For a mere ~$8,000
https://co-motion.com/bikes/siskiyou

Co-motion is well known for excellent steel frames. Pinion costs a lot more than deraileurs, even electronic. Not to mention the S&S. So they guy is excited, he must think it's worth it. I hope he has a good time.

That is a very nice looking bike, I bet it rides very nice.

But, I am content with a Rohloff on an off-the-shelf frame, don't need a Pinion. And I have a dynohub, something that the $8k bike lacked.

I'm just stoked my rather less fancied steed (Montague Paratrooper framed) has a component in common with the 8k wonderbike: The TRP Spyre brakes. They remain a good choice for a cable operated brake.

You would think that for the price, a dyno would be standard equipment.

When I built up another bike a few months ago, I looked at the Co-Motion website to see what they were using these days for components. My thinking was that they try to use the best stuff, even if it is on the expensive side. I noticed the Spyre there too, which helped convince me to buy the Spyre for the bike I was building up. I am pretty happy with that brake.


Agree. I was wondering which USB charger they were using for an $8k bike, that is when I noticed a lack of dyno hub and related gizmos.

Looks pretty nice & pretty pricey.

Personally, comparing it to my ~$2K S&S coupled LHT, I'm not sure the extra $6K would improve my touring experience. And should anything go wrong, those cutting-edge components would quick become an albatross.

That's a pretty pimp ride. I'd love to try a Pinion system and see how it compares with the Rohloff.

Albatross! Lol, I love that saying. I think $8k is a huge statement. Back in that day, I skied quite a lot we had the term "snow bunny." It was a term for someone who had all the sweet gear and clothing but couldn't ski worth a hoot. They looked great on the slopes, but when asked to perform - well, it just wasn't there. I feel this way about a super high-dollar bike. Is it even necessary? Maybe I'm just an old hippy, but I really want to simply thumb my nose at it. I mean, you can make a grocery run in a Corvette or a Pinto. In the end you get the same results.

Unless someone rear-ends you!

Given the amount of time Darren Alff spends touring every year I think whatever he spends on a bike is money well spent.

Your's is only one opinion. Some people can tell the difference and appreciate that difference in a higher quality bicycle. I've never seen a person that bought a flashy bicycle for the image. Only because they appreciated the nuances of a better bicycle.

Interesting video.

I can see a real value in those S&S couplers for travel. If I flew more I would seriously think about investing in something like that. Pinion.. not so much.

Kinda cool that after he put the bike together and set off on the road with 4 panniers and a HB bag that he really didn't talk about the bike at all. Just what he saw, the view of the lake, how far he had gone, how tired he was, when the sun set and where he would set up his tent. About what I'd expect on a bike tour. Those are the conversations I usually have with others. It did not seem the 8K bike made much of a difference that way.

I dunno, I think the Paratroopers are pretty fancy as far as folders go. I've got one myself and there aren't many folders that can take as much of a beating as those.

Pinion P.18 has best gear range but it's much more expensive & heavier than even Rohloff, not sure why even intended MTB market riders would want it. OTOH since Surly Trucker has helped introduce disc brakes & Rohloff compatibility I'd also wish to see a split rear dropout for belt drive.

It needs to be kept in mind that the Pinion only allows for 250nm max torque. Now that's not something people usually pull off touring but it is something I can push relatively easily especially when climbing a hill, or rather, starting off in the middle of a steep one. I think Rohloff also has a torque limit but I have no idea what that is.

I know, right? It seems to me that a belt drive is the cherry on top for a build that includes a Rohloff. Surly is a forward-thinking company, and they certainly own a share of the touring market. One would think that someone there would have come to the conclusion that a split dropout would help to sell more bikes. Look at the World Troller for instance. It has every option available and is a very versatile frame. You could even hang two or three different types of brakes on it, but NO split dropout. An oversight... surely... for Surly...

I'd pick Rohloff over Pinion too. Although Pinion has a bit wider gear range (636% vs 526%) split into more "speeds" (18 vs 14) for overall lower increment per gear change (12% vs 14%), Pinion is 1-2 lbs heavier, costs more and limits options in that it may only be acquired in complete bicycle form. Pinion is probably less durable than Rohloff, making the Pinion an even more costly choice. Pinion has stated the P18 has a service life of 60,000kmi, while a number of Rohloff users have achieved significantly more, to 100,000 km and beyond.

I'd pick this Siskiyou with Rohloff hub, less-rack-mount-interfering chainstay brake caliper mount and eccentric BB.

CoMo offers the Pathfinder Package as a $600 option on all it's bike, consisting of a Schmidt SON28 hub, Edelux II headlight and Sinewave Cycles Reactor USB steerer cap. That is a good lighting/charging package but it's twice what you or I would pay for the parts from a German LBS (which is the case for every component or option on a CoMo bike).

Yes, I and most others find a reasonably spec'd LHT/DT is more than adequate for the job. There's a chance you could jury-rig your derailleur bike to limp along to the next LBS, where repair service or parts would be likely be available immediately or in a couple days. There's no chance of this happening with Rohloff or Pinion, since the solution requires parts shipped to Germany for repair/replacement, and the bicycle is rendered useless. You won't find Gates parts or a Gates-experienced mechanic in hardly any LBS either.

Not too surprisingly, many S&S bike owners do not always disassemble their bikes for transport because it's a PITA, including Darren Alff of the video linked in #1. In his YouTube videos, Darren usually boxed or bagged his former bike (CoMo Pangea) for transport.

Rohloff and especially Pinion are a big weight increase over derailleur drive. Plus pedaling efficiency loss over a well maintained derailleur drive.

I think Surly/Maxway could build an eccentric bottom bracket (EBB) and frame break into a LHT/DT for another $250 on the MSRP, but then it would compete directly with owner QBP's more upscale Salsa models (Vaya, Marrakesh). I'd prefer a Vaya frameset (for the shorter ETT and longer headtube) with 26" or 650b wheels and an EBB and frame break - but don't know if I'd buy it after I saw the ~$1000 pricetag.

Bikenky keeps a stock of LHTs for S&S install. Maybe he could change the dropouts for belt drive?
Call him, he would know. But at that price you're probably close to the cost of a Co-motion.?

Are you meaning Bilenky Bikes in Philadelphia?

Yes
Just out of curiosity I looked up that Bilenky sells the S&S LHT for $2400 and the DT for $2550.
No answer if they will do split dropouts, or $$ for it.

An $8000 bicycle! P.T. Barnum was right.

Really!? You don't get around much do you.

Oh, by the way, I have a disc trucker & absolutely love it. ,

I call bling bikes like that "coffee crawlers". You are far more likely to see one at Starbucks than going over a mountain pass.

*comes in, looks around...*