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.

Vassago Optimus Ti with Rohloff SPEEDHUB

Vassago’s Optimus Ti is a great example of a high-end titanium hardtail that is optimized for the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14. It features cross country inspired geometry that also works well for more technical trail rides. Its titanium construction provides a comfortable ride quality that reduces vibrations yet remains stiff when you push it hard. The frame is hand built in Vassago’s Phoenix Arizona factory, and represents one of the best values on the market for a U.S.-made titanium frame. It's also one of the lightest Rohloff-equipped mountain bikes we've built, making it a favorite of racers or anyone who appreciates a lightweight, nimble ride.

Vassago Verhauen with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14

We put together this Vassago Verhauen with a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 to showcase a 29er hardtail made in the U.S. from premium True Temper steel. With a butted, heat treated tubeset that is light and strong, this frame offers the lively ride that steel bikes are known for. Traditional cross country geometry makes the Verhauen right at home on tight, twisty singletrack, and paired with a SPEEDHUB, it is sure to satisfy riders looking for a fun, minimal maintenance mountain bike.

Vassago is based in Phoenix, Arizona, and hand builds their Black Label frame models right here in the United States, including the Verhauen. By using True Temper's OX Platinum tubing and frame parts from Paragon Machine Works, Vassago is able to offer a completely US-made frame. The inclusion of Paragon's sliding dropouts makes the frame compatible with a wide variety of drivetrains and axle interfaces, including a clean SPEEDHUB installation. True Temper's OX Platinum tubing is made from high strength modern steel that is shaped to provide more material in high stress areas and less material in low stress areas to save weight.

The Verhauen frame offers the same quality as meticulously built frames from the most renowned small frame builders, but at a price that is much more approachable than these artisan frames.  Along with the Verhauen, Vassago also offers the titanium Optimus Ti and TKO models as part their Black Label series. Additionally, the company offers imported frames for those looking for a much lower pricepoint, including the Jabberwocky and Fisticuff.  All of these frames are well suited for use with a Rohloff SPEEDHUB.

For the wheels, we started with Stan’s NoTubes ZTR Flow rims, which are a light, trail-oriented option with a medium width. We then added Sapim Race spokes and brass nipples to lace up a black Rohloff SPEEDHUB rear hub and Toxaholics front hub. After the wheels were built, we mounted Schwalbe’s Smart Sam tires, which have low center knobs that roll fast in hard-packed dirt as well as taller side knobs to grip in loose conditions.

While many cross country-oriented bikes prioritize light weight, they often do so at the expense of being delicate. Light components can be desirable for racing, but they are often not designed to last more than one season and typically need regular maintenance to keep running smoothly. The combination of the Rohloff SPEEDHUB and lightweight steel Verhauen frame gives this bike the responsive feel of a lightweight race bike, yet does not need a mechanic's special touch after each ride. Quality steel frames are known to last for more than a decade, and the SPEEDHUB has an undefined lifespan with the only routine maintenance being a recommended annual oil change.

To finish off the build, we used a selection of high performance, yet durable components including a Rockshox SID fork, Magura MT8 hydraulic disc brakes, Salsa Bend 2 handlebars, ESI latex foam grips, Thomson stem and seatpost, and Race Face Turbine cranks. With these race-worthy yet reliable parts, this Verhauen is a fast and fun build for nearly any trail style.

If you are looking a trail bike in the same style as this Verhauen, contact us to start a conversation about a Vassago bike of your own.

Build Details:

• Frame: Vassago Verhauen

• Fork: Rockshox SID

• Headset: Cane Creek Forty

• Stem: Thomson Elite X4

• Handlebar: Salsa Bend 2

• Shifter: Rohloff

• Grips: ESI foam

• Seat post: Thomson

• Saddle: WTB Valcon

• Seat Clamp: Vassago

• Front Hub: Toxaholics

• Rear hub: Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14

• Spokes: Sapim Race

• Nipples: Sapim Brass

• Rims: Stan’s NoTubes ZTR Flow

• Tires: Schwalbe Smart Sam

• Cranks: Race Face Turbine

• Pedals: Shimano XTR SPD

• Bottom Bracket: Race Face

• Chain ring: Race Face Single

• Rear Sprocket: Rohloff

• Chain: Wipperman Connex

• Brakes & Levers: Magura MT8

• Rotors: Magura Storm

Vassago Fisticuff with Rohloff SPEEDHUB

Vassago’s Fisticuff is billed as a “monster cross” bike that can handle everything from rough gravel roads to singletrack to daily commuting. Some people may look at it as a cyclocross bike with wider tires and others may look at it as a drop bar mountain bike.  Whatever you call it, the Fisticuff is an "all arounder" that feels just as at home on mountain bike trails as it does on long road rides. It makes you want to take off on an adventure, and pairing it with the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 gives you the drivetrain to do so without any maintenance issues.

The Fisticuff is built from a high quality heat treated steel tubeset, offering a resilient ride that takes the edge off of rough roads and trails. Compared to most cyclocross frames, the Fisticuff is reinforced in high stress areas to handle rougher trail use, making it nearly indestructible in normal road and 'cross riding conditions. Like most cyclocross bikes, the frame geometry offers a blend of road and mountain bike qualities. The front end and cockpit provide a body position similar to a road bike, and the rear end has a higher bottom bracket for trail clearance like a mountain bike. Chainstays are in between a road and a mountain bike, with a fairly short wheel base that can maneuver through twisty singletrack easily. It has both disc and cantilever brake mounts, clearance for 1.8" tires, and 
horizontal dropouts with adjustable chain tensioners, which make SPEEDHUB installation easier. The Fisticuff is one Vassago's more affordable imported models, along with the Jabberwocky, but they also offer Rohloff-friendly U.S.-made frames called the Optimus Ti, TKO, and Verhauen.

We built up this Fisticuff with a sturdy wheelset that is capable of rougher off road riding. Stan’s NoTubes ZTR Flow mountain bike rims are strong and allow for wider tires than most other rims used on cyclocross frames. Sapim Race spokes offer a blend of strength and light weight, and brass nipples offer strength and corrosion resistance. We used a black Toxaholics front hub and a black Rohloff SPEEDHUB in the rear. Schwalbe’s versatile and flat-resistant Marathon Mondial tires offer good mixed surface traction.

As a heavy duty adventure-style bike designed for many different trails and roads, the Fisticuff is well suited for the Rohloff SPEEDHUB. The SPEEDHUB’s shift system is entirely protected within the hubshell, so it is not exposed to road grit, rocks, sticks or anything else that may damage or affect a derailleur system’s shifting on long rides or rough trails. By combining the SPEEDHUB with the solid steel frame, this build offers a nearly bombproof ride that rarely needs to be tuned up even after the roughest rides.

We used a range top shelf components to round out the build. Raceface’s Turbine cranks, WTB Valcon saddle, and Thomson stem and seatpost are very strong with a fairly light overall weight, and Avid’s BB_7 road brakes and Cane Creek Drop V levers provide plenty of stopping power.

If you are interested in a “monster cross” bike of your own, contact us to talk about a Vassago Fisticuff build.

Build Details:

• Frame: Vassago Fisticuff

• Fork: Vassago Fisticuff

• Headset: Cane Creek Forty

• Stem: Thomson Elite X4

• Handlebar: Salsa Cowbell

• Shifter: Rohloff

• Grips: Profile Design cork bar tape

• Seat post: Thomson Elite

• Saddle: WTB Valcon

• Seat Clamp: Vassago

• Front Hub: Toxaholics

• Rear hub: Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14

• Spokes: Sapim Race

• Nipples: Sapim Brass

• Rims: Stan’s NoTubes ZTR Flow

• Tires: Schwalbe Marathon Mondial

• Cranks: Race Face Turbine

• Pedals: Shimano XT Touring

• Bottom Bracket: Race Face Turbine

• Chain ring: Race Face Wide/Narrow

• Rear Sprocket: Rohloff

• Chain: Wipperman Connex 808

• Brakes & Levers: Cane Creek SCR-5 levers, Avid BB_7 Road

• Rotors: Magura Storm 4-bolt

Vassago Optimus Ti Lightweight Adventure Racing Bike with Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14

Racing for 72 hours straight through the jungles of South America on mere hours of sleep is not for the faint of heart. It’s also a task that not just any bike can handle, which is why the members of Team Odyssey Adventure Racing are big proponents of the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14. Recently, more and more members of the Virginia-based race team have been exchanging their derailleur systems in favor of the SPEEDHUB because of its durable and low maintenance design. In the extreme conditions of adventure races, drivetrain issues can mean the difference between a winning effort and dropping out of the race. We built this titanium Vassago Optimus Ti for a Team Odyssey member to get him through his races comfortably and reliably.