Reader’s Rig: Thomas’s Patria Graveller

Words and photos by Thomas Pagendarm

Hi, I’m Thomas, and I’m from Lippe, Germany. I previously worked as a nurse. I like bike touring and bikepacking and have been doing them for more than 30 years now. I’m trying to figure out if long-distance cycling is for me. I’ve done many trips with my family and wife. I love to plan and build up bicycles. 

This bike is my new-old Patria Terra. I rode it 45,000 kilometers as a 26-inch touring bike in the past. But with accessories for 26-inch bikes becoming more difficult to find, when the bike needed a new paint job, I decided to convert it to 27.5-inch wheels. The bridges of the chains and seat stays were moved, and the bike got a new steel fork for tires up to 60mm wide. Now it can do everything from bike touring and randonneuring to bikepacking and gravel. To me, it’s perfect for everything.

With a few compromises, it’s four bikes in one. It’s not a lightweight bike, but it’s stable and has a wide range of uses. The DT Swiss rims can hold up to 150 kilograms, and the Rene Herse tires and mudguards/mudflap are practical for everyday use. The old Rohloff Sppeedhub, the old SON 28 hub dynamo, the old SON Edelux, and the well-worn Brooks Saddle have been with me for a long time. Shifting is done with the Gebla Rohbox and braking with TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes. I installed titanium luggage racks at the front, and sometimes, when I use it for bike touring, I run a stainless steel Tubus logo at the rear. The bike has a new belt drive and the gear ratio has been adjusted to suit the 27.5-inch wheels.

• Frame/Fork: Patria Graveller, steel fork
• Rims: DT Swiss HX 491
• Hubs: SON 28 (front) / Rohloff Speedhub (rear)
• Tires: Rene Herse Umantum Ridge 27.5/2.2″
• Handlebars: Salsa Cowbell
• Headset: Chris King
• Crankset: Sugino RD2 Messenger, 48T ring
• Pedals: Shimano XT
• Cassette: 20T cog
• Brakes: TRP Spire Rotor 180mm
• Shifter(s): SRAM Rival modified for Rohloff
• Saddle: Brooks B17 Special Titanium
• Seatpost: BY Schulz G2 ST
• Stem: Ritchey Comp 4 Axis
• Front bags: Vaude Aqua
• Frame bags: Gramm dual frame bag
• Rear bags: Vaude Aqua
• Accessory bags: Gramm Top Tube Bag
• Lights/charging: SON Edelux, B+M Mu, Sinewave Reactor
• Racks: Tubus Logo Stainless Steel, Kocmo Ti S-Type Low Rider, Rawland Rando v5 Ti
• Other accessories: Gates CDX belt drive, Rene Herse fenders, Spurcycle Bell

It was impossible to find a fork bridge for steel forks for a tire width of up to 60mm in Germany. Thanks to the internet, I found a fork bridge for the tire width at Framebuilder Supply in the US. Because the frame was being converted by Patria anyway, I had all the eyelets for a bikepacking bike soldered in, and a new fork was built. Now, I can screw the Anything Cages and frame bags directly onto the frame without having to use straps or clamps. Since the frame triangle is filled with the frame bag, the bottle holders are now on the fork blades and on the seat stays. The fork bottle holders can hold 1.5L together, and the large bottle holders at the back can hold 3L of liquid or a sleeping pad and pillow. The bottle holders/anything cages at the back have been set high so that they can still be used with panniers and the Tubus logo.

My brother-in-law was kind enough to build me a special lamp holder for the Busch and Müller Mu. The light sits perfectly under the saddle bag and above the luggage rack. The frame was given a new name after the conversion. Terra became Graveller, because it is now much closer to a 27.5-inch gravel bike than a 26-inch touring bike. In the end, it’s still a bike for traveling and not for racing. After all, bikepacking bikes are ultimately light touring bikes with light luggage. I always decide before the trip what is important to me, comfort through lots of luggage and traveling a little slower, or perhaps traveling light and a little faster and reducing myself to the essentials. The most important thing for me is that the bike fits my body perfectly, like a tailor-made suit. If you are older than 50, a suitable and comfortable bike increases the fun of cycling, especially on long-distances rides.

You can find more from Thomas on Instagram.

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