Well, let’s say it was the most obvious choice I felt after opting for a durable transmission with minimal maintenance. The bicycle needed a frame that was unaffected by weather conditions, that was comfortable, lightweight, ultra-resistant, and capable of excellently absorbing ground vibrations.

The choice of titanium, if not mandatory, was very close!

The characteristics that make titanium preferable to steel are essentially its corrosion resistance (which makes it an almost eternal material, especially when used to manufacture a bicycle frame exposed to the elements) and its strength-to-weight ratio. This latter aspect is very important because, although steel is stronger than titanium in absolute terms, it allows for a noticeable weight saving for the same mechanical characteristics (due to its lower density). This means that I can achieve a titanium frame with the same strength performance at about 60% of the weight of a steel frame.

The titanium used in our frames is actually an alloy that includes some aluminum (3%) and vanadium (2.5%), primarily to improve its mechanical properties and workability compared to pure material. The titanium alloy 6Al-4V, an alternative to the 3Al-2.5V alloy used in bicycle frame production, is distinguished by its greater ease of machining (the material being less elastic is more suited to this process) and a slightly higher degree of mechanical strength. However, it is not used for the frame tubes but only for components whose geometry is well suited to machining processes (bottom bracket and handlebar attachment, for example). When it comes to producing tubes, the 3Al-2.5V alloy is definitely superior in terms of cold workability, as the material is more ductile and suitable for the drawing process.

The artisanal craftsmanship of Selk’nam titanium frames is immediately reflected in the quality of the product and the beauty of their visible welds, a testament to the fact that what you are riding is a quality frame.
The production process of each frame is entirely manual and involves several intermediate quality checks before reaching the final approval of the product.

Quality is evident both in the manufacturing phase of each frame and in the design and testing stages: before reaching their final version, in fact, to be declared suitable for the installation of the transmission belt and robust enough for the demanding use that a fully loaded trip requires, the frames had to undergo rigorous flexural and deformation and breakage resistance tests.

However, manual processing is also the only method that a titanium frame can undergo: the welding operations are very delicate and costly because they must occur in a protected atmosphere under inert gas, free from oxygen, which could weaken the structure.

The result is a unique, clean, high-performing frame ready to be outfitted with the best assembly.

What drove me to choose the Rohloff/belt combination for the development and setup of the bicycle were the benefits that both of these technologies provide.

There’s no contamination or interference from the elements: the Rohloff Speedhub is, in fact, sealed and operates in a watertight oil bath, while the Gates Carbon Drive toothed belt requires no lubrication to function perfectly. Therefore, there are no issues with water and mud, dust, or general dirt.

However, to be extremely precise and accurate, the only maintenance tasks we need to remember are the annual oil change (or every 5,000 km) for the hub and cleaning the belt with water (and neutral soap if desired) when encountering particularly dusty or sandy terrain, which could make its operation slightly noisier. None of this directly affects the reliability or functioning of the transmission; after all, no mechanical device is completely maintenance-free, and these small precautions are not a significant compromise.

For those who are particularly meticulous and attentive to maintenance, the belt manufacturer recommends (as an optional measure) to occasionally spray it with silicone spray, which helps protect the plastic polymer and maximize dust and dirt repulsion.

Regarding the hub, maintenance is manageable at a very affordable cost, both economically and in terms of time: we’re talking about around fifteen euros for the purchase of the cleaning and lubrication kit and about 20 minutes to independently perform the simple replacement operation.

A second, but equally important, benefit of this configuration is its lower exposure to impacts and damage. It’s easy to see how the entire shifting mechanism (the gears that allow you to change from one gear to another) is housed within the wheel’s volume, protected by the “cage” of its spokes. There is no exposed derailleur that could accidentally hit obstacles along the way, and even the actuator housing for the Speedhub’s shifter remains closely aligned with the frame’s profile, thus positioned in a less vulnerable spot.

The third aspect to note concerns the longevity of the components: while the belt typically lasts two to three times longer than a chain, the Rohloff Speedhub doesn’t have a fixed replacement period: the fact that it operates in an oil bath minimizes internal wear, and it is not uncommon for units to exceed 100,000 km without requiring extraordinary maintenance. For this reason, it is particularly favored by many cyclists around the world.