Ventana Wolfram Plus-Tire Mountain Bike Packages

We worked with Ventana Mountain Bikes USA to create a new plus-sized trail hardtail called Wolfram. Available with 27.5"+ or 29"+ wheels, the geometry follows current trends of longer top tubes for use with shorter stems, slack head angle for better stability on technical terrain, and short chain stays for a more playful feel and to make picking your way through obstacles easier. The oversized plus tires provide amazing traction and give the back end a little squish. We like to call it an all mountain hardtail.  Some might call it an enduro hardtail.  One of our friends would call it a Funduro. Whatever you call it, it is a very capable bike that is tons of fun to ride.

Completely manufactured in-house at Ventana's factory in Northern California, the Cycle Monkey editions of the Wolfram 27.5+ and 29+ feature dedicated cable routing for the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and stealth dropper seatposts and are belt drive compatible through Ventana's clever adjustable dropout system for the most maintenance-free trail bike drivetrain available. Check out the packages below or call us to discuss a custom build.

Bikes packages are available in two build levels:

• Signature: $7090
• Standard: $6040

Both packages come with a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 14-speed internal gear hub and Gates Carbon Drive belt system.

 

Contact us at info@cyclemonkey.com or 510-868-1777 for more information or to place an order.

Ventana El Gordo Fat Bike with Rohloff Internal Gear Hub, Gates Belt, and Rock Shox Bluto Fork

Meet the Ventana Mountain Bikes USA El Gordo fat bike in Team Blue Sparkle that we built for a customer in New Zealand. This customer came to us looking for an adventure bike to take him off the beaten path, far beyond the limits of where traditional mountain bikes can go. Because the large tires on a fat bike would allow him to pedal through terrain and riding conditions that push the limits of where bikes can be ridden, he needed a drivetrain that was up to the task as well. He came across our Ventana El Gordo fat bike packages built around Rohloff's fat bike-specific SPEEDHUB XL 500/14 internal gear hub and Gate's Carbon Drive belt system, which are well suited for the adventures he had in mind. He got in touch with us to discuss a build tailored to his needs. He customized his build with a suspension fork, dropper post, and the largest tires available for the best all-terrain performance. As outfitted, his new fat bike is ready to ride through anything, will require little to no maintenance, and will keep him free from worry over mechanical setbacks. 

Ventana El Gordo Fatbike with Rohloff SPEEDHUB and Gates Belt Drive

El Gordo hardtail build in Orange

This sharp looking orange Ventana El Gordo went to a happy customer in Delafield, WI. He had been running a Gates Carbon Drive belt system on a Trek Sawyer set up single speed and loved the low maintenance aspects of the belt but wanted additional gears. He had considered putting a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 on the Sawyer to get more gears, but he really wanted to run wider tires than the Sawyer would allow. He was excited when Rohloff introduced the SPEEDHUB XL - the fat bike version of their gear hub - last fall and contacted us to put together a no-fuss fat bike for year round trail riding including his snowy Midwest winters.

Ventana's rocking dropouts provide solid wheel positioning for tensioning the belt

Rohloff SPEEDHUB XL & Ventana El Gordo Belt Drive Fat Bike Packages - Fall 2014

We've worked with Ventana Mountain Bikes USA to create a special Cycle Monkey edition of their US-made El Gordo fat bike frame. The Cycle Monkey edition will feature dedicated cable routing for the Rohloff SPEEDHUB and stealth dropper seatposts. These frames are also belt drive compatible through Ventana's clever adjustable dropout system for the most maintenance-free fat bike drivetrain available. Options are available to build the bikes up with a suspension fork and dropper seatpost for trail use or with a rigid fork and post for sand/snow use.

Contact us at info@cyclemonkey.com or 510-868-1777 to place an order.

Ventana El Gordo Build Kit Options

The new SPEEDHUB XL (left), and the original SPEEDHUB 500/14 (right)

Rohloff SPEEDHUB XL features

• 14 gears with a 526% overall change in gear ratio offers the same range as most three by nine mountain bike derailleur systems.
• Same proven hub internals as the SPEEDHUB 500/14 provides 100,000+ miles of reliable service.
• Shifting mechanism is completely protected within the hubshell and sealed from the elements.
• Shift reliably in sand, snow, mud, and other riding conditions that are harsh on traditional drivetrains.
• Shift between gears at any time, even when coasting or while stopped.
• Hub needs no maintenance other than an annual oil change.
• Large diameter, symmetrical hub flanges build into strong wheels.

Ventana El Gordo frame features

• Ventana tapered head tube (1-1/8" to 1.5")
• Ventana proprietary three bolt swinging adjustable dropouts
• Belt drive compatible - drive side dropout separates from seat stay to insert belt into rear triangle
• Cycle Monkey edition has dedicated cable routing for Rohloff SPEEDHUB shift cables and stealth dropper seatposts
• 170mm rear axle spacing
• Symmetric frame can be built with any fat bike rim size, including 29+
• Chainstay yoke provides ample clearance for large volume tires (4.8" tires on 100mm rims)
• Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL (see geometry chart here)
• Custom geometry available upon request for additional charge.
• Carbon Black or Mango Tango
• Additional colors available for additional charge

Ventana El Comandante Bike Packing bike with Rohloff SPEEDHUB and BeltDrive

Riding the Divide is one of the most awe-inspiring and grueling cycling challenges in the world. The 2,700 mile, 200,000 foot elevation gain ride goes from Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, traversing the whole length of the United States along the Continental Divide. The Divide is also the route of the annual Tour Divide, a famous unsupported endurance race. The record for the race is 15 days, but the ride is also done at a more leisurely pace by non-competitive riders who want to enjoy the beautiful Rocky Mountain scenery along the way. We built this Rohloff SPEEDHUB-equipped Ventana El Comandante for a customer who is planning to ride and train around his home near Columbus, OH with the goal of eventually gearing up for a Divide ride of his own.

Monkey Ride: Ventana Zeus with Rohloff SPEEDHUB

Last fall we built up this full suspension Ventana Zeus for Xan, a friend of Cycle Monkey who helped us out part time over the summer and is now in college in Colorado. Chief Monkey Neil coached Xan on the El Cerrito High School Mountain Bike team and watched him progress from a novice cross country rider to an experienced, technical rider favoring all mountain-style terrain. Xan planned out this build over the summer and we got it together just in time for him to take with him to Colorado Springs, where he knew he would be riding challenging and technical terrain regularly. Xan has been riding his Zeus hard, including on a trip to the famed trails of Fruita, and said the Rohloff SPEEDHUB is perfect for his riding style.

Monkey Ride: Custom Rohloff-Equipped Ventana Full Suspension 29er

Profile view in the trail configuration

This custom Ventana 29er was built in 2008 for Neil as a long-term test mule for various parts and design ideas.  The idea was to set up the bike with different part configurations to serve either as a cross country or all mountain rig. As with most of Neil's bikes, this one was setup around the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 drivetrain.  Special features include a 1.5" Cannondale Lefty-specific head tube, Rohloff cable routing, and custom geometry.  Pictured above is the all-mountain setup with 140mm/5.5" of fork travel and 120mm/4.7" of rear wheel travel.  A Rohloff chain tensioner takes up the slack from the rear travel. 

Carbon rims, chunky rubber and lots of travel

A Rock Shox Reba RLT fork with 140mm of travel provides plenty of suspension for aggressive all-mountain riding, and a Cane Creek Angleset headset accommodates the tapered steerer on the fork and allows for changes to the head angle.

EDGE Composites (now ENVE Composites) AM29 rims are laced to a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 rear hub and Industry Nine 20mm thru-axle front disc hub using bladed SAPIM CX-Ray spokes.  These rims have been bulletproof over the last five years despite some serious abuse on the trails.

Custom cable guides for the Rohloff SPEEDHUB provide clean and elegant routing

Cross Country configuration

This is the same bike in it's cross country configuration with a carbon Cannondale Lefty fork and 4" of front and rear travel. Travel is changed on the frame by swapping the rocker links for shorter ones. The XC wheels are laced up with ENVE XC 29 tubeless rims, which are slightly lighter and narrower than the AM version but still plenty strong.  A SPEEDHUB 500/14 is used in the rear and a Project 321 Lefty hub can be found up front. The same SAPIM CX-Ray spokes are used.

Lefty SL carbon fork with Project 321 hub

Single leg, double crown Lefty fork

The Cannondale Lefty fork was a perfect choice for this application due to it's light weight, stiffness and strength.

Salsa Bend bar can be flipped to reverse the rise

Cockpit view in trail mode

The Salsa Bend bar is one of Neil's favorite handlebars. It has a slight rise and comfortable back sweep. The Bend bar is available in a 17 or 23 degree angle. This is the 17 degree version.

Close-up of the Rohloff shift box and Monkey Bone

This Ventana is set up with a MonkeyBone adaptor for the rear brake mount, which mates with the Rohloff OEM2 axle plate to anchor the hub's axle to the disc brake mount. Rohloff cable routing continues along the chainstay.

This bike has endured many miles of hard riding over the last five years without any problems. It still gets regular use on the trails around Northern California and has plenty of life left in it. Ventana frames are built to hold up to many seasons of riding, which compliments the durability of the Rohloff hubs. The company is great to work with and offers fast turnaround times, customization options, and quality construction.

Build Details:

• Frame: Custom Ventana 29er Full Suspension
• Fork: Rock Shox Reba 29er 140mm/Cannondale Lefty SL
• Headset: Cane Creek Angleset/Cannondale Lefty
• Stem: Thomson X4/Cannondale Lefty
• Handlebar: Salsa Bend 2, 17 degree
• Shifter: Rohloff
• Seatpost: X-Fusion HiLo Dropper
• Saddle: Specialized Phenom
• Front Hub: Industry Nine 20mm thru axle/Project 321 Lefty
• Rear Hub: Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14
• Spokes: Sapim Race
• Nipples: Sapim Brass
• Rims: EDGE Composites AM29 / ENVE Composites XC29
• Tires: Various
• Cranks: Race Face Six C/Next SL
• Bottom Bracket: Race Face Turbine
• Chainring: Race Face Single Ring
• Rear Sprocket: Rohloff sprocket
• Chain: Wippermann 8sX
• Brakes & Levers: Magura Louise
• Rotors: Magura Louise Wavy