Matt's Heavy Duty 58cm Hog's Back

02 Dec 2024

Matt and his partner Erin, having recently moved from Vancouver to Montreal, were in the market for a couple bikes for getting around town with the occasional longer outings sprinkled in.

A quick test ride of a floor demo was all Matt needed to have his heart set on a Hog’s Back! With the intent on replicating the vibe of the Philly Bike Expo show bike we had on display, we sent off on spec’ing the most robust yet fun and lively build. Let’s take a look!

Being a tall and heavy-set person, Matt had difficulties with stock bikes’ durability in the past. His most recent one, from a very reputable brand with a seemingly sensible spec list, gave him trouble particularly with the wheels and the cranks getting repeatedly wonky after every few rides. Here’s how we addressed those concerns:

Hand-built wheels were a no-brainer for this project. Not only is the end product always tougher, straighter and longer lasting than stock machine-built equivalents, we also get to fine tune component selection. We opted for made-in-USA Velocity Cliffhanger rims, the most robust in their catalogue and a perfect size for the desired tire width. Sapim Strong spokes, designed for tandems and ebikes, were an easy choice with 36 of ‘em on each wheel. The venerable Shimano M525 were the top pick due to the tried-and-true construction, serviceability if ever anything does go wrong and unbeatable value. Ultradynamico Cava Robusto 27.5x2.2" tires offer enough protection and way more comfort compared to stiff-as-hell “flat-proof” tires.

For cranks and bottom bracket, we looked no further than to Shimano’s SAINT lineup. Designed for the extreme rigours of downhill mountain biking, we knew it would be perfect for the task at hand! Featuring steel pedal thread inserts and their toughest steel crank spindle, they’re probably overkill but we wanted to leave no stone unturned! This build needed to not only be actually tough, but we also wanted it to inspire confidence in the rider.

Headset issues weren’t discussed but they’re arguably one of the more important elements when thinking of durability and keeping the frame safe. We’ve seen numerous frames with ovalized headtubes rendering them useless over the years, all because they were ridden for far too long with a poorly adjusted or a totally cooked headset. The FSA The Pig, intended for BMX use, has an oversized CrMo bottom cup for extra strength. And, both the bottom and top cup inserts that go into the frame are taller in order to dissipate forces further along the headtube, making it much safer the frame.