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Reader’s Rides: Joshua’s Orbea Alma with Di2 Hack and Hand Made Carbon Bar/Stem plus Saddle

Written by Zach Overholt
20 Comments
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Before long we’ll be seeing a lot more mountain bikes with buttons where the shifters used to be, but it’s taken awhile to catch up to the road bikes. The wait hasn’t stopped everyone though. Instead of patiently waiting for electronic mountain bike drivetrains, a number of riders have used the K-Edge Conversion kit.  Then there are those like Joshua who have taken the Di2 hack to another level. Custom carbon pieces, wire routing, reprogrammed functionality – all in a days work for this custom Orbea Alma.

The hacks don’t end with the drivetrain either as Joshua is running a hand made carbon bar/stem combo and his own seat. Details next…

Joshua orbea di2 hack hand made carbon (5)

Joshua orbea di2 hack hand made carbon (3) Joshua orbea di2 hack hand made carbon (4)

According to Joshua, the inspiration for the build came to him after planning a trip to ride in Tahoe, California with some friends. After ordering some Shimano Ultegra 6870 components, the process of adapting them to the Alma began.

“I knew that I was going to have to re-position the jockey pulleys, so I made a carbon fiber pulley plate assembly, and I machined a custom pulley plate axle.  Worked like a charm.  I routed the wire from the A-junction through a small hole that I drilled into the back of the aluminum steerer tube, then out of a hole that I drilled in the down-tube.  I drilled another hole under the bb, then installed a riv-nut to mount the B-junction.  The internal battery is held in place by a custom mount that I made.  Then I re-programmed the functions of the shifter to increase shift speed, and program a “long hold” on the shifter to dump 4 gears. I didn’t take any pics, but I made a shifter out of carbon; basically it’s like two spring boards with balls that impact the circuits that are buried deep inside the stock shifter.”

Joshua orbea di2 hack hand made carbon (1)

As if the high degree of drivetrain customization wasn’t enough, Joshua has also built his own carbon components with a one piece bar/stem, and this carbon/Innegra saddle. Combined with a Ritchey seat post, Stan’s Arch EX wheels, Rocket Ron tires, Shimano brakes, the custom drivetrain and XT crank with a Race Face narrow wide ring, Joshua’s Alma comes in around 21 pounds.

Thanks to Joshua for sending this in!
Zach Overholt
5,725 articles

Zach Overholt is the Editor in Chief of Bikerumor. He has been writing about what’s new in the bicycle world for 12+ years. Prior to that, Zach spent many years in the back of a bicycle shop building and repairing nearly every type of bike, while figuring out how to (occasionally) ride them.

Based in Ohio, Zach is now slowly introducing a new generation to cycling and still trying to figure out how to fit the most rides into a busy schedule as a new dad.

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Ilikeicedtea
Ilikeicedtea
9 years ago

Don’t drill holes in your steerer tube, ffs!

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Birdman
Birdman
9 years ago

SRAM’s future wireless system would prevent the hole drilling need in the future, can’t wait for that!

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edge
edge
9 years ago

Nice. An actual hack. That cable under the BB looks precarious though. No worries of snapping it or hitting it with rocks?

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Greg
Greg
9 years ago

Like to see the under side of that saddle.

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Dylan
Dylan
9 years ago

A lot of effort to hide the wires, only to leave them exposed in one of the most vulnerable places, under the BB. This bike must be for the manicured trails only, if that setup lasted 5 rides on our local trails I would be surprised, all my MTBs have dents and scratches from rock strike. That ‘though the steerer’ routing is also a concern – never mind the integrity of the steerer, the wire will probably fatigue and fail from flexing where it passes through, and be likely to shear right through the first time the bike does a 180 barspin during a crash. Choice of an Ultegra mech is perplexing too – unless the chain tension is super tight, the p-knuckle will be going ‘knock-knock-knock’ on the chainstay in the higher gears. No clutch mechanism either obviously. As soon as the going gets rough, this would be out-performed by a lowly SLX mechanical group.

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Ken
Ken
9 years ago

I have no problem with a handmade seat ,looks sweet , the handmade carbon stem and bars seem like a dangerous idea though.

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Frank
Frank
9 years ago

Single ring up front and an Ultegra rear mech with no chain guide? It looks like a wide-narrow chain ring, but still, this is XC not CX …

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M.C. Slammer
M.C. Slammer
9 years ago

Nice bike Josh. I think it’s a Job well done. I’m sure you will find some kinks, but by the looks of your mad hacker skills I’m sure you will work them out. Pay no mind to the naysayers and second-guessers. They hateus cause the ain’tus.

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Sean P
Sean P
9 years ago

I agree with Slammer. Nice bike Josh. I’m always a bit jealous of the guys like you that have the capacity to tinker with stuff like this. Compared to those that just criticize it all the time. I do love the pic of the BB cluster though, “activate warranty……” Probably not any more:-)

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Josh
Josh
9 years ago

Yeah, this was a fun set-up, and mostly just an exercise. So, I have never had dents on my downtube from smashing onto rocks or logs, and a few flexible wires down there are no problem. I put a limiter on the rr der to prevent it from travelling too far forward(the picture above does not show it, but I machined a flat spot on the ancor bolt, threaded a hole in the top of the b-knuckle, and with a simple thumb bolt the limit of forward travel is adjustable). I made sure to reinforce the wire that goes through the TINY hole in the overbuilt aluminum steerer tube with kevlar and heavy shrink tubing, and there’s plenty of excess… my bars won’t do a 180 unless something else goes horribly wrong. Did I run into problems while testing; yes. Did I change a bunch of stuff; yes. SO, I didn’t build this bike for long term use, nor did I build it with crashing in mind. It’s a cool xc rig, and it’s still working great.

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kenai
kenai
9 years ago

Me so confused….why no carbon hoops? Best place to carbon up is the hoops….put all the effort & $$ into an ElectroCarboMacguyver set up, but no carbon hoops??

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bryan
bryan
9 years ago

Josh is the problem solver when it comes to bicycles. He can always find a safe, reliable fix when everyone else throws their hands up. Fort Worth is very grateful to have him in the hood.

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Oscar Ruiz
Oscar Ruiz
9 years ago

This rig is so sick. Lots of real custom mods going on. Good job mate.

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Drew
Drew
9 years ago

I’d also like to see more of that saddle. Did you mold those rails yourself, Josh?

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mikey
mikey
9 years ago

Very NICE! Lot of ingenuity, skills, and hard work gone into this. I wish I had your VeloGold hands to craft stuff like that!

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corey
corey
9 years ago

Great job Josh. Love the handle bar’s silk look. 2nd Bryan’s comment. I would put myself on Josh’s carbon products before I would ride any of the cheap china knock off carbon that so many consumers seem to think is a great deal. Legit mods here !!!

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Tennessee
Tennessee
9 years ago

Awesome setup. Wish I had the know how, nads, and monies to attempt altering carbon like that.

Keep experimenting; I really appreciate a bike that is unique to its owner. Not doubt the naysayers here are off the shelf buyers and don’t appreciate outside the box thinking!

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Andy
Andy
9 years ago

I still don’t understand why we need to hide our wires, or cables for that matter.

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Dylan
Dylan
9 years ago

Looks like you thought of most of the potential issues then Josh, nice work:)
Re dents in the downtube, I wasn’t talking about “smashing onto” rocks or logs, but rather loose stuff bouncing up from the trail. Fist to babyhead size rocks are a common feature of many of our trails, likewise fallen branches (eucalypt forest), even on “XC” trails.
Just seems that this is the one area that it makes the most sense to keep things internal from a functional point of view and yet it’s exposed.

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MBLW
MBLW
9 years ago

Are you sure those are Race Face rings, an not Q-Rings from Rotor ?

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