For the wheels, we laced up the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and a Chris King ISO disc front hub to a pair of Surly's new Rabbit Hole rims using Sapim Laser thin double-butted spokes and brass nipples. The Rabbit Hole rims are a single-wall, wide 700c/29" rim meant for use with Surly's new Knard 29x3.0" tires. This configuration represents a new large-diameter fat bike bike standard created by Surly. Thinner spokes were used based on a lighter rider weight to provide additional comfort to the rigid bike. Check out more details on the wheels here.
Since a conventional 29'er frame doesn't have clearance for a 29x3.0" tire, Surly built a new model called Krampus. The Krampus frame set is similar in concept to their Karate Monkey 29'er - a value oriented chromoly steel frame and fork that can hold up to a lot of use and abuse. Like the Karate Monkey, the Krampus frame has horizontal dropouts with a derailleur hanger, so it can easily be set up with an internal gear hub, single speed, or with derailleurs. Along with the additional tire clearance, the Krampus frame gets a more trail-bike oriented geometry with a more relaxed head tube angle and higher bottom bracket compared to the standard cross country numbers of the Karate Monkey. A 44mm headtube also comes standard, which will allow the use of a tapered-steerer fork should any become available in the future. As a bonus, the Krampus frame and fork get sparkly green paint!
Setting up the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 on most Surly frames is pretty straightforward. The Krampus frame doesn't have any Rohloff-specific features like the Big Dummy, Ogre, Troll, or Disc Trucker, but with the use of our Monkey Bone, you still end up with a clean setup. A threaded axle hub is used to position the wheel/tighten the chain easily and the shift cables are zip-tied to the frame. The rest of the parts came together in a package that looks to be a blast to ride on the trails based on our short post-build test ride.
- Frame: Surly Krampus chromoly steel
- Fork: Surly Krampus chromoly steel
- Headset: Chris King Inset
- Stem: Thomson X4
- Handlebar: Jeff Jones Loop H-Bar
- Shifter: Rohloff
- Grips: ESI Silicone
- Seatpost: Thomson Elite
- Saddle: Brooks Swallow
- Front Hub: Chris King ISO Disc
- Rear hub: Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14
- Spokes: Sapim Laser
- Nipples: Sapim Brass
- Rims: Surly Rabbit Hole
- Tires: Surly Knard
- Front skewer: Shimano XT
- Cranks: Race Face Turbine
- Bottom Bracket: Race Face Turbine
- Chainring: Race Face Single Ring
- Rear Sprocket: Rohloff sprocket
- Chain: Wippermann 8sX
- Brakes & Levers: Magura MT4
- Rotors: Magura Storm
Super slick! Right down to the Jones bars...
ReplyDeleteNice one! What frame size is this?
ReplyDeleteThat's a small - it looks bigger than it is with the large wheels.
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