Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Our final Reader’s Rig of 2022 comes from Tobias Christensen in Denmark, who shares the Stridsland Beachcomber Ti that he built up singlespeed and describes as a big BMX bike. Get to know Tobias and his lovely titanium rig here…
Words and photos by Tobias Christensen (@tobi.rides)
Hi there! My name is Tobias Christensen, and I’m from Helsingør, Denmark. I’ve always ridden bikes, from small kids’ bikes we painted flames on to making a North Shore-inspired trail with two-meter-high bridges and big jumps as a 13-year-old and spending the next many years on a BMX.
After numerous injuries and a collarbone surgery, I figured it was time for something new, and for the past eight years, bikepacking and gravel have been my big addiction! I started as a bike mechanic apprentice when I was 16, and I’m 30 now, so I’ve been wrenching pretty much half my life.
I am fortunate to live in a place where woods surround me, and a 20-minute ferry takes me to Sweden, where the forests and the wild nature are abundant. In Sweden, I often end up on rough hiking trails, and even though I’ve done okay with my gravel bike, I’ve longed for a proper adventure bike for a long time!
I’ve been following Matias Stridsland (@stridsland_journal) on Instagram for a long time, and I sold him some rims at one point, but it wasn’t until he moved to my neck of the woods and we started riding together that I saw the potential of his new prototype bike, the Beachcomber. It seemed perfect with all its mounts and big front triangle for a large framebag, and we immediately started talking about the next batch.
Fast forward a year, and I had my hands on a frameset! I planned to build it up as a proper apocalypse-ready bike, something that could handle it all, simple and strong, mechanical brakes, singlespeed, and with the feel of a big BMX. The bike’s geometry is pretty much just a big BMX, after all. Another reason for the simple build is that I finally got myself a packraft, and I just went for my first proper bikerafting trip; no derailleur or hydraulic brakes to deal with, pop off the wheels, blow up your boat and sail away!
- Frame Stridsland Beachcomber Ti
- Fork Stridsland Barnacle
- Rims Stans Flow (30mm IW)
- Hubs Shutter Precision (front) / i9 Hydra (rear)
- Tires Specialized Ground Control 27.5 x 2.6”
- Handlebars Dartmoor 22.2mm Dirtjump bars
- Headset Chris King
- Crankset Middleburn with Stridsland Chainring (34T)
- Pedals Specialized Bennies
- Cassette Dinglespeed 17/15T
- Brakes Avid BB7 with Paul Love Levers
- Saddle Specialized Power
- Seatpost XLC cheap dropper, works flawlessly
- Stem Thomson 70mm
- Front bags Bags x Bird Piccolo Small
- Rear bags Revelate Vole saddlebag with a Wolftooth Valais (not pictured)
- Accessory bags Aldr Works Maar stem bag, Wizard Works Go-go top tube bag
Matias designed the frameset around 26+ tyres, but I opted for 27.5” because of the bigger choice of tyres in that size. It has 2.6” Ground Controls on right now, and it looks and rides awesome. And clearance is still pretty good.
There are still some parts that are placeholders. The rear wheel is my 650B gravel wheel. I have an Industry Nine Hydra hub on the way, which I will build up on a wider rim, similar to the one in front. The handlebars will also be switched someday, but I’m still not sure what to go for. The same with the saddle, I think it will end up being a leather saddle from Berthoud. But I like upgrading along the way, and right now, everything works, and it rides like a dream. I use it every single day, which shows, but I prefer a bike that looks used and beaten up, rather than a show bike. Can’t wait to bring it on many future adventures!
You can find more from Tobias on Instagram @tobi.rides.
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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