Reader’s Rig: Jambi’s Hunter Cycles Backroad Tourer

Words and photos by Jambi (@jambi)

Berlin is flat as a pancake. You can ride for 200km in every direction and the most climbing you will do is a few hundred meters. When I first got back into cycling I thought the roads were too boring and for some reason I didn’t enjoy riding skinny tires. So, I started building bikes with larger tire diameters and drop bars. My Hunter was the first custom bike I ever had built and I took a very pragmatic approach—I knew I didn’t have a clue, so I answered every question Rick Hunter asked with “yes.” Canti or disc? YES! Single speed or gears? YEP! Rohloff or derailleur? YEAH! I just didn’t say no.

All these decisions ended up being perfect. Once, during an overnighter loop around Berlin a stick jumped into my wheel and killed the derailleur. No problem: singlespeed mode on and let’s go. Eventually, I decided that the canti mounts were ugly and likely wouldn’t be used, so I took them off, but other than that, pretty much every decision was on point and has served me well.

As for how this bike came into my life in the first place, I was sitting in a cafe in The Hague while working on a project that took me back and forth between the Netherlands and Germany every week for months, and I was thinking that it would be great to have a bike with me that I could easily transport. I was doing some research online and as if by magic my buddy Jeremy sent an email about a Hunter he was planning to have built but due to fatherhood on the horizon he wasn’t going to be able to take delivery. The rest was history.

The bike has gone through so many iterations that I started versioning it to keep track. We are up to v5.1 right now. The first iteration had rim brakes and Rohloff. It evolved through a 1×10 touring bike with BB7 brakes and low riders and then became a 29er. The latest version is by far my favorite. It handles like a road bike and rides like a hardtail when it needs to.

I’ve also traveled to many places with the Hunter, and I think taking a bike with you when going on a trip enhances every adventure. It’s been to Portugal, Israel, California, Czech Republic, the Boston area, and Washington, DC. It’s been fulfilling its purpose diligently for eight years already, with many more to come.

• Frame/Fork Hunter Cycles End of the World Backroad Tourer
• Rims 650B Velocity Blunt SS
• Hubs DT Swiss 240
• Tires Continental Speed King 2.2″
• Handlebars Sim Works Misirlou Bar, 470mm
• Headset Chris king
• Crankset White Industries Eno, 36T
• Cassette SRAM 11-36
• Derailleur SRAM GX 10-speed, long cage
• Brakes Paul Klamper
• Shifter(s) SRAM Force 1×10
• Saddle Brooks Cambium C17
• Seatpost Moots Ti, 20mm setback
• Stem Thomson Elite X4, 80mm
• Front bags Gramm Tourpacking Custom rando bag
• Rear bags Inside Line Equipment All Mountain Seat Bag
• Accessory bags Oveja Negra Chuckbucket
• Other accessories Rene Herse UD-1 front rack

See more from Jambi on Instagram @jambi. Want to learn more about Hunter Cycles? Check out our interview with Rick Hunter and visit to the Hunter Cycles workshop here.

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