If you’re looking to load up a bike and get out of Dodge, Advocate Cycles has your number. Both of their newest bikes are meant to shine when loaded, whether off the beaten path or halfway around the world. The bikes may closely resemble other models in their line up, but each has some purposeful tweaks to ensure that they will be ready for whatever trail you find yourself on. In addition, the bikes each make use of Terrene tires – a separate company, but another involving Advocate Cycles’ founder Tim Krueger. So while the bikes may be very appealing, the tires will also be available separately to fit your ride…
As its name would imply, the Seldom Seen is about getting lost, primarily off road. Referred to as the Hayduke’s bigger brother, the Seldom Seen is built around 27.5 x 3.0″ tires with a rigid fork and Boost spacing front and rear. One big change to the rear dropout is that it is a fixed plate – not the adjustable plate Portage dropout system found on the Hayduke. This is said to increase the ultimate durability since this bike isn’t really meant to switch wheel sizes.
The frame uses a new proprietary quad butted chromoly tubing and uses slightly longer chainstays for stability based around the bigger tires. You’ll also find mounts for an integrated Cedaero frame bag inside the front triangle along with all of the mounts you would expect on the rigid fork and frame for bags, bottles, racks, and fenders. When available, the complete bike will sell for $1999 with a frame bag.
The Seldom Seen seems like the perfect candidate for Terrene’s new Chunk plus tire with their Tough casing which uses a TekShield 60 TPI carcass with a tubeless ready folding bead. Along with the plus option, the Chunk will also be sold in more typical 27 and 29 x 2.3″ sizes in Light 120 TPI casings.
The Sand County is similar to the Seldom Seen in that it’s meant for loaded riding, though in a more typical road/gravel/sand sort of way.
Because of that, it also gets a standard QR dropout front and rear to make repair parts easier to come by when you’re on the other side of the world.
From the steel fork to the threaded bottom bracket, the Sand County is all about simple durability and is built with updated geometry to better handle loaded touring.
Like the Terrene tires on the Seldom Seen, the Sand County also makes use of a new tread with the Elwood 700 x 40c in a Light 120 tpi casing. Pricing and availability on the Sand County is still to be announced.
If you haven’t seen it from our other coverage, Terrene will also be offering fat bike tires in both 4.0 and 4.6″ widths. The Wazia will be sold in Light 120tpi or Tough 60tpi casings and with studs or without. Using a specially shaped TripleTraction Tungsten Carbide stud, Terrene’s claim is the same traction as tires with many more studs, but less weight since there are fewer studs. Tires will sell for $129 without studs or $199 with a full complement of TripleTraction studs.
