REEB Pinion-Equipped Trail Hardtail

This Pinion-equipped REEB hardtail was built for a customer in Roseville, CA, who was looking for a no-fuss build that would shine on the smoother trails surrounding his home. With a Zerode Taniwha enduro bike already in the quiver, the customer was familiar with the wide gear range and minimal maintenance that are the hallmarks of Pinion’s gearbox. Wanting to further increase the easy-factor with this hardtail rig, we paired the gearbox with a Gates Carbon Drive belt system for a no-worries drivetrain that would allow him to spend his precious free time exploring the local trails, not fussing with derailleur adjustments or obsessing over readings from his chain-checker. 

In line with this preference for durable, simple components that simply work, the customer requested a steel frame with versatile geometry that could handle techier outings, but was highly efficient on the smoother rides that would be its daily bread-and-butter. The final ask? Something made in the US of A.

9:ZERO:7 Fat Bike with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and Gates Carbon Drive Belt

This 9:ZERO:7 Slider is a build we did for a customer in Herndon, Virginia. He wanted an adventure fat bike that would stand up to anything he might encounter off the beaten path. Low maintenance and dependability were top priorities. He had already purchased the frame set, so he sent it to us to build up with a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 internal gear hub and Gates Carbon Drive belt drive. With this extremely durable drivetrain, a rigid fork, and large volume tires for comfort and traction, this bike can handle just about any terrain with almost no maintenance.

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 Wolfram Pinion Bike Packages

Ventana has expanded the drivetrain options available for their Wolfram trail bike.  After successfully launching the Wolfram model with a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 internal gear hub and Gates Carbon Drive belt last fall, they are now offering a new version built around the Pinion gear box.  This version carries all the rest of the features of the original: modern trail geometry, large volume "plus"-sized tires, choice of 27.5+ or 29+ wheel size, and Gates Carbon Drive belt compatibility.

Bikes packages are available in two build levels:

• Signature: $7,790
• Standard: $6,510

Both packages include a 12-speed Pinion gearbox and Gates Carbon Drive belt system.  9- and 18-speed gearboxes are also available through the semi-customizable build kits options below.

Please contact us at info@cyclemonkey.com or 510-868-1777 for additional information or to place an order.

Cyclocross / Gravel Grinder: Traitor Cycles Crusade with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and Gates Carbon Drive

A Kent, Washington-based customer contacted us to talk about building a commuter/dirt road exploration bike with our signature Rohloff/Gates drivetrain. Already a Rohloff rider, he was excited about the simplicity, dependability, and longevity that the combination of the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 internal gear hub and Gates Carbon Drive belt offers. He liked Traitor Cycles Crusade frame for it's cyclocross geometry, affordable price, adjustable dropouts, and ability to run a tapered carbon fork. He sent us his Rohloff wheel, and we built it into a cool new bike.

Super Commuter / Adventure Road: Calfee Designs Luna with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and Gates Carbon Drive

This custom carbon fiber Calfee Design Luna went to a customer in Juneau, Alaska. He was looking for a bike that he could use for his 15 mile daily commute as well as some weekend gravel road rides. He wanted it to be lightweight, versatile, dependable, and built-up with all the bells and whistles available for a great commuter.

He and his wife have been very happily riding on a carbon fiber Calfee tandem with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 internal gear hub and Gates Carbon Drive belt drivetrain for several years, and he wanted the same reliability on his new commuter. He liked the idea of having Calfee build him another frame and ultimately decided on the Luna model. We worked with him to outfit the bike with dynamo hub-powered front and rear lighting, hydraulic disk brakes, fenders, and a rear rack/pannier system for a properly outfitted commuter.

Expedition / Adventure / Backcountry Touring: Lynskey Fatskey Fat Bike with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 XL

A customer from Hickory, NC called us to discuss building up a new bikepacking rig. He wanted to use 29+ wheels with a maintenance-free and dependable Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and Gates Carbon Drive belt drivetrain to take on the Great Divide and other adventure touring routes. 

There are limited options available for dedicated 29+ bikes to begin with, and he wanted something lighter than the popular Surly Krampus and ECR steel options. Fortunately, most fat bike frames will accept 29+ wheels, so he was able to use the lightweight titanium Fatskey frame from Lynskey. He sent us the frame and Carver O’Beast carbon fork that he had already picked up, and we worked with him to pick the rest of the components for the build and put everything together.

Commuting / Touring: Co-Motion Americano with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and Gates Carbon Drive

This Co-Motion Americano was built for a customer in Corpus Christi, Texas. He had been riding on a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 for many years that he loved and wanted to move it to a new bike. He rides to work everyday and wanted to get a great commuter with dynamo powered lights and a frame that was sturdy enough to be used for moderately loaded touring. He was also excited about using a Gates Carbon Drive belt. Co-Motion's top quality, American made, Americano model covered all of his requirements, so we used this as the starting platform.

Gravel / Adventure Road Bike: Shand Cycles Stoater with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and Gates Carbon Drive

This Shand Cycles Stoater adventure road bike was built for a local customer in San Francisco. He wanted a no fuss commuter/adventure bike that was fun and comfortable to ride to help him get back into a regular riding routine. A friend of his had worked with us to get a Rohloff-equipped touring bike and raved about the drivetrain, so he decided to get in touch with us to test ride the internal gear hub and Gates belt and to discuss potential build options. He really like the aesthetic of the Shand Stoater demo bike we have at the office, so we based the build around this frameset.

Super Commuter: Independent Fabrications Club Racer with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14, Gates Carbon Drive, and Dynamo Set-up

This custom super commuter is now climbing the hills of San Francisco, CA. The customer already rode with a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 internal gear hub and Gates Carbon Drive belt, and while he really loved the drivetrain, he was less happy with the original frame. So, he came to us to discuss options for moving the Rohloff and belt over to a new frame. Besides wanting to re-use his drivetrain, the main goal of the bike was quick, responsive handling like his road bike to add a little excitement to his daily commute.

Independent Fabrications was high on his list due to the many choices available through their custom program, and he ultimately decided to go with a stainless steel Club Racer frame with a 3/4 paint job. We worked with him to spec the bike with commuting essentials, then dialed in the fit and got in touch with IF to work through the frame details.

Surly Troll with S&S Couplings, Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14, and Gates Carbon Drive Belt

This customized Surly Troll was built for a customer in Easton,Maryland who wanted a bike for travel touring and general utility use. He came to us looking to get Surly's newly released World Troller frame built up with a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and Gates Carbon Drive. However, at the time, the World Troller frames had not started shipping, so we took a standard Surly Troll frame and modified it by adding S&S couplings, a belt drive splitter, and a new coat of white powder coat to get very nearly the same result with the additional feature of being belt compatible.

Cycle Monkey Now Offering In-house Frame Modifications and Repair

We are excited to announce our new on-site fabrication shop. We will now be able to perform all of the standard steel or titanium frame modifications common on many of our builds as well as a comprehensive list of frame repairs. Having this workshop on site will reduce lead times for bikes being built in the Monkey Lab as well as expand our service offerings.

Demo Bike: Lenz Lunchmoney Full Suspension Trail Bike with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and Gates Carbon Drive Belt

This Lenz Sport LunchMoney is one of two new demo bikes that came about as a project to combine a Gates Carbon Drive belt drive and Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 internal gear hub with a full suspension frame. To accomplish this goal, we got in touch with Devin Lenz, who created one of the first - and still one of the only - suspension frames that is compatible with a tensioned single speed chain or belt. We worked with him on a few design details, then put in an order for a medium frame with 27.5+ wheels and an XL frame with 29+ wheels.

Jones Plus Bikepacking Bike with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and Gates Carbon Drive

This customized Jones Plus bike went to a customer in Sunset, South Carolina. He originally contacted us about building a bikepacking/offroad adventure bike with plus size tires, Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14, and Gates Carbon Drive belt for riding dirt routes that he had picked out across the US. The bike would be used for serious back country riding and needed to be built to stand up to anything he might encounter off the grid. For these types of adventures, where every piece of equipment needs to work without fail over various terrain weather conditions for hundreds or even thousands of miles, the Rohloff/Gates drivetrain is a perfect fit. He was interested in the "Plus" model from Jones Bicycles based on reviews he had read, and a test ride on our demo bike coordinated with a business trip to San Francisco confirmed that this was the right choice.

Tout Terrain Metropolitan Commuter Bike with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and Cinq Trigger Shifters

This decked out Tout Terrain Metropolitan was built for a customer in Sacramento, CA as his daily commuter. He had ordered the frame with a few customizations and picked out most of the parts he wanted to use, then came to us for the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 internal gear hub and Gates Carbon Drive belt system as well as to fill in a few missing parts for the build kit. He is a heavier rider who wanted a bike that would be reliable under the strain of daily commuting, and this Tout Terrain frame is a perfect fit, having been designed with durability in mind as well as being Rohloff and belt ready and having many commuter-specific features built in.

Co-Motion Klatch - Adventure Road Bike with Rohloff SPEEDHUB and Gates Belt

This bike started into motion when our customer in Burlingame, CA first rode his friend's Rohloff-equipped touring bike. He liked the internal gear hub so much he decided to design a bike of his own around the system. During his research into potential frame options, he found our Monkey Lab blog post about a previous Co-motion Klatch we built and got in touch with us to discuss building him something similar. He wanted a low-maintenance bike that was suitable for bike-packing, gravel rides, and mild single track. He knew the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 would meet his drivetrain needs perfectly, especially when combined with a Gates Carbon Drive belt, and he had a top shelf build kit in mind to finish off his dream bike. Once we had all the details in place, we got in touch with Co-motion to finalize the frame details and set out on making the bike happen.

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 Fat Bike Packages - 2016

Overview

For fall of 2015, we have revamped our Ventana El Gordo Fat Bike packages.  These bikes have proven to be solid performers for many types of riding over the past year.  We made updates based on new parts introduced in the past year as well as introducing suggested builds for snow/sand, trail, and touring use.  The frame, Rohloff SPEEDHUB XL gear hub, and Gates Carbon Drive belt system carry forward.  See chart below for details.

Introduction

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 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

Co-Motion Americano Touring Bike with Rohloff SPEEDHUB and belt drive

This Co-Motion Americano was displayed in our booth at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) last March in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is equipped with a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and Gates belt drive, as well as a full compliment of racks and panniers for loaded touring. Co-Motion Cycles – a company who specializes in building bikes for touring, commuting, tandems, and other unique bikes at their factory in Eugene, Oregon – lent us this bike to showcase an example of a fully loaded touring bike equipped with a SPEEDHUB. It attracted plenty of attention among show attendees; a crowd made up of handmade bike aficionados, many of whom travel from all over the world for a chance to see these bikes in person.