Classic Commuter: Rohloff-Equipped Rivendell Sam Hillborne

This classically-styled commuter belongs to a local Bay Area customer who was looking for the convenience and reliability of modern components like dynamo lighting and internal gearing for his vintage-inspired Rivendell Sam Hillborne frame. 


The project began with the desire for a Schmidt SON28 dynamo hub and Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 internal gear hub. As a daily commuter, reliability, lack of maintenance, and ease of use were absolute requirements for every component of this build. Dynamo lighting from Schmidt fit the bill with its self-generating, no-charge-required illumination, and Rohloff’s SPEEDHUB was the clear choice for a wide-range drivetrain that would perform reliably day after day in any weather conditions. 
 
Built as a high-end commuter, the build was completed with top quality components in polished silver and brown leather to complement the nostalgic design of the lugged steel frame.

Rivendell is a Bay Area company located in Walnut Creek, just down the road from Cycle Monkey. Their calling card is lugged steel frames, and they offer a variety of platforms for daily commuting, road riding, trail riding, and touring. Rivendell is a small company, and they pride themselves on taking a different approach to frame materials and construction than most contemporary builders:

All of our bikes have lugged steel frames. We believe it's the best and most beautiful way to make bicycle frames, and trends won't sway us. We don't sell bikes for racing, and rather than apologize for that, we'd like to point out that since we are unburdened by racing values, we're free to design better-than-racing bikes. Bikes that fit better, ride better, and are more comfortable. Bikes that let you carry a load, whether that load is a tent and camping gear, a computer and files, or groceries. Our bikes are safe, comfortable, practical, and beautiful. Racing bikes might be lighter, but they are less comfortable, less useful, and for the most part, harder to like the looks of - Rivendell Bicycles

Rivendell's aesthetic and design choices might fall outside the norm, but their commitment to this unique approach is unwavering, and their execution of classic steel frames is second-to-none.

Rivendell presents the Sam Hillborne an all-rounder road bike packed with style and value. Clearance for 40mm tires provides the flexibility to comfortably take on dirt road adventures, while rack and fender mounts provide easy set up for commuting and errands. Add the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and self-powered lights, and the Sam Hillborne is quickly transformed into the ultimate commuter.

Cycle Monkey's Wheel House assembled a pair of eye-catching wheels with polished-silver hubs, Pacenti PL23 rims, and double butted Sapim Race spokes with brass nipples. The highlight, of course, is the Schmidt SON28 dynamo hub. Providing self-powered lighting of both the front and rear lights that help riders stand out in traffic and light the road ahead, dynamo lights are a no-brainer for commuters like this customer.

The Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 internal gear hub is an excellent option for any commuter because of its durable, hardened steel internal gear wheels, wide gear range, and sealed shifting system, which protects shifting components from everyday wear and tear. The SPEEDHUB provides long-term dependability in all riding conditions, making it the perfect drivetrain choice for a bike that is relied on for daily transport. 

Rivendell does not design frames with Rohloff-specific or disc brake compatibility, so this build required an aftermarket SPEEDHUB setup that will work with virtually any standard frame.  

The torque arm connected to the left chainstay fixes the hub axle to the frame and prevents it from spinning while the rider is pedaling. Chain tension comes courtesy of Phil Wood's Philcentric thread-in eccentric bottom bracket, which also allows for a small range of tension adjustment. In the end, this setup functions the same as bikes designed specifically around the SPEEDHUB.

Cycle Monkey completed the classic commuter build with high-end components from Chris King, Nitto, Paul Components, Gilles Berthoud, and Brooks, all of which contributed to the desired aesthetic. 

This build demonstrates the possibilities when you take a beloved frame designed for traditional drivetrain components and build it up around a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14. Cycle Monkey relished the opportunity to put together a build kit that inspired this customer ride his Rivendell and brought more enjoyment to his daily commute.

If you have a stock frame and want to run a Rohloff SPEEDHUB or make you frame belt drive compatible, just give us a call.  We'd be thrilled to talk it through and help you get the process rolling.

Build details

• Frame: Rivendell Sam Hillborne

• Fork: Rivendell Sam Hillborne

• Headset: Chris King Threaded

• Stem: Nitto Technomic

• Handlebar: Nitto Albatross

• Shifter: Gilles Berthoud for Rohloff SPEEDHUB 

• Grips: Brooks

• Seat post: Nitto Dynamic

• Saddle: Brooks B67

• Seat Clamp: Seat binder 

• Front Hub: Schmidt SON28

• Rear hub: Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14

• Spokes: Sapim Race

• Nipples: Sapim Brass

• Rims: Pacenti PL23

• Tires: Surly Knard 700 x 41c

• Cranks: Middleburn RS8

• Pedals: MKS Sylvan

• Bottom Bracket: Phil Woods Philcentric

• Chain ring: Middleburn RS7

• Rear Sprocket: Shimano 39T single speed ring

• Chain: Wippermann 8sX

• Brakes & Levers: Paul Racer

• Torque Arm: Rohloff
• Front Light: Schmidt Edelux II
• Rear Light: Schmidt SON Taillight
• Fenders: SKS Longboard  
• Rear Rack: Tubus Logo Evo 

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.

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.

Salsa Mukluk Fat Bike with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 XL

A couple in Maine contacted us to build up a his-and-hers set of fat bikes, both with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 XL internal gear hubs. Living on the East Coast, they deal with with lots of snow and wanted bikes ready to handle the winter riding conditions they face every year. Both wanted a comfortable ride that would need very little maintenance. He chose a Ventana El Gordo, and she picked this Salsa Mukluk, which is a great platform for building a Rohloff 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.

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.

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.

Vassago Jabberwocky Mountain Bike with Rohloff SPEEDHUB

We built this Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14-equipped mountain bike to showcase Vassago’s Jabberwocky frame - an affordable, versatile, steel 29er hardtail. Vassago is a small bike brand based in Phoenix Arizona, who produces quality steel and titanium frames. The Jabberwocky is an ideal choice for riders who are looking for a value-oriented hardtail that climbs efficiently, handles predictably, and is durable. Paired with a Rohloff SPEEDHUB, the Jabberwocky becomes a no-nonsense adventure bike that will perform reliably for years and years.

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

Fits By Paul City Bike with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14

We assembled this striking commuter bike for a local customer named Paul, who runs a bike fitting business called Fits by Paul in Marin County. He is an accomplished road rider and works with his customers to fine tune the fit of their road bikes for comfort and to prevent injuries while riding. For the times when he’s not riding his road bike, he wanted something more casual that was also trouble-free for riding around town. As a first for us, the customer built the frame himself while attending a bicycle frame building course.  After the frame came back from the painter, he brought it to us with some of the parts, and we helped him plan out the rest of the build centered around a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 internal gear hub. We supplied the missing parts, built the wheels, and assembled everything into a complete bicycle.

Surly Troll with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and Schmidt Dynamo

We built this eye-catching purple Surly Troll for a local customer who wanted a bike for daily commuting and long-distance touring. He asked us to build it up with versatility and ergonomics being the primary concern. With Surly's nearly indestructible steel frame, a worry-free Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14, Schmidt dynamo front hub, dynamo-powered head light with USB charger, and a pair of steel Tubus racks, this bike is ready to serve as a reliable transporter for many years.

The Surly Troll frames are a trusted choice proven on many different kinds of terrain. From commuting to mountain biking to mixed terrain touring, the Troll is an easy choice for versatile builds based around 26 inch wheels. Like all of Surly’s frames, it features sturdy 4130 chromoly steel tubing to ensure longevity even under the harshest of conditions. It includes gussets on the key tube junctions where frames tend to fail - where the seat tube meets the top tube and where the top and down tubes meet the headtube. Troll frames also offers a full array of threaded mounts for racks, water bottle cages, fenders, and Surly's trailer, making them adaptable to satisfy any rider's needs, no matter how they intend to use it.

For the wheels, we used Sun Ringle’s MTX33 rims, which are rated for downhill mountain biking, making them plenty strong enough to handle just about anything thrown at them. The 33mm width also helps spread out the tire casing for better traction. We laced up the rims using Sapim Race spokes and brass nipples for an appropriate blend of weight and durability in mind. Naturally, we chose a black Rohloff SPEEDHUB in the rear and a matching black Schmidt SON28 in the front. Finally, we mounted the Schwalbe Marathon Mondial tires, which have a thick, flat-resistant liner embedded in the rubber so they won't be susceptible to unexpected punctures on the road.

For the varied type of riding this customer is planning to do, a SPEEDHUB was the best choice to serve his needs. Rohloff's hubs are widely recognized as the most suitable drivetrain choice for long distance touring, which this customer plans to embark on in the future. On an unsupported tour that can lead you into remote and unknown areas, you don't want to risk being stranded far from a bike shop with drivetrain problems. The hardened steel gear wheels within the SPEEDHUBs are well protected and far more durable than any derailleur system. The Rohloff hubs are also the ideal choice for our customer’s other intended application: reliable daily commuting. To make it across town quickly at a moment’s notice, the commuter cyclist needs a drivetrain that remains in tune and performs consistently every time they get on their bike.

The Schmidt SON28 dynamo hub powers a Busch and Mueller Luxos U headlight with built-in USB charger. The highly efficient Schmidt hub provides reliable battery-free power to illuminate the road or charge electronic devices with an undetectable amount of resistance. We routed the headlight power wire through the inside of the fork leg for a clean look, a trick which also protects the wires better than wrapping the cable around the fork blade. A second wire from the headlight running to the handlebar terminates at an on/off switch that doubles are a plug for charging a phone, gps, or other USB device.

To fulfill the requirement of comfort, we used our standard choices for ergonomic cockpit and seating components. Ergon’s GP1 grips are shaped to distribute pressure evenly across the palms and feature an extended rest to support the rider’s wrists. The Selle Anatomica’s Titanico X leather saddle features an opening down the middle which allows the saddle to flex with a rider’s pedal stroke and removes pressure on the perineum. The leather breaks in over time to conform to the rider’s unique body shape but feels comfortable right out of the box.

Final touches include Shimano’s XT dual-purpose touring pedals with a platform on one side and an SPD interface on the other to allow them to be used both with clipless shoes for longer rides and flat soled shoes for around town rides. Race Face’s Turbine cranks, made from forged 7050 aluminum, make an extremely strong and hard wearing pedaling platform. Cromoly steel Tubus racks are light and strong.

If you’re looking for a durable touring or all-arounder of your own, contact us to start a conversation about what we can build for you.