I use a 2.5:1 drive ratio with my Rohloff hub. That provides a gear spread of 19-100 gear inches. At 100 RPM I can ride at 48km/h in the largest gear, and at 60 RPM I can ride at 5.5km/h in my smallest gear. I find that this ratio gives me gears for most occasions, but if it were going more off-road on this bike, I’d go almost as small as 2:1 (1.9:1 is the smallest permissible ratio).

Thanks for the refresh on your post.
What is your initial impression of your Velo Orange Crazy Bars?
I want to change handlebars for my full suspension mountain bike. I’m pulling a Bob trailer and am doing Rails-to-Trails camping touring on crushed rock, gravel and dirt. Relatively flat stuff with only 4 degree grades.

I currently have a Jones H-Loop Bar and really don’t like it much. It doesn’t have as many comfortable hand positions as Jones advertises. I like my palms to be vertical sometimes, instead of always being horizontal. Since I like Ergon grips, I’m thinking of putting them on a Velo Orange Crazy Bar, but, what are your likes and dislikes with this handlebar so far?

Also, I’m thinking about getting a dedicated touring bike for Rails-to-Trails camping touring, but, not sure about the drivetrain, Rohloff or Shimano double crank mountain bike gearing. Therefore, please your advice and recommendations would help.

Thanks again, and thanks for replying so quickly! It’s about 4:40 PM in Japan now, but it might be late where you are. I may just swap frames and get something purpose-built for Rohloff (and/or Gates belt drive).

The Rohloff hub ideally requires sliding dropouts, including a Rohloff-specific dropout on the non-drive side. It’s also neat if you have cable mounts for the Rohloff cables brazed onto your frame. Unless you REALLY liked your Disc Trucker frame, the ideal solution is definitely a frame built around those components. I would’ve saved a lot of money if those frames existed 6-7 years ago! 🙂

That’s a good point. I was looking at some of your reviews, and those are definitely great options for a belt drive bike. I also could use a folder with my tiny apartment and frequent travel in Japan, so maybe a Tern Verge S8i or even a Brompton for that (without the belt on the latter, though).

I was thinking of at least going for a Rolhoff hub on the Disc Trucker, though. Are any mods required for that alone?

With a highly-skilled frame builder, you’ll have no problems running a belt drive / IGH setup. That said, it’s pretty expensive to modify and repaint a frame. These days the Specialized AWOL, Soma Wolverine and Shand Stoater frames are perhaps a more cost-effective belt drive option (you could sell your frame and offset costs too).

I still run and love belts and Rohloff hubs.

I just found this page when I was looking for options to modify my Disc Trucker. I am a little worried about having the frame cut for the belt drive, but being completely honest, when I bought the Trucker back in 2012, I was looking for a durable everyday commuter/tourer with Gates belt drive and IGH for no-maintenance riding. How did the frame hold up to the mod for the Gates? Any thoughts on keeping a chain versus going for the belt drive now, years later?

Hi Michelle

I’ve been meaning to update this page for a long while, so thanks for bringing it to my attention. I’m about to give my bike a new lick of paint, a new handlebar style and a complete rebuild. It’s about time! Oh, and you should be able to click the individual items in the Bindle to see what the items are.

You can easily add a dynamo hub to the existing factory rim. You will need new spokes and the hub of course, but any competent wheel builder can put one together for you. Here’s a way to mount a kickstand to the Surly. It’s a DIY kit, but is by far the neatest option available. http://longhaultruckerbuild.com/kickstand-install/

Here’s a list of my 8 favourite touring bikes at the moment: https://www.cyclingabout.com/best-touring-bikes-list/ I actually have a new book about touring bikes available in the next month, so keep your eyes peeled. 🙂

Alee