Sam from Aotearoa, New Zealand sent in this beauty of a Hunter Cycles Midtail hardtail cargo bike for this week’s Readers’ Rides. Let’s check it out!
Photos by Dominic Blissett @Blissfieldphoto
The thrill of the chase: A reminder to continue to dream…
Whether it be exploring a new trail, hunting out that perfect vintage part for a retro rebuild or just doom scrolling the far reaches of the internet on a rainy Sunday arvo, daydreaming has always come easy to me. And converting those dreams into reality has also been a huge part of my growing up. Some of my earliest and fondest memories are scanning through old map books with my dad on a Saturday evening in front of the fire. Following highlighted lines of sections he had already explored and questioning what was behind these areas.
The known vs the unknown.
On Sundays we’d load up the trailer early in the morning and head for the hills with an eye to explore those unknown zones. When I was super young I’d be plonked on the gas tank and we’d head off, later I moved to the rear and eventually I got my own motorbike and was let loose.
Fast forward a decade or so of exploring with dad, I was all packed up and heading for university. With barely enough cash to support living, moto exploring was a luxury I could no longer afford, so I started riding my bicycle more and more. I’d always had a mountain bike, but throughout my teenage years it mainly served as a commuter bike to school, and as a vessel to get airbourne and break a few bones at the local dirt jump park. Sure I’d also use it to explore the tracks around our summer time lake campground and go fishing or rabbit shooting, but I’d never really considered the bicycle could give me that same exploring potential as those early years blasting around on a moto could.
But with little money and plenty of free time, soon my early university years were equally split between study and exploring. It didn’t take long to see that the bicycle could open up exploration opportunities both far away in the high country and hidden valleys of my area as well as just around the corner from my flat. Be it sneaking through the public gardens, down some walking only tracks and across a farmers field to gain a “shortcut” to the actual trails, to bashing up river valleys for hours just to see what’s up there. The bike was the ultimate tool for a young bloke looking to explore.
Sometime in those early years, I started collecting old UK and USA mtb magazines. Honestly I wasn’t much of a reader, and although in later years the design and technical details interested me a great deal.In those first few years, I think I was mainly looking at the pictures and seeing what other people were riding and where. Reading articles about Mt Tamalpais and the Repack, or The Rough Stuff Fellowship, and more got me excited that other people were exploring by bike and often making do with whatever they had. Sometime around 2011 – 2012 with a pile of old dirt rag and dirt action magazines I become pretty obsessed with all things NAHBS
The culmination of exploring by bike and studying a design degree was the perfect storm for me to be very interested in the niche frame builder and what they were coming up with. Back in this period these USA builders were often way ahead of the mainstream manufacturers and really driving what people like me needed. Early on I spotted an article about a builder called Rick Hunter from Hunter Cycles and his simple yet elegant designs and aesthetic just struck me. And although my Likes and dislikes have changed a lot over the years, Rick’s bikes continue to be some of my favorites of all time.
Back then with the early internet I started to research more and would scroll through Flickr, blogspots, ProllyisnotProbably and other websites for inspiration. It was clear to me then that I’d likely never see let alone own a Hunter, but the dream was there. I’d go a few months or even a year without giving it too much thought but every now and then a moment, an image or just a memory would have me thinking about a Hunter again. I’d buy, strip and sell bikes to help upgrade my own bike or pay for bike trips away, and although I’d have plenty of nice bikes over the years, I was mainly in the mainstream market of Giants, Treks, Scott, Specialized.
At some point I got into Surly bikes.
Either an orange 1×1 or a black crosscheck was my first one, and it felt like every couple rides I’d be tearing it down just to change it up. One day it would be a brakeless fixed gear, the next it would be a drop bar 3 x 9 rando bike. I probably went through 30 Surly, Salsa, Cotics, Singular and Niners the next few years. After uni we moved towns and islands, so I could only have a couple bikes, around this time the idea of having a couple of really nice bikes instead of 10s of pretty crappy ones took hold. They’d take up way less space, be nicer to ride and just felt a little more grown up. Around this time I had a little more money than my student days but less time to ride. So the idea of a dream bike came up. And burning bright was the idea of a Hunter.
The internet was much better and ordering a Hunter seemed a lot more obtainable. I started saving money, sold some more bikes, boxes of parts I was never going to use, and would buy and sell bikes and parts purely for profit. With what felt like enough money, I took the leap and enquired with Hunter Cycles about an order. A few days later I got a reply, BUMMER Rick had closed his order queue as he had a couple of years of bikes to build so wasn’t looking for more. For a while I sat on the funds and resigned to trying again in a year or so. But as things go, money was slowly pinched for trips away, a new fridge, bond on a flat and other boring life costs.
More bikes rolled in and out of the fleet including some now cult classics but the itch was always there for my own custom bike and Hunter Cycles was at the top. Eventually I fell deep into the cycling industry working in different shops and then opening my own. This all happened over the course of 7 or 8 years. But with the opening of my own shop I started importing products from Hunter Cycling, handlebars, stems, hip shooters and tee shirts. In the back of my mind I’m sure I was thinking of starting small, building a relationship and maybe that’ll lead to my very own Hunter bicycle.
Rick was always a pleasure to chat to, but like all great artisans could often beat to his own drum. So occasionally orders would take awhile and the inquiries for a frame would often be ignored or redirected. And once I was confident Rick knew I’d be very keen for a bike, I stopped asking and would just chew the fat every now and again when I was ordering bars. Maybe 2 years into the odd bar order. Rick emailed me out of the blue and said he had just about finished a size run of some 29er Plus midtail cargo bikes and the size large had my name written all over it. I was instantly allated, WHAT A DREAM but very soon reality hit home. I’d just finished building and paying for my Dream full suspension bike. A Starling Murmur with all the trimmings and it was the middle of winter so my shop was quiet and cash was TIGHT.
I asked Rick for a week to think about it. And he said it’d take him a few more to button up the final braze-ons and get the bikes powder coated. I thought about it for a few days, and decided the opportunity was just too good to miss and a genuine once in a lifetime moment to grab hold of. So I emailed Rick back and said I’d take it. I’d find the money somehow. Little did I know it’d be another 6 months or so until I’d actually pay for the bike and another couple until it arrived with me. Then 7 months before I’d have the bike built and riding. But dang that almost 2 year period between inception and riding was worth the wait There was no doubt Rick builds wonderful bikes but it wasn’t until actually riding it I could see and feel the mastery of his craft.
The bike is almost 7ft long but riding it doesn’t feel like that. And you’re only reminded when you try to manual a water bar or whip your favorite tabletable jump. With near 600mm chainstays and 29 x 3.0 tyres it climbs insanely well. The more power you can feed the back wheel the better, it just climbs and climbs and traction aint no problem.
With a huge custom frame bag from my buddy Mike @StealthBikeBag and 4 matching pannier bags, luggage capacity isn’t an issue. Keeping the weight low down and strapped on tight means the bike handles pretty dang similar loaded to unloaded and is only really noticeable when getting airbourne which although this bus can certainly do, isn’t its purpose.
This midtail is a platform for offroad adventure, and with one trip under its belt already plus plenty of day rides, I couldn’t be happier. It just plain works, well thought out geometry, construction and material choices, mean it goes where you point it, carrying all your worldly possessions, and should things get a little rowdy the dropper and 140mm fork have your back to party on through.
In conclusion I think it’s important to “Dream” and i reckon i don’t need to remind the Ravavist readership on that front, this site might be the single biggest resource at least in my life to fuel those dreams, be it Epic locations around the world to ride, inspiring stories or mind blowing custom builds from the world’s top artisans to wonderful reader rigs carefully built to a theme, budget or style.
Not all dreams will come true but sometimes the Thrill of the Chase is enough……
Build Spec:
- Custom Hunter Cycles 29+ Midtail Frame
- Fox 36 140mm 29er Fork (now with a custom tuned FIT4 Damper)
- TRP Quadiem Brakeset Silver
- TRP Stainless Rotors (203/180)
- XTR 12 Speed EV Shifter
- XTR 12 Speed Rear Derailleur
- XX1 12 Speed Chain (well actually 2 of those)
- Sram 11-50 Cassette (custom offset to clear the 3.00 tyres)
- White Industries ENO Square Taper Crankset / 170mm
- White Industries 28t Chainring
- White Industries Headset
- DT Swiss 350 Hub set (destickered)
- DT Swiss Competition Spokes
- DT Swiss Brass Prolock Nipples
- Spank Oozy 395+ Rims (hand polished)
- Surly Knard 29 x 3.00 Tyres
- Hunter Smooth Move Lo-Rise Bar
- Paul Components Box Car Stem
- Paul Components Dropper Lever
- Ergon GA2 Fat Grips
- Fox Transfer Dropper Post (custom shortened to fit)
- Fabric Scoop Radius Gel Elite Saddle
- Time MX6 Pedals
- Custom Made Stealth Bike Bags Full Frame Bag and Matching Panniers
See more of Rick’s work at Hunter Cycles‘ Instagram!
We’d like to thank all of you who submitted Readers Rides builds to be shared here at The Radavist. The response has been incredible and we have so many to share over the next few months. Feel free to submit your bike, listing details, components, and other information. You can also include a portrait of yourself with your bike and your Instagram account! Please, shoot landscape-orientation photos, not portrait. Thanks!
