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.
A fat bike with a Rohloff Speedhub XL was the obvious choice for this type of project and Ventana's El Gordo has become our go-to fat bike frame for a number of reasons. El Gordo has pivoting dropouts that separate to allow easy belt-drive installation and tensioning, a machined chainstay yoke to allow the front sprocket adequate clearance and maximize tire clearance and s-curve seat stays that minimize heel strike while pedaling. The frames we get from Ventana are built slightly different than the stock versions, with Rohloff shifter and dropper post cable routing to give a streamlined, purpose-built bike build. Ventana's El Gordo is a Rohloff-friendly frame design and that makes it easy for us to offer great fat bike packages.
We are dedicated to helping each customer pick the right parts to outfit their new ride, to ensuring that the bike fits them, so it is comfortable to ride and handles well. This customer prefers the handling of a bike with a long top tube and short stem, so we ordered this frame with a longer top tube length than usual, an option available through Ventana's semi-custom program. The Thomson Covert Dropper post was chosen to help him deal with rough, steep, or unknown terrain. The post provides 125mm of infinite height adjustment without stopping or taking your hands off the bar. Front suspension duties are handled by a Rock Shox Bluto fork that gives enough tire clearance to fit the gargantuan Surly Bud 26 x 4.8" tire on 100mm Clown Shoe rims. All the components were selected with comfort and personal preference in mind.
We gave this El Gordo the full Cycle Monkey Rohloff treatment. The Rohloff SPEEDHUB XL works well for mountain biking and is especially well-suited for fat biking. The SPEEDHUB's sealed shifting system protects shifting components from the deep sand, mud, dirt and other contaminants that fat bikes are often ridden through. With hardened steel internal gear wheels and a 526 percent gear range, the SPEEDHUB adds versatility and dependability for two very demanding forms of riding conditions.
With the addition of the Gates Carbon Drive belt, which has a usable lifespan at least twice as long as a conventional chain and does not require lubrication, this is one of the most low maintenance and dependable drivetrains available. This set-up is designed for a hassle-free journey into wide open spaces and was just the thing for our customer to take out on the land in Kiwi country.
This Customer called us looking for a bike that could ride through anything and take him anywhere he could dream of going: a true adventure bike. We built this Ventana El Gordo to take him there.
If you're interested in a new fat bike or considering a mountain bike with plus tires, take a look at these two links to see the custom bike package specials we currently offer at Cycle Monkey.
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Build Details:
• Frame: Ventana El Gordo
• Fork: Rock Shox Bluto
• Headset: Cane Creek 40
• Stem: Thompson X4 DH
• Handlebar: Salsa Bend 2
• Shifter: Rohloff Twist Shifter
• Grips: ESI Chunky Silicone
• Seat post: Thomson Elite Dropper
• Saddle: WTB Speed V
• Seat Clamp: Ventana
• Front Hub: Hope Pro 2 EVO FatSno
• Rear hub: Rohloff SPEEDHUB XL 500/14
• Spokes: Sapim
• Nipples: Sapim Brass
• Rims: Surly Clown Shoe
• Tires: Surly Bud, Surly Lou 4.8"
• Cranks: Race Face Turbine
• Pedals: Acros A-Flat
• Bottom Bracket: Race Face A-type
• Chain ring: Gates Carbon Drive
• Rear Sprocket: Gates Carbon Drive
• Chain: Gates Carbon Drive CDX
• Brakes & Levers: Avid Speed Dial 7, Avid BB-7 MTB
• Rotors: Avid rear, Avid Front
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