After much tinkering, hacking and wrenching, our project bike is complete! Just in time for the Summer Soltice. Some things changed a bit during the course of the build. We didn't get our Moots Ti post in time so we went with a straight generic post and saddle until we get those items in. We went with heavier tires simply because we sold out our stock of Kenda Blue Groove Stick-E tires so we're getting more in due to the demand. The weight of the bike came to 29.49 lbs which is pretty close to what we initially estimated. We figure with the new seatpost and saddle, we should be able to knock off 1/2lb and with lighter tires, possible another 1/2lb there.
The Rohloff
The first thing you notice about the Rohloff is that it's an amazing piece of engineering. There's a lot of thought that goes into the hub and the it is hefty. The Rohloff hub builds nicely to a wheel like any other hub. The hub replaces all the derailleurs, chainrings and the front shifter so the weight is concentrated in the rear rather than more spread out like the typical system. Weight wise, it feels heavier because it's more concentrated and probably adds a pound or so to an XT setup. As for setup, it's a matter of reading the manual and then reading it again. The installation was very straight forward and there wasn't really any adjustment to speak of like a derailleur setup. We used the OEM2 version of the Rohloff hub in conjunction with the Speedbone so the resulting setup is very clean and effective. So although the bike is not made with a horizontal dropout, it still looks very tidy and OEM like. However because it's on a full suspension frame, a chain tensioner is required as the chain tension varies through the course of the rear suspension travel.
The Cinco
This is not the first Moots frame we've come to examine but if there is one thing we can say about Moots, it's that the frame quality is very consistent. The welds on the frame are identical to the ones on their seatpost and stems. The quality and pride in their work shows from frame to frame, part to part. That's the beauty of having a small team focused on small production runs. The rear Ventanna swingarm is proven so why reinvent the wheel. The Fox RP3 rear shock is also a no brainer.
The Rest
Everything else we put on the bike was pretty much plug and play. From the Fox RLC fork to the Marta SL brakes to the pedals. Cable routing was different than the typical setup as would be expected and if we had to do it again, we would have speced 3 disc brake hose cable guides for the frame. Most frames come typically with only one but since the Rohloff hub uses full length cable housing for the shifter cables, it would have been nicer and cleaner looking to route on the frame.
We test rode the bike after the build and being able to shift without pedaling, not having to worry about a front derailleur, chain rubbing, etc is a great feeling. Just twist and go. The 14 gears had a very wide range and would be suitable to any trail riding. 
We look forward to breaking in the hub over the course of the weekend and really giving it a good test. Stay tuned for a more in depth review of the Rohloff hub after we've put in some mileage on it.
Team Spokewrench
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