We built this bright green commuter for one of our customers in Anchorage, AK. He had been commuting on an aluminum cyclocross frame and wanted to switch to a steel bike for better comfort. He was also looking for a more durable frame to do some touring on. He had picked up a used Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and sent it down to us for an overhaul and to be built up with a Chris King front hub into a wheelset. He wanted to put the new wheels on a frame that was Rohloff, and ideally belt drive, compatible, so the Spot Sprawl fit his needs.
For the wheels, we laced up the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and Chris King ISO disc hubs into Velocity Dyad rims using Sapim Race double butted spokes and brass nipples. This is a configuration we build regularly for commuting, road, light to moderate touring, or cross country mountain bike use. Basically straight-forward wheels that will provide many years of reliable service.
The bike is built up with a collection of high-quality, durable parts to complement the nearly maintenance-free drivetrain offered by the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and the Gates Carbon Drive belt drive system. For the brakes, we used the TRP Parabox mechanical to hydraulic disc brake system, which allows you to use any standard brake levers, which in this case are from SRAM. Brake cables run from the levers to the conversion unit mounted below the stem and are connected to small lever arms that drive fluid to the brake calipers. This system offers the solid lever feel of a full hydraulic system without being locked into a given manufacturer's brake or brake/shift levers. Like the Magura brakes we normally spec on flat bar builds, the TRP brakes also use mineral oil, which is less toxic than DOT fluid and doesn't require as much regular maintenance.
The Sprawl frame is marketed for commuting or light touring. The geometry is the same as their Mod cyclocross bike with that addition of rack and fender mounts. Sliding dropouts provide belt/chain tension, and the drive side one separates to install a belt. A Rohloff-specific left side insert is available for use with the Rohloff OEM axle plate. Tubes are True Temper OX Platinum chromoly steel, built in Colorado.
Build details
- Frame: Spot Sprawl Steel
- Fork: Spot carbon
- Headset: Chris King NoThreadset
- Stem: Salsa Pro Moto
- Handlebar: Salsa Pro Moto
- Shifter: Rohloff
- Brake Levers: SRAM 500
- Tape: Deda
- Seatpost: Velo Orange Grand Cru
- Saddle: Fizik Aliante
- Front Hub: Chris King ISO Disc
- Rear hub: Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14
- Spokes: Sapim Race
- Nipples: Sapim Brass
- Rims: Velocity Dyad
- Tires: Schwalbe Marathon
- Skewers: Shimano XT
- Cranks: Race Face Turbine
- Bottom Bracket: Race Face
- Chainring: Gates Carbon Drive Center Track Pulley
- Chain: Gates Carbon Drive Center Track Belt
- Brakes: TRP Parabox
- Rotors: Magura Storm
We built this bike for a local customer in El Cerrito, CA as an insurance replacement for a bike that was stolen. While he was sad to loose his old bike, he got some nice upgrades with the replacement: disc brakes, 29" wheels, custom frame. He had purchased a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 several years earlier for a different bike, but that hub had subsequently gone unused following a bike swap. After demo'ing one of our belt drive Rohloff bikes, he decided to build up something similar based on a custom steel frame built by Independent Fabrication (IF). We converted his SPEEDHUB 500/14 to be disc brake and belt drive compatible and laced it into new rims for this build. The paint scheme is based on the Titanium Factory Lightweight road bike from Independent Fabrication that we built up previously for a different customer.
The bike is built up with a collection of high-quality, durable parts to complement the nearly maintenance-free drivetrain offered by the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and the Gates Carbon Drive belt drive system. For the brakes, we used the TRP Parabox mechanical to hydraulic disc brake system, which allows you to use any standard brake levers, which in this case are from SRAM. Brake cables run from the levers to the conversion unit mounted below the stem and are connected to small lever arms that drive fluid to the brake calipers. This system offers the solid lever feel of a full hydraulic system without being locked into a given manufacturer's brake or brake/shift levers. Like the Magura brakes we normally spec on flat bar builds, the TRP brakes also use mineral oil, which is less toxic than DOT fluid and doesn't require as much regular maintenance.
Co-Motion is one of the few US bike companies that offers dedicated Rohloff-specific frame models. They build bikes out of steel and aluminum in their facility in Eugene, Oregon. They are well known for their tandems and touring bikes, though they also offer road, cyclocross, and commuting frames. Their catalog includes a wide variety of models with stock geometry, with custom geometry available for a moderate up-charge. A few years ago, they decided to design a Rohloff OEM dropout and offer stock Rohloff-specific frames to accommodate a growing number of custom Rohloff frame orders. Since many of these customers also wanted to use the Gates Carbon Drive belt drive system, they incorporated a split point into the dropout so a belt could be inserted in the frame.