram of a TD4 that was capable of “switching up” its configuration from a flat bar bike to a drop bar bike. It was appropriately called the TD4 Switch-Up and it frankly blew us out of the water. Could this actually be <em>the everything bike</em> we have been searching for so long for!? The N+0? The Unicorn. There are so many details on the Switch-Up and the photos generate more questions in our heads than the explanations could provide. So, we reached out to Rodeo Adventure Labs' founder <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stevetheintern/" target="_blank">Stephen Fitzgerald</a> to ask a few questions. It turns out that Stephen is a huge proponent of the category-defying bike and was kind enough to sit down and help us understand this wonderful beast. 

#### What exactly is the Switch-Up Donkey?

The Switch-Up Donkey was an idea that <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dropbarsondirt" target="_blank">Sheldon Thompson</a> came up with while he worked at Rodeo in 2018 or 2019. Sheldon had been looking into hydraulic quick disconnect couplers such as those used in motorcycles and posited that by using those on a versatile gravel bike you could come up with a bike that easily transitions from drop bars to flat bars with none of the fuss of brake adjustments or rebleeds. At the time it seemed like a holy grail idea: One frame with an insanely wide use spectrum depending on handlebars and tires that were mounted on it. With a bit of searching and testing Sheldon was able to make the idea real, and we took the first switch up bike to Sea Otter in 2019 where it was a big hit. People wanted to order it and wanted more information on the couplers but there was just one problem: the couplers were constantly out of stock and unavailable, and we were unable to get more for quite a long time.

The idea went dark for a few years until the advent of TD4 which has optionally integrated full internal routing. Full integrated internal routing looks super cool because it hides all of the routing inside of the handlebar, stem, and frame, but it is wildly impractical for any travel that requires disassembling the bike. Unlike traditional routing which has slack and allows handlebars and fork to be removed, integrated routing has no slack and removal is all but impossible. While mulling this we posited that those hard to find couplers would once again be a solve for this. If we built the bike with electronic shifting and used couplers for the brake lines the handlebar and fork could not only be removed for travel, but of course the drop bar to flat bar conversion would once again be a secondary benefit of the system.

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Does this all sound techy? Good, because it is, but fundamentally it's about having your cake and eating it too. With couplers you can travel with a fully integrated bike, and you can also have a Switch-Up bike that allows you to easily swap handlebars to suit your mood. Thankfully, in 2022 the couplers weren't difficult to find, and within a week of having the idea pop back in our mind, we had a fully functional and complete bike ready to party on a bikepacking trip to Mexico.

#### How long does it take to swap between flat and drop bar modes? 

There are two answers to that question:

One: With traditional routing where you are only swapping the handlebar and the routing is all external you would put the disconnects up near the stem, and to swap the bar you just quickly disconnect the brake lines, unscrew the stem faceplate bolts, put the new bar on, and re-connect everything. This would take less than five minutes.

Two: For an integrated bike where you are hiding all the brake lines inside the frame you need an access point for the couplers to live. Thankfully TD4 has a removable downtube storage hatch and we put the couplers in the downtube just inside that door opening. In this case the switch up is a bit more technical but with a little practice it takes 5-10 minutes max.

#### How versatile is the Switch-Up exactly?

Generally people run a 10-20mm shorter stem with their flat bar setup than they would on the same frame that typically has drop bars on it. This would vary rider to rider. Keep in mind you don't end up with a pure mountain bike the minute you slap flat bars on a frame with gravel geometry, but flat bars on a gravel frame are wildly fun, especially in rowdy trail conditions or when running a singlespeed and wanting that extra handlebar leverage that flat bars provide. We already have a fair number people running AXS 1x12 bikes who are quickly removing the rear derailleur and converting the bike to singlespeed mode, so adding the option of swapping on any handlebar you want all of a sudden means your bike options become phenomenally flexible with just a single frame. Flat bar SS CX racer on Sunday, fast skinny tire drop bar road mode on Tuesday, and super fat tire flat bar geared bikepacking bike the following weekend, each do-able with about 5-10 minutes of downtime between swaps? That's pretty cool stuff to me.

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Some people will ask “why bother just get a cx bike and a MTB and a road bike”, but I think pushing the boundaries of what a single frameset is capable of is a really cool exploration, and the ideas bear out in real life use, which I can say because I put many many, miles on the first Switch-Up Donkey including racing it in the MTB race at Sea Otter and going on fast road bike rides with it the next week, and taking it to Unbound a few months later. Already on the 2.0 I've done a bunch of commuting on it, some fast road riding, and I just got back from a week of bikepacking in Mexico on it. During that time I've already lost count of how many times I've used the disconnects with no leaks, bubbles, or brake issues to speak of. 

#### Has anyone else ever attempted a multi-modal bike in this fashion?

We've never seen anyone else put this concept into rideable form, but that doesn't mean nobody else has tried or succeeded. If they have, we would love to see how they build theirs! Based on the feedback we get online from these bikes we know a bunch of people would LIKE to do this to their bikes, but there seems to be a lot of hesitation on going out, doing the research, and making it happen.

#### Those colors. What can you tell us about them? 

This bike came together from idea to a trip through Mexico in about a week, so there wasn't much time to do a new color layout for the bike. Thankfully, I had designed something for some refurb frames that are sitting in our internal paint queue. We never seem to get around to completing those frames because customer bikes keep rolling through. So when I needed a quick paint layout for this Switch-Up build, I stole it from those bikes and the team here hustled hard to get one of our black prototype TD4s prepped and painted in time for the trip.

#### You color the derailleur cage and front Absolute Black front chain ring? Absolute Yellow? 

Those parts were just the chef's kiss of the build. A lot of time spent custom painting bikes and bike parts is prep time, but chainrings and derailleur cages are comparatively simple, so as long as the yellow color was being loaded into the spray gun for the frame it was pretty easy to sandblast the cage and chainring and get them coated as well. Those parts get pretty dirty and worn fairly quickly, but it's worth it for the big reveal!

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#### What exactly is Cerakote?

Cerakote is a funny material. It is a thin film ceramic coating which means tiny, tiny ceramic particles are the actual pigment and color, and those are suspended in a liquid polymer. You spray the mixture on the bike and bake off the polymer mostly leaving only the ceramic behind. The coating is about ⅙ the thickness of liquid paint, and pound for pound quite durable. It isn't alien technology and it isn't impervious to wear and tear so care must still be taken with it. However, we enjoy offering it as an option on our bikes and we like that it is both made in Oregon and has a far, far lower environmental footprint than liquid paint. One of the only byproducts from manufacturing the polymer is sold off to local farmers as crop fertilizer. Wild stuff!

#### Those sliding dropouts are next level. How do they work and why are they awesome?

The dropouts are something that we're quite proud of with the TD4 design. We wanted to carry over the sliding dropout function from our <a href="https://www.rodeo-labs.com/shop/framesets/flaanimal5/" target="_blank">Flaanimal</a> bikes because they allow for wider tire clearances and native singlespeed builds with our frames. But we wanted to make them simpler, lighter, and more elegant on TD4 so we worked quite hard simplifying AND making the assembly more robust at the same time. With the TD4 system we managed to gain even more tire clearance and slider range than we have with Flaanimal, and the assembly is simpler to adjust. Most bike owners will probably never adjust or play with their sliding dropouts, but for those that do we think they will love the functionality of this design.

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#### What is happening with that dropper lever? Button?

The dropper button actuates the Rock Shox Reverb dropper post out back. We figured that on a Switch-Up bike you would definitely want a dropper in flat bar mode, but might not in road or drop bar mode, so we chose a wireless dropper instead of a wired one for this build. In drop bar mode the dropper is actuated by a dual press of the AXS shifters, or if you don't want a dropper in that mode just have a second seatpost / seat to keep things simple and shave a half pound from the bike. The flat bar dropper button is mounted on a 3d printed blip mount that we made in-house.

#### Can we buy a Switch-Up Trail Donkey? How much and where? (take my money)

Short answer: Yes. You just have to ask when you're ordering and configuring one of our bikes.Long answer: Yes, but keep in mind the additional cost of a second set of handlebars, two complete sets of coupler lines, grips, brake levers, needles, olives and a bunch of other small things that will add up surprisingly quickly. We still need to add up what a Switch-Up option would add to a standard build but I would imagine it would be $400-$600 depending on parts used. We'll add the option to our official offering once we add it all up and have <a href="https://www.rodeo-labs.com/" target="_blank">the website</a> updated.

<Gallery galleryData={{"type": "inline","image": {"src": "/products/rodeolabsswitchup/stephen-in-mexico.jpg", "alt": "stephen in mexico", "width": "1800", "height" :"1200"}}} />

#### Thanks, Stephen.

Rodeo Adventure Labs recently launched the Trail Donkey v4 and will be soon offering a Switch Up version that allows riders to quickly swap between flat and drop bars.

Rodeo Adventure Labs' Switch-Up Trail Donkey

In 2014, Stephen Fitzgerald founded <a href="https://www.rodeo-labs.com/" target="_blank">Rodeo Adventure Labs</a> with the idea of building category-defying bikes. Recently, the team launched the 4th version of their Trail Donkey and will soon be offering a variation of it called the Switch-Up—a multi-modal bike that allows riders to quickly swap between flat and drop bars. Is this the everything bike we have been waiting for? Let's find out.

Rodeo Adventure Labs Switch-Up Trail Donkey


The lack of e-bike content on this site so far isn't a political statement or a perspective on how I feel about e-bikes. Simply put, I haven't rode many e-bikes and don't really have a lot of opinions about them either way. I do feel however, that they get a bit of a bum rap from a lot of people who like to signal their own authenticity. I love a clean machine and working for my distance as much as any of us. But, I also imagine it might be fun to hit a huge 1000km backcountry trip with an e-bike, assuming of course, you can find a way to charge it. 

One of the biggest challenges for me embracing e-bikes is that they just, well sorta look goofy. Similar to how many electric cars somehow need to look dorky to stand out. I've never really adhered to this level of design for attention. Hence, I fell out of my chair when I scrolled past the <a href="http://www.horsebrand.co/bikes/mountain-moto-bosch-e-bike" target="_blank">Mountain Moto e-bike</a> by Horse Cycles on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkyaZOZBJWX/" target="_blank">Fuck Yeah Hardtail</a>. It was the first time an e-bike stopped me dead in my tracks and got my gush on. Could this be? A sexy, slack, steel e-mtb!? The idea feels like a whole new thing—and we like it. 

After seeing the Moto, we pinged Horse founder Thomas Callahan to know more. We appreciate the time he took to answer some of our questions. 

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t2Nde0bPi1k" frameBorder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>

#### So, e-bikes?!

So e-bikes. Yeah. Into it. Of course, there are goobers on e-bikes but there are plenty of goobs on non e-bikes as well. Regardless, I'm into it and that's why I have built numerous, trying to perfect them. This new iteration is very fun and I love fun. The Mountain Moto is stable, capable and most importantly, feels great.  It's a great machine to take on a solo ride and explore places you wouldn't be able to get to otherwise. It's not my only bike but it is part of the rotation. I also use it alot for trail building.

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#### How did the Mountain Moto come to be?

The Moto is the fifth e-bike I've made and the second to keep for myself.  I wanted something more capable and inline with current progressive geometry—more enduro than trail which was the vibe of the last bike. I wanted a bike that I was proud to ride and was bad to the bone.

#### What is Triple Triangle Technology and how does it handle?

It's really a quad. I just am quoting the GT bikes of old I was obsessed with as a kid. The Moto is mostly stiffer all around which is noticeable and feels great in terms of ride quality.  Definitely taking notes from <a href="https://instagram.com/oddity_cycles" target="_blank">Oddity</a> and <a href="https://instagram.com/blacksheepbikes" target="_blank">Black Sheep</a>, <a href="https://www.gtbicycles.com" target="_blank">GT</a>, and some other great builders.

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#### What is that color and how do we get more of it?

It's a custom color we mixed up. It is close to a RAL powder coat color I found but there was something that was dead about the powder color. I wanted it to be perfect. It's like creamy Peanut butter! 

#### What can you tell us about the build?

On the front, I put a <a href="https://www.ridefox.com/family.php?family=34&m=bike" target="_blank">140mm Fox Factory</a> which is silky smooth and rides like butter compared to the last fork I bought from them three years ago.  I'm sure the tech is getting better so I got a Fox dropper to match. GX Eagle AXS to go with the whole e-bike vibe.

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<a href="https://www.whiteind.com/" target="_blank">White Industries</a> sent me a prototype of a new crank arm. It is crazy legit. I love it.  Maxxis tires front and rear for maximum trail hug and control. A <a href="https://www.paulcomp.com/shop/components/cockpit/boxcar-stem/" target="_blank">Paul Boxcar</a> stem, which is the only stem I'll ride on an MTB.

#### How do we get a Mountain Moto and how much does it cost?

Every bike is made to order. Order them and I'll build them. The easiest way to get in touch is via <a href="http://www.horsebrand.co" target="_blank">our website</a>. The price is competitive and starts at $4500 and just under $7k for a complete build depending on the parts chosen.

Get a Mountain Moto <a href="http://www.horsebrand.co/bikes/mountain-moto-bosch-e-bike" target="_blank">here</a>.

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#### Thanks, Thomas.









Horse Cycles from upstate New York offers a slick, steel e-MTB. Something we have never really seen before.

Horse Cycles Mountain Moto E-Bike

Thomas Callahan a.k.a <a href="http://www.horsebrand.co" target="_blank">Horse Cycles</a> is a custom bike builder and knife maker from upstate New York. Thomas's steel bikes are full-on dreamy with a range of road, gravel and MTB. We recently came across his electric-assist hardtail called the <a href="http://www.horsebrand.co/bikes/mountain-moto-bosch-e-bike" target="_blank">Mountain Moto</a> and needed to know more. Let's go.

Horse Cycles Mountain Moto


We love brands that think differently, try new things and are inspired by more sources than current trends. Perth-based FARR seems to be that type of company. Almost all the products we have seen from FARR (so farr?) have been unique from anything else on the market. 

We have more FARR content coming in the near future. But for now, we want to show you this Twin-T build by <a href="https://farandwidedistributors.ca/" target="_blank">Darcy Winter</a>, FARR's Canadian distributor. Darcy was nice enough to sit down with us and talk through some of the Twin-T details and his build choices. Let's go.

#### Where does the Twin-T get its design inspiration from? 

The Twin-T frame design is heavily inspired by vintage trellis frame motorbikes with a nod to <a href="http://classiccycleus.com/home/1983-se-racing-quadangle/" target="_blank">quadangle BMX frames</a>. Besides having a striking aesthetic, the bottom twin tubes provide lateral stiffness to the frame, and as it turns out are very useful as a strap deck for bikepacking.

#### Is the Twin-T a mountain or gravel bike?

Definitely mountain. The Twin-T isn't considered aggressive by today's geometry metrics. However, the frame uses modern MTB standards with clearance for 29 x 2.5 or 27.5+ tires and has allowance for a fork with 120-140mm of travel. So, it's definitely more mountain than gravel. When built with wider flared drop bars, Twin-T's steep seat tube (74°), moderate headtube (69°) and suspension corrected front end make it more of a dirt dropper than gravel bike for sure.

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#### How does the Twin-T handle?

It handles great as a hardtail with riser bars, which is the only configuration I've tried to date. Although it appears that the extra framing material at the front would make it feel heavy, it's well balanced and has predictable steering. The sliding rear dropouts help make it feel more nimble when shortened and stable at full length. The steeper seat tube angle and longer stem helps with climbing.

#### What can you tell us about this build?

For this build, I really wanted it to be comfortable and fun as well as being a bit of a show bike. I picked the gray frame so the subtle orange and gold accents would stand out. The <a href="https://www.ridefox.com/family.php?family=34&m=bike" target="_blank">FOX 34 Stepcast</a> fork, <a href="https://www.huntbikewheels.cc/products/hunt-trailwide-mtb-wheelset?variant=16900587257954" target="_blank">Hunt Trail Wide</a> wheels, and <a href="https://teravail.com/products/ehline-tire#/" target="_blank">Teravail Ehline</a> 2.5” tubeless tires had a lot to do with keeping the weight in check while giving the bike tons of compliance. The Fork has a 51mm offset to keep the trail in check, which reduces wheel flop which makes the bike handle well in all circumstances.

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It boasts the mandatory FARR cockpit (mentioned below) allowing for a comfortable upright riding position—very balanced steering that just looks so damn cool. A <a href="https://www.raceface.ca/products/aeffect-crankset?utm_source=Redirect-pop-up-fromRFCOM&variant=32503715037317" target="_blank">Raceface Aeffect</a> crank with a 30T chainring, and the not to be overlooked <a href="https://www.microshift.com/products/groups/advent-x/" target="_blank">Microshift Advent X</a> 11-48T drivetrain work well together for trail riding and loaded bikepacking. The <a href="/gear/components/pnw-loam-dropper-post">PNW Loam Dropper</a> (and lever) & Shimano SLX hydraulic brakes and <a href="https://www.oneupcomponents.com/collections/pedals" target="_blank">One Up</a> (yeah, they are Canadian!) composite pedals definitely help keep things composed. I had the orange seat and gold chain from another bike so they had to go on to compliment the fork. I also added some <a href="https://www.ergonbike.com/en/article-ga3.html" target="_blank">Ergon GA-3 grips</a> for added comfort and an orange <a href="https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/" target="_blank">Wolftooth</a> bling kit to bring it all together.

#### That stem and bar combo, what can you tell us about that?

Those are <a href="https://ridefarr.com/product/handlebar-stem-headspace/" target="_blank">FARR's 70mm Headspace stem</a> and <a href="https://ridefarr.com/product-category/handlebars-mtb/handlebar-supa-riser-alloy/" target="_blank">Supa-Riser Alloy</a> bars. Again, the stem & bar design are heavily influenced by motorbike and BMX designs from the past. The double clamp and riser bar is a direct descendant from motorbikes. The V crossbar stands out on its own and makes any bike look great.

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#### Any new products on FARR's horizons? 

They've just released a pump track frame sized for adults, which is a limited production run, for now. Pump track bikes are a burgeoning market as a lot of cities and towns are building urban bike parks and I'm sure there will be more of them in the future. FARR has also recently announced a new line of pedals to their product line up. We plan to bring in The-V as its wide platform, replaceable parts, and cool aesthetic will be a nice addition to their current lineup.

#### How do we get a Twin-T and how much does it cost?

Visit <a href="https://farandwidedistributors.ca/" target="_blank">farandwidedistributors.ca</a> to see the frames and other available components from FARR. Currently, all FARR products are 25% off, so the frames are currently $900 CAD each. The frame includes a drop-in integrated FARR headset and seatpost clamp. The Twin-T pairs with the Chrome 29er Fork which is sold separately (on sale for $180). 

Mention this article when purchasing a frame and receive a free 29er Chrome fork, or Bar/Stem Combo. Bars to be included: FARR ST Alloy Supa Riser, FARR Alloy Aero MTB, FARR Alloy Aero Gravel, FARR Alloy Aero Road. All in stock Stems of your choosing.

#### Thanks, Darcy.

Since its launch in early 2021, the FARR Twin-T has received a lot of attention for its unconventional frame design. We spoke with FARR's Canadian distributor, Darcy Winter, about the Twin-T and his build.

The FARR Twin-T

In our first bike spotlight, we are taking a look at the <a href="https://ridefarr.com/product/twin-t-cromo-frame-kit-quantum-grey/" target="_blank">FARR Twin-T</a>. Since its launch in early 2021, the Twin-T has received a lot of attention for its unconventional frame design. And it <em>deserves</em> the attention: the more you look at it, the more you see.



I don't keep my crush for Panorama Cycles a secret. For the past 6 years, Simon Bergeron and the team have been building something special in Granby, Quebec that is not only good for Canadian cycling but also <a href="https://www.panoramacycles.com/en/sustainability/" target="_blank">good for the world</a>. Their carbon-neutral bikes have changed how I look at bike manufacturers and set a precedent for the rest of the industry. I am also a huge fan of the team of Canadian riders they have been supporting, including <a href="https://www.panoramacycles.com/en/cory-ostertag-en/" target="_blank">Cory Ostertag</a> and <a href="https://www.panoramacycles.com/en/marie-pierre-savard-en/" target="_blank">Marie-Pierre Savard</a>—who recently came in first and third respectively (both setting FKTs) at the <a href="https://www.logdriverswaltz.ca/" target="_blank">Log Driver's Waltz</a> race in Eastern Canada. 

Earlier this year, Panorama released the second generation of its Katahdin gravel bike. The bike is named after <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Katahdin" target="_blank">Mount Katahdin</a> in Baxter State Park, Maine, not far from Panorama headquarters. The name Katahdin comes from Abenaki, the language of the local Penobscot people, and translates to “great mountain”. The mountain is in a remote area of northern Maine which happens to be a mecca of gravel riding and marks the end point of the <a href="https://nps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=6298c848ba2a490588b7f6d25453e4e0" target="_blank">Appalachian Trail</a>. 

<Gallery galleryData={{"type": "fullbleed","image": {"src": "/products/katahdin/katahdin-through-trees.jpg", "alt": "bike through trees", "width": "1800", "height" :"1200"}}} />

The first version of the Katahdin bike was originally inspired by cyclocross geometry. This second version was completely redesigned from the ground up to be a more versatile gravel and bikepacking rig. The updates completely reimagine how the bike feels, and introduce a slacker head tube angle and a longer wheelbase. It's been a long time since I rode a composite bike that I can lift with one hand, and I was excited to try the Katahdin. 

#### Let's take a look...

The Katahdin ships with two build options or as a <a href="https://www.panoramacycles.com/en/product/katahdin-frameset-en/" target="_blank">frameset</a> for anyone that is looking to build their own. The two build kit options effectively let customers choose between setting up the bike for ‘mountain gravel'—with SRAM Rival 1 and 650b wheels, or for 'groad touring'—with Shimano GRX 2x and 700c wheels. However, you can also get in touch with the team and have them build you anything your heart desires, assuming the components are available. 

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The first thing that hits your eyeballs looking at the Katahdin is its color. There simply aren't many burgundy bikes out there. Initially, I couldn't tell if I liked the color or not, but it has grown on me over the past months. I can safely say that it stands out from the crowd, which is always a good thing. The Katahdin got a lot of looks on one ferry crossing from a team of black-on-black gravel hipsters from Vancouver—which I found amusing. Bucking even more minimalist trends, the beefy downtube is accented by a fantastic illustration of a howling wolf by Canadian illustrators <a href="https://www.pellvetica.com/portfolio/panorama-katahdin-illustration" target="_blank">Pellvetica</a>.

Overall, the bike looks clean, made in part by its internal cabling. The Katahdin comes equipped with frame holes for an internally routed dropper post, as well as ports for a dynamo hub in the fork. Having these ports is a fantastic option for any gravel machine that's planning on getting into some mischief. 

The Katahdin v2 boasts mounts on mounts on mounts. It feels like there are mounts everywhere which will make any bikepacker happy. The Katahdin is the first bike I have ever ridden that has 3 bottle mounts on the inside triangle, but it's worth noting that you would probably need shorter bidons. Still, pretty awesome. The seat stays have upper mounts and lower ones near the dropouts to fit a rack or <a href="/gear/bikepacking-bags/tailfin-carbon-rack">Tailfin</a>, and the fork has a triple mount for any fork bag system. The mount threads are stainless steel and cleanly recessed into the carbon.

<table>
    <tr>
    <th>Size</th>
    <th>S</th>
    <th>M</th>
    <th>L</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Recommended Height</td>
    <td>5'4"-5'7"</td>
    <td>5'7"-5'10"</td>
    <td>5'10"-6'2"</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Head Tube Angle</td>
    <td>70°</td>
    <td>70°</td>
    <td>70°</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Seat Tube Angle</td>
    <td>74°</td>
    <td>74°</td>
    <td>74°</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Stack</td>
    <td>573mm</td>
    <td>591mm</td>
    <td>611mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Reach</td>
    <td>382mm</td>
    <td>393mm</td>
    <td>400mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Head Tube Length</td>
    <td>145mm</td>
    <td>165mm</td>
    <td>185mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Seat Tube Length</td>
    <td>450mm</td>
    <td>480mm</td>
    <td>510mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Top Tube Length</td>
    <td>546mm</td>
    <td>562mm</td>
    <td>575mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Chainstay Length</td>
    <td>430mm</td>
    <td>430mm</td>
    <td>430mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>BB Drop</td>
    <td>75mm</td>
    <td>75mm</td>
    <td>75mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Fork Rake/Offset</td>
    <td>55mm</td>
    <td>55mm</td>
    <td>55mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Trail</td>
    <td>71mm</td>
    <td>71mm</td>
    <td>71mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Wheelbase</td>
    <td>1040mm</td>
    <td>1057mm</td>
    <td>1072mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Trail</td>
    <td>70mm</td>
    <td>80mm</td>
    <td>90mm</td>
    </tr>
</table>

#### Build, Build, Build

Commenting on build kits always feels tough considering the delays and substitutions that brands need to make in order to ship bikes these days. However, it's even tougher to separate a bike from its build decisions. As I mentioned above, the Katahdin has two build options that would fundamentally change the feel and maybe even the use(s) of the bike. 

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The bike that Panorama sent me was actually a hybrid of the two options they offer—a decision I assume was made due to wheelset availability. The bike I tested was a Rival 1 groupset, but with the 700c wheels that normally ship with the GRX 2x option. I'll admit this was my first time riding a 1x drive with a set of 700c wheels, which took a bit of getting used to. More on that in a bit.

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The build is solid. Over the past few months I've been learning to love the SRAM Rival 1, a shift from riding the <a href="/bikes/gravel/landyachtz-ab-st">Landyachtz AB-ST</a>. The Yokozuna brakes are a nice touch with their compressionless housing, as is the carbon seat post. But for me, the star of the build is the <a href="https://ritcheylogic.com/bike/handlebars/comp-beacon-handlebar" target="_blank">Ritchey Comp Beacon</a> drop bars. There's something about these bars that I just can't get enough of. I initially thought they would be too shallow of a drop but they somehow seem to fit me (and the Katahdin) perfectly. They are flared, wide (46cm), and ready for anything. 

#### Enough Talk

I took the Katahdin out on my favorite <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/7448769950" target="_blank">local century ride</a> here in Victoria. A perfect test track that goes through some steep, punchy hills that eventually flatten out into some fast gravel bliss.

Once we really got into the ride, it took me a bit to get accustomed to the Katahdin. In the more technical hills, I had to check myself while descending on gravel, reducing speed and even stopping one or two times completely. To me, it felt like the whole bike was crying for some beefier tires. With a long reach, wheelbase, and 70 degree headtube angle, 40mm doesn't seem like enough tire to me. If you are looking at getting the Katahdin with 700c, and have any chonky roads in your future, I would suggest going with a larger tire width; 45mm would probably do the trick, but why not go all the way and max it out at 50mm? 

<Gallery galleryData={{"type": "fullbleed","image": {"src": "/products/katahdin/bike-on-train-tracks.jpg", "alt": "bike on train tracks", "width": "1800", "height" :"1200"}}} />

Once we got through the hills, the Katahdin and I found our flow together. And when the route hit some flatter, flowy gravel track the bike was in its element. I was able to not worry about the tire size and really open the Katahdin up. It was whippy, snappy, responsive and most importantly, it was <em>fun as hell</em>. The frame stiffness and power transfer of the bike seems to be off the charts. Whether that's while climbing, or up out of the saddle in a sprint—<em>the Katahdin wants to move</em>. Almost like an electric car, from a standstill the bike's pickup is insane and seems to get up to speed faster than most bikes I have ever ridden. Climbing in lighter gravel was also a dream. The combination of the frame stiffness and wide Ritchey bars helped get me up rolly hills quickly and efficiently. And then ripping on the way down led to some serious smiles in the saddle.

One interesting thing to note about the Katahdin was how quiet it is. This may be due to the huge, threaded bottom bracket, or composite everything… unsure. But there was a point where I was in the trees and felt like I was on a cloud hovering above the ground. It took me some time to realize that the feeling came from the Katahdin being virtually silent. I was alone, flying noiselessly through the trees and having one of those moments that only off-road cycling provides. Love.

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#### Wrap Up

In today's world, even with the endless library of marketing vernacular, it's almost impossible to classify bikes effectively, especially when you take what is essentially a race bike and redesign it to be a versatile-gravel-bikepacking bike. I'll admit I have struggled a bit to understand exactly what the Katahdin is for; but this thinking might be me trying to fit the bike into a clean category, which simply does not exist. Yet. The easiest way to think about the Katahdin might be in a series of questions:

<strong>Can I bikepack with the Katahdin?</strong> Definitely—the mounting options and slack geometry make it ideal. However, you may want to stick to dirt roads and flowy gravel tracks versus technical backcountry roads. Also, I would make sure to get some ride wrap on that carbon before strapping bags to it.

<strong>Can I gravel race the Katahdin?</strong> Absolutely—the Katahdin wants to fly. And my guess? This is where the bike would really shine—on single or multi day gravel events where speed, stiffness and power matter.

<strong>Can I set up the Katahdin for the mountains?</strong> Again, it seems so. The max tire clearance (700x50 or 650x2.1) allows you to run the thing like a rigid mountain bike as well. I may try the Katahdin with 650b wheels and report back on it. Stay tuned.

<strong>Is the Katahdin happy on the road?</strong> Actually yes—it's super stiff, fun and fast on the road. Maybe the best road/off-road/multi-surface bike I have ever had the privilege of riding. You would easily be able to swap out larger tires for something more streamlined and keep up to your roadie pals.

I hope these questions above illustrate what I mean—the Katahdin might be impossible to categorize. However, that is because it seemingly is able to do a bit of everything and quite well. If I were forced to give the Katahdin a classification, it would be something like <strong><em>Ultralight Groad Packer</em></strong>. Haha, oh man. Let's keep that name between us.

The Katahdin comes with a 5 year warranty. The Rival 1 option comes in at $3799 CAD and $4,249 for the GRX 2x version. Get it <a href="https://www.panoramacycles.com/en/product/katahdin-en/" target="_blank">here</a>. 

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#### Update: The Katahdin on 650b

After publishing this review, Simon from Panorama asked if I was interested in trying out the Katahdin with 650b wheels. Yes, I was. And, I'll admit, taking the Katahdin into the chonk on a set of 700c wheels may have been a bit unfair of me. As I was swapping out rotors and freewheel bodies I was a bit dubious on how much of a difference the wheels would actually make. I <em>totally ate those words</em>. The Katahdin seemed to transform <em>into a whole new machine</em>.

The 650b Katahdin is what the machine is meant to be. It was confident, nimble and whip fast in the gravel. I took the bike for a 100km rip and I have to say, it was one of the best days I have had on a gravel bike to date. Eveything seemed to come together with the wider wheels. What was before fragmented and awkward for me, was cohseive and whole. The bike flew and I was grinning ear to ear the whole way!

Don't get me wrong, the Katahdin is still great on 700c and I'd even like to try it at the max 700c clearance of 50mm. My money is on that being rad as well. But like so many things in the cycling world, it all comes down to the type of biking you want to do. Get the 650b Katahdin. ✊



Recently Panorama Cycles updated their Katahdin gravel bike and we gave it a demo. Let's Go.

Panorama Katahdin v2 Review

<a href="https://www.panoramacycles.com" target="_blank">Panorama Cycles</a> have been creating carbon-neutral adventure bikes from their headquarters in Quebec, Canada since 2016. Recently, they updated their composite <a href="https://www.panoramacycles.com/en/product/katahdin-en/" target="_blank">Katahdin gravel bike</a> to be more versatile. We gave the Katahdin v2 a demo and learnt a lot about what versatility actually means.


In 2020, Landyachtz launched the AB1 (Adventure Bike 1) gravel bike. The AB1 was a serious contender as I was looking for a new bikepacking rig. At the time, I loved the premise of the AB1: positioned as more than a gravel bike, it is a machine that is intended to bring you anywhere, and do anything. Ultimately I opted for a rigid mountain bike, but over the past couple years I have often wondered whether I made the right choice.

For 2022, Landyachtz has launched two new additions to its AB lineup: the AB-AL, which is an alloy iteration of the AB1, focused on gravel racing; and the AB-ST, a slacker, steel version focused on fun. Landyachtz says that the AB-ST is “designed with bikepacking and getting RAD in mind”.

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I love how the word <i>rad</i> is starting to take on meaning in today's gravel world. Gravel bikes have been evolving quickly over the past few years, and trying to explain and categorize them is getting tougher and tougher. Terms like <i>monster gravel, monstercross, mountain bike with drops</i> never clearly explain what a bike is intended for.

However, RAD, I understand. <i>Rad</i> is not addressing the category of the bike; rad is a mindset or approach to cycling, and a clear indicator for the people who know. With thru-axles, disc brakes, huge tire clearance, a longer wheelbase and reach, the AB-ST is a gravel bike that really lives up to the rad classification.

Due to supply chain issues,  Landyachtz is currently offering the AB-ST (and AB-AL) as a frameset, including frame, fork, FSA headset and front/rear axles. For the purposes of this review, Landyachtz sent me a build including SRAM 12sp Rival, Easton carbon wheels with 29 x 2.25” Nine Line WTBs. 🤟 

<Gallery galleryData={{"type": "fullbleed","image": {"src": "/products/landyachtz-ab-st/bike-on-boardwalk.jpg", "alt": "bike on boardwalk", "width": "1600", "height" :"1067"}}} />


#### Truly All-Terrain

Unfortunately, I have not ridden the AB1; however, I will boldly state that the AB-ST (most likely) lives up to the anywhere/anything positioning better than the AB1 (or AB-AL). Just looking at the bike makes it fairly evident.

Let's start with the clearance for up to 29 x 2.25” tires. Honestly, my love affair with the AB-ST started at gravel 29er. With huge tires and thru-axles (12x100 F, 12x142 R), the AB-ST really is made for anything you throw it's way. This was my first time running 29ers on a gravel bike, and I was a bit unsure of what to expect. However, after a few hundred kilometers, I can safely say it's exactly what you imagine: they get you up and over pretty much anything, quickly.

<table>
    <tr>
    <th>Size</th>
    <th>S</th>
    <th>M</th>
    <th>L</th>
    <th>XL</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Recommended Height</td>
    <td>5'3"-5'6"</td>
    <td>5'6"-5'9"</td>
    <td>5'9"-6'2"</td>
    <td>6'2"-6'6"</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Seat Tube</td>
    <td>450mm</td>
    <td>480mm</td>
    <td>510mm</td>
    <td>540mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Seat Tube Angle</td>
    <td>74°</td>
    <td>74°</td>
    <td>74°</td>
    <td>74°</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Head Tube Angle</td>
    <td>70°</td>
    <td>70°</td>
    <td>70°</td>
    <td>70°</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Head Tube Length</td>
    <td>150mm</td>
    <td>170mm</td>
    <td>190mm</td>
    <td>210mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Top Tube Length</td>
    <td>535mm</td>
    <td>565mm</td>
    <td>595mm</td>
    <td>615mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Stack</td>
    <td>569mm</td>
    <td>588mm</td>
    <td>607mm</td>
    <td>626mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Reach</td>
    <td>391mm</td>
    <td>415mm</td>
    <td>440mm</td>
    <td>455mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Fork Length</td>
    <td>398mm</td>
    <td>398mm</td>
    <td>398mm</td>
    <td>398mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Chainstay Length</td>
    <td>430mm</td>
    <td>430mm</td>
    <td>430mm</td>
    <td>430mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>BB Drop</td>
    <td>72mm</td>
    <td>72mm</td>
    <td>72mm</td>
    <td>72mm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td>Wheelbase</td>
    <td>1046mm</td>
    <td>1077mm</td>
    <td>1108mm</td>
    <td>1130mm</td>
    </tr>
</table>

On Southern Vancouver Island there is a phenomenon of people “mountain biking on gravel bikes”. This happens mainly because our little island is an underwater mountain and has a limited number of pure long-distance gravel tracks. So if you are looking to do any meaningful off-road distance here, you are most likely hitting some singletrack along the way. I've always considered drop bars on heavy terrain bananas, and held firmly to my belief that gravel bikes simply don't make sense in the singletrack. However, the AB-ST strongly challenges this idea. Once I got used to the narrowness of the bars, the AB-ST was tackling everything my Surly Krampus does. Is it ideal? Maybe not. Is it possible? Absolutely.

> I've always held firmly to my belief that gravel bikes simply don't make sense in the singletrack. The AB-ST strongly challenges that idea.

For those who really want to push the AB-ST, Landyachtz was wise to include optional internal cabling-in for a dropper post. 

#### Say Hello To Your New Bikepacking Rig

The AB-ST has all the mounts. And by all of them I mean… <i>all of them</i>. After a few weeks of riding the bike, I'm still finding mounting options. There is a place to mount a top tube bag, triple mounts on the top of the down tube (double underneath), double mounts on the seat tube, and rack mounts on the seat stays. It has more mounts than my Surly Krampus, which kinda blows me away.

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The AB-ST ships with the updated Carbon Adventure (ADV) fork. The fork boasts triple mounts on each side and a rack mount to accommodate pretty much any front end setup you have in mind. (I <i>think</i> this finishes the long list of mounting options for the bike). The mounting bolts are recessed into the carbon so that they sit flush when no cage is mounted, which is a slick touch. However, mounts on raw carbon always make me a little nervous, and I ended up adding some electrical tape down the center of the fork which will hopefully <a href="https://cycle.hypertelia.com/salsa-anything-cage-hd-review-warning" target="_blank">avoid any friction</a> when a cage is attached. That said, the new ADV fork is solid. It's raw carbon finish really lends to the overall look of the AB-ST.

#### Light &amp; Quick

After 2 years of riding a sturdy flat bar mountain bike, it's a lot of fun to be back on some drop bars with my hands on the hoods, and moving fast again. I am loving the quicker cadences and longer distances.

In the gravel, the AB-ST has a whip-like responsiveness to it that I catch myself daydreaming about while at work. The 4130 LY Chromoly is strong and light (a medium weighs in at 6.75 lbs), and makes me feel like I'm a faster rider than I really am. And with the longer wheelbase the whole affair feels fast yet super stable when cornering or descending in rough terrain.

My first time on the AB-ST, the bike brought to mind a <a href="https://www.hotcars.com/what-are-safari-porsche-911s-and-where-did-they-come-from/" target="_blank">Safari Porsche</a> (the car of my dreams). Safari Porche's are essentially repurposed 911s, tricked out for offroading. A super fast chassis with beefier suspension and other accoutrements of off-road driving. This, in a nutshell, is how the AB-ST feels to me. A quick gravel machine decked out for the chonk. If that's not rad, I'm not sure what is.

<Gallery galleryData={{"type": "fullbleed","image": {"src": "/products/landyachtz-ab-st/bike-near-ocean.jpg", "alt": "bike near ocean", "width": "1600", "height" :"1067"}}} />

Returning to the challenge of categories—if I had to make one for the AB-ST I'd call it Fastpacking. I'll leave the actual naming for the marketing experts, but the AB-ST does make me think of the <a href="https://www.bikegeardatabase.com/stories/riders/cory-ostertag-bikepack-racer">ultra-bikepack racers</a> out there. Bikepack racers require everything the AB-ST has to offer: fast rolling huge tires, a light, flexible frame, and the ability to mount any bag setup imaginable. The AB-ST would be ideal for anyone who's interested in a beefy drop bar bike for racing.

#### Oh, And That Look

As much as we pretend that color doesn't matter—it really, really does. Of course appreciation for  aesthetics is in the eye of the beholder, but I am in love with the color choice on the AB-ST. I asked the people around me at work how they would describe the color and the responses were “milky navy” and “blue steel”, both not wrong. When the blue steel is coupled with the raw carbon of the ADV fork (and in my case, the Easton wheels), the whole machine looks pretty swank.

<Gallery galleryData={{"type": "wide","rows": [{"images": [{"src": "/products/landyachtz-ab-st/bike-near-stream.jpg", "alt": "bike near stream", "width": "1600", "height" :"1067"},]},{"images": [{"src": "/products/landyachtz-ab-st/bike-with-boat.jpg", "alt": "bike with boat", "width": "1600", "height" :"1067"},{"src": "/products/landyachtz-ab-st/bike-with-more-rocks.jpg", "alt": "bike with more rocks", "width": "1600", "height" :"1067"},]},] }} />

I should mention one unfortunate bungle, which is that after a couple hundred kilometers, I started noticing small chips in the paint. I spoke to Lucas, Landyachtz's marketing manager about it and he mentioned that the issue had to do with the pre-production version of the bike I was testing.

In the end, I opted to get the AB-ST <a href="https://www.ridewrap.ca" target="_blank">Ride Wrapped</a> to protect it. This isn't a huge issue, as I planned to have it wrapped regardless—bike bags are hell on any paint job.

#### Wrapping Up

Call it what you will—<i>monster gravel, monstercross, mountain bike with drops</i>—it really doesn't matter. Categories are for computers. Landyachtz was right to label the bike as rad and avoid the confusion of trying to properly fit it in some word jumble. The only thing that matters is getting out there and shredding it all, which the AB-ST will help you do, very, very well.

I hope you like seeing the bike in photos, as you'll be seeing much more of it on this site. This was meant to be a straightforward review, and I planned to send the bike back once I was done forming an impression. However, the idea of boxing it up and shipping it back brought on a little heartache; so I bought the bike. Now she just needs a name.

You can get the frameset $1,250 CAD / $975 USD or work with the Landyachtz team to build up your dream machine. Get it <a href="https://landyachtzbikes.com/bike/ab-st-steel-gravel-bike-frameset" target="_blank">here</a>.

Landyachtz has updated its AB lineup with two new bikes. We were lucky to demo the AB-ST Chromoly version designed for bikepacking and being rad.

Landyachtz AB-ST Review

For the past few years, <a href="https://landyachtzbikes.com" target="_blank">Landyachtz</a> has been putting out some solid bikes from their headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia. They recently released a follow-up to their popular <a href="https://landyachtzbikes.com/bike/gravel-bike-ab1/" target="_blank">AB1</a> gravel bike called the <a href="https://landyachtzbikes.com/bike/ab-st-steel-gravel-bike-frameset/" target="_blank">AB-ST</a>. The AB-ST is fast, ready for anything, and truly feels like a whole new direction for gravel bikes. We gave the AB-ST a demo and weren't sorry that we did. Let's go.

29 bike builders are changing the cycling industry as we know it.

29 Gravel & Mountain Builders For 2022

We love indie makers and, well, we love bikes. So here's a list of indie bike makers for you. Whether you are looking to get a custom steel hardtail or a titanium gravel grinder, these are the companies we have been crushing on lately. Enjoy.

29 Gravel & Mountain Bike Builders For 2022


I've been riding a "gravel" bike for almost five years now. My steel Soma Wolverine has 650b wheels, 48mm tires, and drop bars, and I wanted to see what it was like to ride a modern gravel bike with 700c wheels. I've never described my Wolverine as fast or agile. It's comfy and fun for long casual treks at a party pace. I knew that I wanted to experience bigger wheels on long gravel roads. 

#### Landyachtz Makes Bikes?

My only experience with Landyachtz has been with their <a href="https://landyachtz.com/" target="_blank">longboards</a>. During the first stage of my mid-life crisis, I watched one too many YouTube videos of people bombing down hills on drop deck skateboards and ended up owning a Landyachtz Switch. I tooled around town on it, too aware of my mortality and the stiffness of my hips and lower back to point it down any actual hills. I was very aware of their popularity and reputation, especially here in British Columbia, where I live and Landyachtz runs their thing. Up until our trip to Clinton, in my mind, Landyachtz was a skateboard company and not a bike company. 

Now I wouldn't call myself a bike snob, but I do enjoy researching and picking out the parts for a bike, so I end up with something unique. Off-the-shelf builds don't excite me. So when I first swung my leg over the Landyachtz bike, the stoke was minimal and expectations were low. I was just happy to be getting out for a 50k ride, to experience more of the gravel roads we had just tasted, on a bike that had a wheel size I thought I'd want to put on my Wolverine. Boy, was I in for a surprise. 

<Gallery galleryData={{"type": "wide","rows": [{"images": [{"src": "/products/landyachtz-cb-mk2/cbmk2_head_badge.jpeg", "alt": "Landyachtz CB MKII Head Badge", "width": "1800", "height" :"1200"},{"src": "/products/landyachtz-cb-mk2/cbmk2_bars.jpeg", "alt": "Landyachtz CB MKII Handlebars and Shifters", "width": "1800", "height" :"1200"},]},{"images": [{"src": "/products/landyachtz-cb-mk2/cbmk2_cockpit.jpeg", "alt": "Landyachtz CB MKII Cockpit", "width": "1800", "height" :"1200"},]},] }} />

I expected to ride the Landyacthz AB1 Gravel bike, but Tutti's were set up with 650b wheels. I was not to be deterred from the big-wheel experience I was hoping for, and I ended up on a large Landyachtz CB MkII setup with the desired 700c wheels. 

#### The Setup

Landyachtz describes the CB MkII as a capable gravel setup. A blue-painted Chromoly steel frame with Landyachtz's carbon fork. Ritchey aluminum for the bars, stem, and seat post. TRP Spyre cable pull disc brakes are the original spec for this bike, but mine came with hydraulics. I don't recall the brand. Aluminum wheels, tubes, and 42mm Teravail rubber to interface with the road. SRAM Apex 1 drivetrain with Double-Tap shifting. Basic black bar tape and a no-nonsense saddle. Everything one needs to search for gravel gold in the Cariboo. Let's go. 

#### The Ride

As soon as we were rolling, I could feel the difference in the tire size. The ride didn't feel as plush as my Wolverine, but at the same time, I didn't feel like I was getting sucked into and slowed by the washboard roads. It felt like I was rolling over the terrain a bit quicker. I know this is a commonly described benefit of 700C over 650b wheel sizes, and it was nice to experience it. 

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The more we rode on, the more I realized how much I liked the tires, and I also really liked this bike. It felt confident on the gravel, mud, and paved road we experienced. The steel frame and tubed tires soaked up enough of the bumps so that I could relax into a steady pace. The CB MkII's large frame size fits my 5'10" body well. Barry kept saying how it looked like it fit me better than my Wolverine, and it did feel that way. The bike felt so good over our 50km ride that it had me questioning many of my bicycle choices to date. 

My only gripes with this bike are personal preference. I don't like Double-Tap shifters, which would easily be resolved by switching the levers out to something I prefer, like Di2 or Campagnolo. And the drop bars felt small compared to the Cow Chippers that I'm used to. I could get used to smaller drops though. And I'd pull the tubes out and run this bike tubeless. That's it, that's all. 

Up until this ride, I had only planned on buying a 700C wheelset for the Wolverine. Over the last 10km of our ride, I was calculating costs and scheming of ways to get myself more permanently onto something like the Landyachtz CB MkII, unaware of its price. How many bikes would I have to sell? How would I justify yet another bike purchase to my (very bike-supportive) wife? It turns out this bike is reasonably priced at $2499 CAD. 

We got back to Clinton after our ride and got the chance to speak with Kelly about the bikes and his relationship with Landyachtz. We talked about how people can get stuck on bicycle trends, semantics, and brands and forget to enjoy the ride. I definitely fall into this trap and would never have considered a Landyachtz in my top choices of gravel bikes to buy. They're a skateboard company, right? But now I'm glad to have experienced the fact that Landyachtz makes damn good gravel bikes. 

>"Landyachtz isn't just a skateboard company that also makes gravel bikes. Landyachtz is a bicycle company that makes excellent gravel bikes"
 
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#### Landyachtz - A Gravel Bike Company

Just consider that Landyachtz has a direct line to the gravel bicycle world via riders like Kelly. If you have ever had the privilege of hanging out at the Tutti Gravel Inn and riding the epic Cariboo gravel, you know the roads are beautiful, but the loops are long. Kelly has experienced the Italian L'Eroica twice (winning it once) and spends his days in Clinton riding and discovering long beautiful gravel adventures for himself and his guests. If anyone knows gravel riding, it's Kelly. Landyachtz has already built him at least two custom bikes with his input, and I'm sure they won't be the last. What this all means is that Landyachtz isn't just a skateboard company that also makes gravel bikes. Landyachtz is a bicycle company that makes excellent gravel bikes with the input of experienced gravel riders like Kelly. 

#### The Verdict

Will I end up with a Landyachtz gravel bike? Time will tell. I like the idea of supporting a local British Columbia company, and if I were looking for a sub-$3000 gravel bike, the CB MkII would be on my list. It's a really great gravel bike. I am looking closely at their custom titanium options and have dreamed up a build that I could use for long gravel, bike-packing, and commuting. Landyachtz. Who knew? Kelly Servinski did. 

On a recent trip, the BGDB team was lucky to test out a spanking new CB MKII - the second generation of the much loved and super capable CB2.

Landyachtz CB MKII Review: A Confident Gravel Grinder

<a href="https://landyachtzbikes.com" target="_blank">Landyachtz</a> is a company from British Columbia, Canada that is globally known for it's stellar longboards. Over the past couple of years, Landyachtz has started producing gravel bikes that in thier words 'allow people to go further'. On a recent <a href="/stories/trips/tutti-gravel-inn">trip</a>, the BGDB team was lucky to test out a spanking new CB MKII - the second generation of the much loved and super capable CB2.

Landyachtz CB MKII Review

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