# Pinion!



## Ailuropoda (Dec 15, 2010)

Solace Cycles Pinion OM-2P! My thanks to Jeff at Solace Cycles. It took a while to build because of part delays but they kept me up to date along the way, were very responsive, and built a very beautiful bike. I hate to have to cover it up with my bickpacking gear.

I've taken it on some shorter rides. Because the law says we have to compare it to the Rohloff I'll say that, tentatively, I like it better. I loved the Rohloff but it made a tangible "whirring" noise in the lower gears and I always had the subjective sensation of power loss. The Pinion is much quieter and I can't detect any sound or unpleasant sensation from it. Since I have a belt drive the setup is pretty silent anyway.

I've seen the authoritative web sites that show the Rohloff is four percent more efficient that the Pinion over their gear range and that both are less efficient than a chain and derailleur but honestly, except for the silence, it feels exactly like any bicycle. You turn the pedals and it goes forward. On the flats it is easy to pedal and go fast and on the uphill sections you have to put in some effort.

The only oddity is the twist shifter which is the source of endless IGH vs Derailleur controversy. I like twist shifters. For my application, bikepacking, they work just fine and having to "take pressure off the pedals" to shift is a skill that took me thirty seconds to learn and a minute to master. I have been on steep climbs, stalled out, and the ability to shift down while standing still is very valuable to me.

Disregard if you ride singletrack. Twist shifters work but indexed trigger shifters are much better.

The Pinion is heavy. This would be a light bike because everything is titanium, carbon, or lightweight alloy but it weighs around 28 pounds with pedals. My previous rig with XX1 cranks and GX components everywhere else, also Titanium etc, was a svelte 25 pounds. It has given me an incentive to drop some weight myself.

Just FYI:

Pinion C.12, 12-speed, 600 percent range in 17.7 percent steps.

Rear wheel is from Industry 9. The front is custom built by Wheelbuilder.com around a SON 28 Dynamo hub. Maxxis Ikon 29.2.6 tires

I have Jones Carbon Fiber Loop H bars and Jeff built it with a Niner RDO fork.

I have a Cane Creek eSilk suspension seat post. That thing is only 75 grams heavier than my Whiskey Parts Company carbon seat post.

It has Magura hydraulic brakes which I have never used before but they seem to work fine.

CDX, sprocket and chainring. I went with the stainless steel over allot for durability.


----------



## ladljon (Nov 30, 2011)

Sweet ride.....let me know if selling the Rohloff hub....have two already, need another.


----------



## borchar9 (Apr 1, 2021)

Still liking the om-2p build? Any negatives or regrets? I'm heavily considering ordering the same bike


----------



## kevb (Jun 4, 2021)

Ailuropoda said:


> Solace Cycles Pinion OM-2P! My thanks to Jeff at Solace Cycles. It took a while to build because of part delays but they kept me up to date along the way, were very responsive, and built a very beautiful bike. I hate to have to cover it up with my bickpacking gear.
> 
> I've taken it on some shorter rides. Because the law says we have to compare it to the Rohloff I'll say that, tentatively, I like it better. I loved the Rohloff but it made a tangible "whirring" noise in the lower gears and I always had the subjective sensation of power loss. The Pinion is much quieter and I can't detect any sound or unpleasant sensation from it. Since I have a belt drive the setup is pretty silent anyway.
> 
> ...


Hello: I saw your post regarding your Solace OM-2P and think it looks fantastic and am looking for a very similar bike. Presently I am riding a steel Jones complete 29Plus LWB. It's super capable but very, very heavy when loaded up even for a day's riding. Any thoughts on your Solace and the Pinion? Do the Jones bars work well with the Solace geometry? Thanks!


----------



## Pedalpower207 (Jan 5, 2022)

Have you ever regretted having a rigid fork with your OM-2P?


----------



## Ailuropoda (Dec 15, 2010)

Pedalpower207 said:


> Have you ever regretted having a rigid fork with your OM-2P?


Late reply: Never regretted it for what I do with the bike; mostly gravel and dirt and bikepacking. Only limited singletrack on which I tend to go easy on the bike.


----------



## Pedalpower207 (Jan 5, 2022)

Thank you for that reply! I typically ride on gravel and ATV/snowmobile trails and some moderately gnarly single track with my rigid fat bike or gravel bike depending on the season and my feelings for the day. I ordered the OM-2P back in December with both a rigid and an MRP Ribbon fork to adjust based on the trails I plan on riding. However I was wondering if I could get away with just the rigid fork and keeping the wider tires at a lower PSI and thought your experience with the bike could give me some insights. Also, how does it do on pavement? Curious if I can make this my primary commuter bike rather than the gravel bike. The gravel bike would be faster, but not having to do maintenance on a drivetrain is a dream of mine! Thanks again for your reply and feedback!


----------



## Ailuropoda (Dec 15, 2010)

Pedalpower207 said:


> Thank you for that reply! I typically ride on gravel and ATV/snowmobile trails and some moderately gnarly single track with my rigid fat bike or gravel bike depending on the season and my feelings for the day. I ordered the OM-2P back in December with both a rigid and an MRP Ribbon fork to adjust based on the trails I plan on riding. However I was wondering if I could get away with just the rigid fork and keeping the wider tires at a lower PSI and thought your experience with the bike could give me some insights. Also, how does it do on pavement? Curious if I can make this my primary commuter bike rather than the gravel bike. The gravel bike would be faster, but not having to do maintenance on a drivetrain is a dream of mine! Thanks again for your reply and feedback!


I run 29x2.6 tires. I keep them at relatively high pressure because most of what I ride is gravel and dirt roads. It's a big bike with big tires. It's not a road bike, in other words. It runs fine on pavement but I'm not passing roadies in any meaningful way. But on dirt and gravel? very smooth and the bike has the potential to be so comfortable to ride (like mine) that you'll be amazed. I use a Cane Creek eeSilk suspension seat post and Jones carbon Loop H bars. I took literally four hours one day adjusting and setting it up so it's perfect.

Gnarly singletrack? I ride some singletrack on it but mostly on "connectors" to get to another road. I take it easy on single track. It rides fine but nowhere near my Specialized full-suspension Enduro. I don't think grip shifters like on the Pinion are ideal for this kind of riding. Trigger shifters are just that much better.

So I wouldn't call the OM-2P a multi-purpose bike, especially with the rigid fork. On a scale of 1 to 10? Road riding...comfortable...but a 6/10. Smooth singletrack...5/10. Gnarly stuff? 3/10. Gravel and dirt? 9/10. In my mind the Pinion is ideal for gravel and dirt roads. You could definitely get by with only the rigid fork. fifteen years ago all my trail bikes had rigid forks and I did alright. But I use my OM-2P as a dedicated bikepacking and endurance race bike. I never plan to ride singletrack on it.

I'll reiterate: The Pinion and belt system needs essentially no maintenance. I've had it almost two years and, other than changing the oil in the gearbox last week (a $27, ten minute easy job) maybe I've hosed it off a couple or three times. The Pinion also gets smoother the more you use it. Again, they tell me it has some drag but I can't tell the difference between it and a derailleur bike. It feels much smoother than the Rohloff and I was a big fan of that.

Also, don't set the belt tension as tight as Gates recommends. It runs faster with the belt on the loose side? How loose? hard to say. But I've gradually backed off the recommended tension with no ill effects. I have not needed a snubber, either. I "dropped" the belt once when some mud and rocks wedged it over the cog but it only took a few minutes to install and this appeared to be a fluke.

I replaced the excellent Industry 9 Enduro wheel that it came with with a Onyx racing hub. Totally silent and instant engagement.


----------



## Ailuropoda (Dec 15, 2010)

Can't go wrong with the Pinion


----------



## Pedalpower207 (Jan 5, 2022)

Ailuropoda said:


> I run 29x2.6 tires. I keep them at relatively high pressure because most of what I ride is gravel and dirt roads. It's a big bike with big tires. It's not a road bike, in other words. It runs fine on pavement but I'm not passing roadies in any meaningful way. But on dirt and gravel? very smooth and the bike has the potential to be so comfortable to ride (like mine) that you'll be amazed. I use a Cane Creek eeSilk suspension seat post and Jones carbon Loop H bars. I took literally four hours one day adjusting and setting it up so it's perfect.
> 
> Gnarly singletrack? I ride some singletrack on it but mostly on "connectors" to get to another road. I take it easy on single track. It rides fine but nowhere near my Specialized full-suspension Enduro. I don't think grip shifters like on the Pinion are ideal for this kind of riding. Trigger shifters are just that much better.
> 
> ...


Thank you very much for this insightful response. Most of the single track that I ride is in the UP direction, rather than down, if that makes any sense. So its not like I am hammering the trails at high speed frequently, or ever hitting jumps or anything like that. My view of gnarly is probably a bit more tame than most people's. That being said, I am excited to get it with both forks so I have the option of riding in areas that I have not yet explored. Many of the dirt paths, gravel, and single track that I have ridden have been with both a rigid fat bike and my gravel bike, so I am not all that worried about being in a situation where I am truly underbiked. I am getting some 2.3's for commuting and 2.6's for further exploration. However, if I end up hating commuting on this bike, I will just go back to the gravel bike for commuting. I just really crave that 'no maintenance' set up. That was a nice bit of info for the belt tension. Thank you! Speaking of tensioning, is it difficult to get the alignment right with the tension on either side of the rear wheel? Any special tools I would need for this trail-side for a fix/adjustment other than allen keys/multitool? I am pretty pumped about using this on some adventures this summer in New England and NY. Seems like an absolute dream for bike packing and long distance rides. Thanks again for the input!


----------



## Ailuropoda (Dec 15, 2010)

Pedalpower207 said:


> Thank you very much for this insightful response. Most of the single track that I ride is in the UP direction, rather than down, if that makes any sense. So its not like I am hammering the trails at high speed frequently, or ever hitting jumps or anything like that. My view of gnarly is probably a bit more tame than most people's. That being said, I am excited to get it with both forks so I have the option of riding in areas that I have not yet explored. Many of the dirt paths, gravel, and single track that I have ridden have been with both a rigid fat bike and my gravel bike, so I am not all that worried about being in a situation where I am truly underbiked. I am getting some 2.3's for commuting and 2.6's for further exploration. However, if I end up hating commuting on this bike, I will just go back to the gravel bike for commuting. I just really crave that 'no maintenance' set up. That was a nice bit of info for the belt tension. Thank you! Speaking of tensioning, is it difficult to get the alignment right with the tension on either side of the rear wheel? Any special tools I would need for this trail-side for a fix/adjustment other than allen keys/multitool? I am pretty pumped about using this on some adventures this summer in New England and NY. Seems like an absolute dream for bike packing and long distance rides. Thanks again for the input!


Setting tension is easy. Run the Swinging dropouts all the way in. Butt the adjuster plate flush against the frame and run in the tension screws until they touch the frame. Then slowly turn each adjustment screw in small, equal increments until you have the desired tension. It seems to align perfectly. Needs a 6mm and 4mm hex key and I have adjusted them in the field with my standard multi-tool. Just a tip: The dropout bolts it comes with (the two large bolts on each dropout) have shallow sockets and I rounded them off twice because the hex key wasn't seated properly when torquing...or over-torquing. The heads are kind of shallow. I had to dremel a slot into the cap and use a hammer and punch to turn them out. I replaced them with the cap screws you see in the picture. Much nicer. You also don't need to torque them that much.


----------



## Pedalpower207 (Jan 5, 2022)

Ailuropoda said:


> Setting tension is easy. Run the Swinging dropouts all the way in. Butt the adjuster plate flush against the dropouts and run in the tension screws until they touch the dropouts. Then slowly turn each adjustment screw in small, equal increments until you have the desired tension. It seems to align perfectly. Needs a 6mm and 4mm hex key and I have adjusted them in the field with my standard multi-tool. Just a tip: The dropout bolts it comes with (the two large bolts on each dropout) have shallow sockets and I rounded them off twice because the hex key wasn't seated properly when torquing...or over-torquing. The heads are kind of shallow. I had to dremel a slot into the cap and use a hammer and punch to turn them out. I replaced them with the cap screws you see in the picture. Much nicer. You also don't need to torque them that much.


Great info! Thank you! What endurance races have you ridden the OM-2P in? Where did you feel it excelled, and was there anything you could have done to improve its performance?


----------



## Ailuropoda (Dec 15, 2010)

Pedalpower207 said:


> Great info! Thank you! What endurance races have you ridden the OM-2P in? Where did you feel it excelled, and was there anything you could have done to improve its performance?


My latest was a Tour Divide attempt last June. The bike was fine. The weak link was me.


29 x 2.6 inch tires (Maxxis Ikon) May have been overkill. Realistically I could have gotten by with 29 x 2.4 for less rolling resistance.


----------



## Pedalpower207 (Jan 5, 2022)

Ailuropoda said:


> My latest was a Tour Divide attempt last June. The bike was fine. The weak link was me.
> 
> 
> 29 x 2.6 inch tires (Maxxis Ikon) May have been overkill. Realistically I could have gotten by with 29 x 2.4 for less rolling resistance.


I'm sure whatever part you were able to enjoy was stunning in its beauty. And far more important than finishing is that you were able to go home to your family safely. Glad the bike was fine, but again, more importantly, you were too.


----------



## Ailuropoda (Dec 15, 2010)

Pedalpower207 said:


> I'm sure whatever part you were able to enjoy was stunning in its beauty. And far more important than finishing is that you were able to go home to your family safely. Glad the bike was fine, but again, more importantly, you were too.


I'm going to finish that thing one day. Currently gearing up for 2023.

Oh..one thing I'd change (and am going to) is a four-piston brake in the rear. I know I shouldn't but I do a lot of rear-wheel braking. The single piston Magura Trail struggles a little stopping a heavily loaded bike on long, steep descents. Like coming down a mountain pass on a sketchy road.


----------

