Reader’s Rig: Toby’s Custom Drust Off-Roader

Words by Tobias Herrmann Hinz (@herrmanhinz)

I’m Tobias Herrmann Hinz, 45 years old, born and raised in Berlin, Germany (in the former GDR). I operate computing infrastructure for a German car manufacturer for a living. “Something with computers” is the easiest way I often describe it. When I’m not on the bike roaming somewhere around Berlin I enjoy producing house music—I wouldn’t call myself a musician, but the results aren’t too bad.

As for riding, I love being off road. Tarmac is nice for relaxing and getting from A to B quickly, but I usually prefer not being surrounded by too many cars or too many people. Earlier this year I rode my All-City Cosmic Stallion around Colombia, and across Thailand before that. I don’t have any plans to stop traveling through more countries by bike, especially with this new machine. For me, riding a bike is freedom. It’s independence, going wherever I want. It also helps me to detox from the digital reality of my everyday life. And the cycling community is awesome, mostly. It’s like a worldwide club—wherever you go you can meet cyclists and feel surrounded by friends.

After spending six weeks going north to south and up and down and back and forth all across Colombia’s mountains, I got to thinking about a bike to replace my All-City. It’s an awesome bike, but it took a beating on what was a very challenging ride. There were baby head rocks, tons of rutted dirt, and lots of rough climbs. I knew I wanted something a little more supple and forgiving. I was chatting about wanting a new bike with some friends at The Gentle Jaunt, my local shop here in Berlin, one of whom is a framebuilder, Konstantin Drust (@drustcycles). At first I was only half serious about having a custom bike built, but the idea grew in my head over time. I met with Konstantin several times at his shop and we discussed geometry and aesthetics.

• Frame/Fork Drust Cycles custom
• Rims Newmen Evolution SL E.G.30
• Hubs SON Dynamo (front) / White Industries CLD (rear)
• Tires Schwalbe G-ONE 650B x 2.25
• Handlebars Race Face
• Headset Cane Creek 40
• Crankset Rotor 3D
• Pedals Shimano EH-500
• Cassette SunRace CSMX89 EA5 11-50T, 11-speed
• Derailleur SRAM NX 11-Speed / Garbaruk Cage mullet
• Brakes TRP Slate T4
• Shifter(s) SRAM NX 11-speed trigger
• Saddle SQ-Labs 611
• Seatpost Contec Brut Select
• Stem Race Face 35mm
• Front bags BXB Goldback Small
• Accessory bags WizardWorks Voila! Snack Bag

This bike is the result of those meetings, and I love it. It’s the first build out of the new Drust Cycles workshop in Berlin, too. I might paint it, or maybe not. I love how rough and raw its appearance is. Most of the components are leftovers that Konstantin and I had lying around. With time, the bike will grow and change, like most things in life. I can’t wait to take it on its first big adventure as soon as we can get back to traveling again.

You can find more from Toby on Instagram @herrmanhinz.

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