Surly Ogre Rohloff Bikepacking Build

Behold the Surly Ogre in its final boss form.

This custom build came together for Andy’s goal of completing Tour Aotearoa next year, with a simple brief: comfort, reliability, low gearing and a bike that could handle long days fully loaded.

The Ogre made sense from the start. It’s not the lightest or flashiest option, but it has the dependable “workhorse” reputation that suits a loaded bikepacking rig perfectly. Tour Aotearoa throws a bit of everything at a bike: gravel, sealed roads, cycle trails, backroads and long climbs. So the aim here was to build something sturdy, practical and easy to live with.

At the heart of the build is a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 with 38:18 gearing. Rohloff is not the cheapest or lightest drivetrain option, but long-distance remote touring is where it shines: sealed, low-maintenance, reliable and able to shift while stopped.

Andy chose the lower 38:18 setup for a serious climbing gear for steep sections. The trade-off is that very low Rohloff ratios can put more torque through the hub, especially if a strong rider stands up and really forces the pedals in the lowest gears, with the risk of damaging the hub. Andy was aware of that, and his riding style suits the choice: steady seated climbing, spinning rather than out-of-the-saddle grinding.

The wheels were built by Wheelworks around a SON 29 S dynamo front hub and Rohloff rear. The dynamo powers a Sinewave Beacon 2 light and charger, giving Andy reliable lighting and USB charging for long days on the road.

The big appeal of the SON 29 S is not just its sleek design, but its ability to produce decent output at lower speeds - capable of meaningfully charging your phone, not just maintaining it.

Comfort was a big part of the brief, especially with Andy wanting to reduce pressure through his hands. We went with a standard Jones H-Bar for multiple hand positions, Ergon grips, high-volume yet fast-rolling Vittoria Mezcal tyres and a Redshift ShockStop suspension seatpost to take the edge off rough surfaces.

We considered a Redshift suspension stem, but with the sweep of the Jones bar, the main hand position sits behind the stem’s pivot point. In that position the stem won’t activate, providing no suspension benefit for the hand position Andy would use most. It would only work when riding with hands forward on the loop, and that wasn’t enough reason to include it in the build.

Braking is handled by Shimano’s latest XT 4-piston hydraulic brakes, giving plenty of control for a loaded bike on long descents. Andy’s Brooks B17 saddle finishes the build, already being broken in with Tour Aotearoa in mind.

The result is a proper steel adventure bike: Rohloff, SON dynamo, Wheelworks wheels, Jones bar, XT brakes, big tyres and all the practical details that make a bike easier to ride day after day.

Built for Tour Aotearoa, but ready for whatever comes next.

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Full build list

• Frame: Surly Ogre frameset
• Headset: Cane Creek 40 EC34
• Drivetrain: Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 internal gear hub
• Gearing: 38T chainring with 18T Rohloff sprocket
• Shifter: Rohloff twist shifter
• Chain: Shimano 8-speed chain
• Bottom bracket: Shimano Hollowtech II threaded bottom bracket
• Wheelset: Custom Wheelworks bikepacking wheelset
• Front hub: SON 29 dynamo hub
• Rear hub: Rohloff SPEEDHUB, 135mm bolt-on axle, disc brake, OEM2 axle plate, external gear mech
• Lighting and charging: Sinewave Cycles Beacon 2 dynamo light / USB charger
• Rear light: SON rear dynamo light, seatpost mount
• Tyres: Vittoria Mezcal XC Trail, 29 x 2.4 front and rear
• Brakes: Shimano XT 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes
• Handlebar: Standard Jones H-Bar Loop Alloy
• Grips: Ergon GP1 Evo
• Seatpost: Redshift ShockStop Pro Endurance suspension seatpost
• Saddle: Brooks B17

Thinking about a custom bikepacking or touring build? Come and have a chat. We can help with frame choice, gearing, wheels, dynamo lighting, luggage, comfort and all the little details that make a long-distance bike feel right.