Signature Cycles (NYC) bike shop coordinated with
Firefly Bicycles (Boston, MA) to design this 29er mountain bike. The customer was looking for a high-performance, low-maintenance bike to spend more time riding and less time fixing his bike.
The integrated
Rohloff SPEEDHUB and
Gates Carbon Drive belt system provides a virtually maintenance-free drive train. This combination requires only an annual oil change for the hub, but no other regular maintenance or lubrication. With the belt drive system projected to last over 10,000 miles, this drive train will provide many years of reliable service.
To accommodate the belt drive system, Firefly used a
Paragon Machine Works titanium tube splitter on the right seat stay. This provides a clean and simple solution to insert the belt into the frame.
Finishing details include Rohloff-specific cable routing for a clean look and Paragon Machine Works Rocker adjustable dropouts to tension the belt.
Build details
- Frame: Firefly custom titanium
- Fork: Fox Shox F29
- Headset: Chris King Inset
- Stem: Thomson X4
- Seatpost: Firefly titanium
- Shifter: Rohloff
- Front Hub: Chris King ISO 15mm
- Rear hub: Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14
- Rims: No Tubes Arch
- Tires: No Tubes Crow
- Cranks: Shimano XT
- Chainring: Gates Carbon Drive Center Track
- Chain: Gates Carbon Drive Center Track
- Brakes: Shimano XT
- Pedals: Shimano DX
- H2O Cages: King Cage titanium
We got these photos of a Steve Potts titanium road/cyclocross bike from Mike Valley at Black Mountain Cycles, one of our Rohloff dealers in Pt. Reyes, CA. The frame was on display at Steve Potts' booth at NAHBS, and the bike was assembled shortly after the show. Steve made the titanium frame and stem, as well as the steel fork. The goal was a multi-purpose bike that could be used on pavement with skinny tires or dirt roads with larger tires. S&S couplings allow the frame to separate into two pieces that can be packed into a box that meets airlines' maximum baggage dimensions, saving the exorbitant fees that some airlines charge to transport a bicycle. Titanium is a great frame material for a travel bike because it is scratch, dent, and chip resistant, so it won't get banged up in transit. The Rohloff SPEDHUB 500/14 offers a travel-friendly drivetrain that doesn't have any derailleurs hanging down that could potentially get damaged. Paragon Machine Works sliding dropouts provide a means for tensioning the chain and anchoring the hub's axle.
