Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
This week’s Reader’s Rig comes from Jaime in Calgary, Alberta, who shares the Kona Sutra LTD he bought in early 2020 and has since ridden all over the place. Meet Jaime and scope out his well-loved Sutra LTD with matching homemade bags here…
Words and photos by Jaime Roberton
I’m Jaime, originally from Montreal, Quebec, and I moved to Western Canada in 2012 to explore the mountains. I spent my early years out west working as a raft guide and in outdoor retail to cover the cost of my climbing and skiing hobbies. Eventually, I landed a corporate job with a major Canadian outdoor brand and moved my life to Calgary.
Biking quickly became a bigger part of my life and has now completely taken over. I started mountain biking throughout Alberta and BC, and it really opened my eyes to the places that a bike could take you, especially compared to hiking. I had to slowly convince my wife and friends that bikepacking was a good idea to extend our adventures and see new places. I was really excited about the idea of self-supported bike travel.
Cycling has since brought us to some amazing locations like Haida Gwaii, the Yukon, Spain, Japan, and Baja, to name a few. We love seeing new places and experiencing our local region at a slower pace. These days, I work downtown Calgary and spend most of my free time on a bike. We’ve built a fleet of mountain bikes, gravel bikes, road bikes, vintage MTBs, and even a tandem. I love always having something to tinker with in my workshop.
- Frame: 2019 Kona Sutra LTD
- Fork: Kona P2
- Rims: Velocity Blunt 35s
- Hubs: DT Swiss 350
- Tires: Continental Dubnital 2.4 x 29″
- Handlebars: PNW Coast
- Headset: FSA
- Crankset: RaceFace Aeffect
- Pedals: Vintage VP-747 beartraps
- Cassette: SRAM 10-42 XG-1150
- Derailleur(s): SRAM Rival 1 11-speed
- Brakes: SRAM Rival
- Shifter(s): SRAM Rival 11-speed
- Saddle: Specialized Phenom Comp
- Seatpost: Cane Creek eeSilk
- Stem: Generic 90mm
- Front bags: Homemade X-Pac tote bag
- Frame bags: Homemade Ultragrid with two zips
- Rear bags: Vintage Norco rack pack with homemade X-Pac mini panniers
- Accessory bags: Homemade X-Pac toptube bag and four-pack carrier
- Front rack: Jack the Rack w/ Blue lug bungee net
- Rear rack: Aluminum rack found at the thrift store
- Other accessories: COROS Dura and bell
My wife and I picked up a matching set of Kona Sutra LTDs in early 2020, just before the pandemic hit. We were already mountain bikers and wanted to dip our toes into adventure riding in the Canadian Rockies. We initially rode the bikes in their stock form and have slowly made changes as needed for fit and improvements. We love this Sutra LTD model year for its touring-bike geometry. We spend a lot of time riding on long road sections between towns, and it offers a balanced ride.
The Sutra is built like a tank and has withstood everything we’ve thrown at it. We recently upgraded to wider rims and more solid hubs to make it even more reliable when riding on rough roads and MTB trails while fully loaded. We both love sewing our own gear and clothing. Sewing has really let us customize our bikes and make them our own.
New trips are typically an excuse to sew something new and make an improved system. The bike gets built up completely differently depending on where we’re headed. This is the beauty of the Sutra LTD; it just fits in so many places. When we eventually wear out these framesets, we will likely pick up the latest Kona model. Hopefully, they will last us a long time.
Send Us Your Bikepacking Rig
Use the form below to submit your bikepacking rig. We’ll choose one per week to feature in a Reader’s Rig Dispatch and on Instagram. To enter, email us your best photo of the bike (preferably at a 90° angle), your Instagram username (optional), and a short description of you and your rig. If your bike is selected, we’ll need a total of five photos and a little bit more info.
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Further Reading
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