(frame, fork, axles, )
(Frame,fork,headset,axles)
Pre-ordering a Flaanimal build allows us to allocate your frame to you now and to begin ordering and curating parts for your build. When the frames do arrive we can be sure your bike build can be completed quickly.
Rodeo was brought to our attention by some customers that wanted to get a gravel bike that wouldn’t get outdated next year, wouldn’t hold them back on any rides, and could handle BC’s rough and tough single track. We really clicked with what Rodeo is doing, and found them to be a really refreshing brand. They brought forward some amazing innovations, and we stand behind their product. They make what they want to ride, and now we all want to ride them.
“5.0 set a new bar for the Flaanimal platform, one that has been in a continuous state of evolution since its inception in 2015. The innovative construction and massively adaptable feature set of this bicycle platform represent what we consider to be a new high water mark for a production steel (and carbon) gravel / adventure bike. Flaanimal is meant to be built and ridden in any way that its rider imagines. It can be blisteringly fast on pavement on skinny slicks. It can be smooth, efficient, and competitive on gravel. With it’s win at the 2021 Tour Divide as piloted by Jay Petervary, Flaanimal has added bikepacking racing to it’s list of proven accomplishments.” – Rodeo
Flaanimal 4.0 was built with Reynolds 725 tubing, but with the change to a weight saving carbon seat tube on 5.0, we removed one of the three main steel tubes from the frame that Reynolds requires as a minimum to carry the Reynolds badge. Instead of seeing this as a liability, we saw an opportunity to entirely re-evaluate the tubing spec of the frameset. We worked with a longstanding tubeset supplier in Japan that allowed us to custom draw size-specific tubesets for 5.0, and also heat treat it for equal or better strength to weight characteristics as compared to 4.0. With the addition of tire clearance on 5.0, we see the potential for riders to take on even more aggressive terrain so we increased wall thickness of key sections of tube to add strength in critically stressed areas. As with every bike and component we make, Flaanimal 5.0 is certified to ISO 4210 standards.
Our quest for increased Flaanimal function led us first on a search for more tire clearance. Not every Flaanimal owner needs more tire clearance, but every Flaanimal owner can potentially benefit from it over the ownership life of the bike. Tire clearance isn’t just about cramming huge tires into a frame though, tire clearance also relates to increased mud clearance when not running huge tires. An easy solution for increasing tire clearance would have been to shift the q-factor of the frameset to a MTB q-factor, allowing the chain stays to be spaced further apart thus creating more room for bigger tires. Going to an MTB q-factor also would have resulted in us deviating from Flaanimal’s road-oriented roots, which was something we were not willing to do. The solution for increased tire and mud clearance was to design a steel yoke for the drive side chainstay. Starting from scratch, we worked up an entirely new yoke design that solved our clearance needs and allowed Flaanimal 5.0 to retain its road q-factor. The yoke contributes to Flaanimal 5.0’s ability to run 700c x 50mm or 650b x 2.4” maximum tire sizes. Slider position is adjustable for tuning chainstay clearance per tire size. The max 1x chainring size on Flaanimal 5.0 is 46t. 2x cranksets as small as 24t/36t up to 34t/50t are also possible on the frameset.
Lead times vary based on size, feel free to reach out and ask
Now in its third major iteration, Traildonkey has upped its capabilities to match our ever growing ambitions. Since 2014, our eyes for rugged conditions have only gotten bigger and the punishment we’ve subjected the bike to has only gotten more severe. While we wanted to create a more capable bike, we did not however want to turn Traildonkey into an overbuilt, drop bar mountain bike. We wanted to stay true to the original principles of the bike which required that it feel at home in the intensity of a competitive road group ride, a 200 mile gravel race, a winding ribbon of singletrack, or a multi-day bikepacking trip.
TD3 is not only an exercise in increasing capabilities, it is also an exercise in restraint. The lines of the frameset have become more elegant and the execution of the details has become more focused.
The entire 3.0 rear triangle, from the seat tube back, has been completely redesigned. Over the years we’ve formed some strong opinions on what makes a great bike. We’ve woven those ideas into this frameset. High on our list of improvements for TD3 was increased tire clearance. Our newest Donkey has that in spades. On Rodeo 650b rims with a 24.5 mm ID a 2.25″ (57mm) tire will fit on TD3. On Rodeo 700c rims with a 24mm ID a 2.0″ (50mm) tire will fit on TD3.*
In order to achieve greater tire clearances, extensive and careful shaping was required in the design of the rear triangle. Pronounced asymmetry between drive and non-drive side stays can be clearly seen in our design. We also took the opportunity to refine and simplify the dropout design, brake housing routing, flat mount brake mounts, and derailleur housing routing. When wireless eTap shifting is used on TD3, no residual housing protrusions are seen on the frame. This results in a beautiful, minimal aesthetic. Both 2x or 1x drivetrains work equally well on TD3 and when 1x drivetrains are used the front derailleur mount can be removed. Rack and fender mounting eyelets are once again standard on TD3 on both the frameset and fork and now feature larger clearances for fender / tire combinations.
TD3 features extensive mounting options for long-distance travel and bikepacking. On the rear triangle we include eyelets on the upper stays and just above the rear thru axle dropouts. On the main triangle, the frame features two bottle mounts on the main triangle as well as one mount beneath the lower down tube. The top tube includes two mounting points for top tube bags or a standard water bottle cage.
Rodeo was one of the first bike manufacturers to standardize all of our framesets around the threaded T47 bottom bracket standard. The removable bottom bracket cover on TD3.1 features a drain hole which allows water to escape the frame in wet conditions. The result is a quiet, low-maintenance bottom bracket experience for every owner. It was one of the best spec decisions that we’ve ever made. The threads allow reliable, quiet operation over the life of the bike, and the 47mm shell allows compatibility with all crankset spindle diameters while also leaving room for internal Di2 and dropper post routing.
Lead times vary based on size, feel free to reach out and ask
