This week’s Reader’s Rig comes from Tobit Linke in Dortmund, Germany, who shares the Rivendell Appaloosa he built up for long-distance off-road tours and randonneuring events. Learn more about Tobit and his Appaloosa here…

Words by Tobit Linke (@radbude)

Hi, I’m Tobit, proprietor of Radbude-Dortmund: A bicycle shop where you can buy bikes, parts, and services.

Radbude, Rivendell Appaloosa

Coming from a utility cycling and touring background, I got into randonneuring 15 years ago and have been doing some casual (no big jumps) off-road touring for a few years. With fewer rando events due to Covid, off-road touring has been a bigger part of my cycling over the last two years.

  • Radbude, Rivendell Appaloosa
  • Radbude, Rivendell Appaloosa

If you want a rim brake 29er, there aren’t that many options. After some years of riding 650b rando bikes with fat tires (Soma Grand Randonneur with 48mm tires and Soma San Marcos with 42mm knobbies) and 26″ vintage MTB conversions off-road (With a 650b Ritchey Ascent (disc!) as the most dedicated off-road touring bike sprinkled in), I decided to build up the Appaloosa as a dedicated off-road touring 29er, just in time for the Steppenwolf Berlin-Usedom-Berlin event in September, as I remembered liking big wheels on MTBs.

  • Radbude, Rivendell Appaloosa
  • Radbude, Rivendell Appaloosa
  • Radbude, Rivendell Appaloosa
  • Radbude, Rivendell Appaloosa
  • Radbude, Rivendell Appaloosa
  • Frame/Fork Rivendell Appaloosa
  • Rims Halo White Line
  • Hubs Vintage XT hubshell with LX 8-sp driver & Campag oiler clip/LX generator hub
  • Tires Rene Herse knobbies
  • Handlebars Nitto Noodle
  • Headset 1″ threaded
  • Crankset 36/33 halfstep: XT right, 600 left
  • Pedals SPD
  • Cassette Microshift wide range 8-sp (12-46)
  • Derailleurs Vintage XT + range extender rear, something that didn’t work front
  • Brakes DX V’s with Tektro levers
  • Shifter(s) Suntour friction
  • Saddle Brooks B17 select natural
  • Seatpost Nitto S-65
  • Stem Nitto Dirtdrop
  • Front bags Carradice Barley
  • Frame bags Jandd
  • Rear bags Carradice Nelson Longflap

Despite its high weight, it climbs exceptionally well. I still don’t have the wide-range half-step drivetrain dialed to work as well as it did on 26″ MTB conversions, even though I’m now using a 2×10 front derailer.

  • Radbude, Rivendell Appaloosa
  • Radbude, Rivendell Appaloosa
Radbude, Rivendell Appaloosa
  • Radbude, Rivendell Appaloosa
  • Radbude, Rivendell Appaloosa
  • Radbude, Rivendell Appaloosa

Learn more about Tobit and Rad Bude on Instagram @radbude.

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