Spot Honey Badger Mountain Bike with Schlumpf Mountain Drive Crankset

  

Singlespeed mountain biking has gained a devoted following in recent years, as more and more riders have been thinking outside the box and opting for simple, stripped-down bikes that let them focus solely on the experience of the ride. The flipside of that simplicity is that the gearing limitations of a singlespeed just don’t suffice on some trails, especially in steep hilly areas. We put together this belt drive Spot Honey Badger for a customer who told us he enjoyed singlespeeding but needed a gearing boost to get up the steeper hills on his local trails in Santa Rosa, California. We added a Schlumpf Mountain Drive to give him an ultra-low gear to get up the most extreme grades on the trail while still retaining the simple singlespeed aesthetic and belt drive compatibility.

Spot’s Honey Badger is designed as a comfortable, capable trail bike, with a good combination of stability and responsiveness. Like all of Spot's bikes, the Honey Badger was designed to be compatible with a belt drive system. Interchangeable dropouts allow for single speed/internal gear hub or derailleur use. The dropouts slide to adjust chain or belt tension with a single speed/internal gear hub or to adjust wheelbase with a derailleur. The steel frame has a few interesting features that set it apart from most hardtail frames, including curved seatstays and a time-trial style cutaway seattube that flex to provide some compliance and make the ride more comfortable. The downtube is also stamped into a wave design where it meets the headtube, creating a stronger weld that serves as a strengthening gusset. Overall, the frame is designed to be as versatile and robust as its namesake Honey Badger, a weasel-like animal with extremely tough skin that roams the plains of Africa.

This customer wanted to retain the same essential feel of singlespeed riding while also eliminating the hike-a-bike portions of his ride that were necessary with only one gear. To meet his criteria we installed a Schlumpf Mountain Drive, which has a 2.5 reduction ratio, to offer a low gear for super steep climbing. To shift to the low gear, a rider simply has to tap a button in the middle of the right side crank arm with their right heel. To shift back to the high gear, the rider taps a matching button on the left crank with their left heel. This heel-activated shift system eliminates the need for a shifter and cable on the handlebars, keeping the bike’s cockpit uncluttered.  It also provides a simple, adjustment free option for changing gears.

The bike comes stock with a Gates Carbon Drive belt drive, which was a priority for our customer. He loved the fact that the belt drive system lasts at least twice as long as a chain and doesn't require any maintenance aside from periodic silicone spray to resist squeaking in dry, dusty conditions. For mountain biking in particular, the belt drive is ideal because muddy and dusty trails can take their toll on a conventional chain much quicker than on the road.

If you’re interested in a Schlumpf-equipped mountain bike of your own, contact us to start a conversation about what type of bike is best for you. We have installed Schlumpf cranksets on just about any type of bike, including mountain, commute, fixed gear, cargo, and recumbent bikes/trikes. Schlumpf units can also easily be combined with a Rohloff SPEEDHUB to create even more gear range for people riding steep hills or carrying heavy loads.

Build Details:

• Frame: Spot Honey Badger
• Fork: Manitou Tower Comp 29er
• Headset: FSA integrated
• Stem: Truvativ Stylo T20
• Handlebar: Spot 700mm
• Shifter: N/A
• Grips: WTB
• Seatpost: Truvativ Stylo
• Saddle: WTB Pure V Race
• Seat Clamp: Spot
• Front Hub: Sun Ringle Charger
• Rear hub: Sun Ringle Charger
• Spokes: Wheelsmith J bend
• Nipples: Wheelsmith
• Rims: Sun Ringle Charger
• Tires: WTB Bronson 29x2.2”
• Cranks: Schlumpf Mountain Drive
• Pedals: Shimano XTR
• Bottom Bracket: Schlumpf Mountain Drive
• Chain ring: Gates Carbon Drive
• Rear Sprocket: Gates Carbon Drive
• Chain: Gates Carbon Drive
• Brakes & Levers: Avid Elixir 5
• Rotors: Avid