Share Your 2025 Hillborne

[Steve]

The Same are selling at a more leisurely pace that some of the other 2025 models, but I know a few Owner Bunch riders have acquired one. I'd love to see how they're coming together. Owner assembled,  purchased complete or LBS built - show it off!

Here's my 51cm in mustard - which I finished just this evening just in time to wait for a break in the weather!

Steve in AVL.     (components listed below if you're curious)

Wheels - Silver Hubs % Alex DM-21 rims (R. Lesnick built)

WTB 650b x 47 Byway sneakers

Crankset - 1990 Deore LX 3x with 38/24 Origin 8 rings. Shimano cartridge BB

Velo Orange Sabot pedals 

Mircroshift thumbies friction shifting an Altus RD and Skeleton Key Microshift FD.

12-36 9 speed Shimano cassette

Brakes - Diacomp 980 cantis & levers 

Nitto 110 x 31.8 Faceplater stem with Nitto 31.8 alloy Albatross

ESI grips & Trek bar wrap

Velo Orange Gran Cru long setback seat post, Berthoud Aspin saddle

Bag by Dill Pickle Gear (Emily O'Brien)

[K AL]

Looking good! Especially like the saddle, bar & bag colour-combo. Enjoy your new Sam :) 

[Steve]

Thanks Mac. By the way - those Shimano bar ends are NOT Microshift thumb shifters (duh!!!)

[Brian Turner]

Steve, that mustard Sam looks incredible! Such a sensible, yet solid build. I probably won’t have my 54cm mustard Sam built up until Spring bc I’m out of state for a couple of months (and I need to save up some funds for a wheel set), but I have a very similar build planned. I have the same VO seatpost, same Altus RD, same stem, and I’m planning on Billie bars instead of Albatross bars. I’ll be doing thumbies instead of bar-ends. This build of yours will serve as inspiration!

Brian
Lexington KY

[Steve]

Brian, I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with yours - the Sam appears to lend itself to such a wide variety of builds. I was aiming toward a fire road biased all-rounder. I'm eager to discover how it  performs in that mode. 

Billies are great bars - I love the pair on my Platypus. I'm hoping the VO post will give me enough set back with the    Berthoud. It's such a comfortable saddle, but I've struggled with it on several bikes due to its short rails.

[Scott Garrison]

I bought my Hillborne as an unbuilt frame this past October on eBay, so I hope you don't mind me jumping on this thread. I think it's a '23 (according to the seller). I just couldn't pass up on the Orange paint, my personal favorite. And it was in my size! Finished building it up just after Thanksgiving. So far, it is my favorite bike of all time. 

 

650b Wheelset: Velocity Atlas 32h rims, Deore XT hubs - Rich custom built

Continental Terra Trail 27.5 x 47 tires (cream sidewall)

Spa Cycle 170 mm cranks & 46 size guard with 44/28T Specialties T.A. chainrings

11-34T 9 sp. Alivio cassette with Acera rear derailleur. Old stock Shimano front derailleur

Velo Orange faceplate quill stem, 90 mm with Velo Orange Granola handlebar

Velo Orange Grand Cru long pull brake levers

Shimano DXR MX70 V-brakes

Shimano Dura Ace bar-end shifters mounted to Rivendell thumb shifter mounts

Nissen clear cable housings

WTB Comfort saddle, Kalloy seatpost

Crust Northbank pedals

Swift Industries Catalyst front bag

King bottle cages

[K AL]

'...the Orange paint, my personal favorite...' Mine too. Really suits the Sam doesn't it. Been looking for one here in the Europe for quite a while now! Hope it's not bad form to drop a link to my 'Wanted' ad here...

https://groups.google.com/g/rbw-owners-bunch/c/OyPoIp9wN60/m/xd-vDWLjBQAJ?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer

...just in case someone, somewhere has one they'd like to sell.

I must say, yours is looking resplendent in the sunshine there - Enjoy! Deepest winter here in Finland right now. Roll on the spring (and with a bit of luck, a Sam too!) 

Looking forward to seeing more builds from the new batch...

[Scott Garrison]

I took that picture yesterday, a warm 70 degrees F. Shorts and t-shirt weather in January . . . Only in Northern California! 

Best of luck on your search.

[K AL]

Cheers :) Oh man...can almost feel the sunshine in that pic. Here's how it's looking here...

[Steve]

Scotti - nice Hillborne!  I won't offer any arguments against orange, it wears the Conti's nicely. And hey, ALL Hillbornes are welcome (especially good looking ones!).