New-ish bike: Steel, british, Mullet, Rohloff, 3D-printed, Gebla, ZTTO shifter

This ticks some niche boxes, or maybe full-on trend at STW? Bought a used Pace 627 frame off the classifieds here, with the idea to make it work for my Rohloff hub that I used since 2005 on all my main MTBs. I replaced the 148mm sliding dropouts with 3D-printed metal sliding dropouts for the Rohloff torque axle plate. Since the twist shifter was worn-out, I bought the Gebla box that is meant to work with modified SRAM shifters (road or flat bar). However, since this modification simply removes the ratchet mechanism from the shifters, I used two cheap ZTTO dropper levers (which don’t have the ratchet in the first place), and got a clamp/adapter made (again 3D-printed) to mount them both on the right-hand side under the bars. Ergonomically nowhere near as neat as proper shifters by the big S’es, but maybe better, certainly different to the Rohloff twist shifter.
Since this is my first MTB with wheels larger than 26″, I didn’t go all out but paired the 627 frame (i.e. 27.5″ rear wheel, DT XM481 rim, 2.6″ Michelin tyre) with a 120mm 29″ Reba fork. Front wheel is DT350 hub on DT XM 421, 2.35 Michelin tyre. Magura brakes from the Hannah’s STW charity sale, DMR stem and Brand-X dropper off the classified, but new bars and rims/spokes.

I only finished lacing the rear wheel yesterday, so the weeping of the tubeless setup will hopefully subside.

Close-up of the left drop-out

You might just about be able to make out the silver bracket holding the ZTTO shifters upside-down. I had to file down the upper lever to not foul the lock-ring collar and the brake clamp, a Shimano one would not fit due to the larger single bolt.

Sven

Some interesting ideas there. Nice

Nice job. Quick question – I can understand 3d printing complicated things like clamps, but why the Rohloff plate? (or do you have access to free printing?)

I’ve got a source of cheap laser / hi-def plasma for steel bits, but sometimes still stop myself from faffing CAD – dxf files – wait a few days – drive half an hour to collect it when half an hour with saw, file and drill has the thing in my hand 🙂

Forgot to ask – what material are they printed in and how long does it take? Any finishing needed after printing?

Niche-Tastic! 🙂

Looks great, nice work on the 3D printing as well.

I can understand 3d printing complicated things … but why the Rohloff plate?

You are right, just because it was much easier and cheaper (though not free) to get things 3D-printed through work rather than machined. And those dropouts would have been far beyond my skills with a metal saw and file…

what material are they printed in and how long does it take? Any finishing needed after printing?

The shifter and left dropout are steel, not sure how long the actual printing took (a couple of hours?), the long wait was due to the pieces having to be sent off for ‘baking’, as I understand it to get rid of the epoxy that is mixed with the steel for printing. No special surface treatment applied afterwards as far as I am aware of.

The right dropout was actually machined from aluminium, the first printed prototype wasn’t quite right, and I changed jobs (lost access to 3D printing), so it was machined in China, but arrived within a few days of ordering!

Great thanks. I make the occasional steel frame but not got as far as using printed stuff yet. Interesting that it is steel – Wonder how it responds to welding / brazing? Need to do some reading….