RONDO BOGAN ST presented – Bike Packing Unlimited
The all-new RONDO BOGAN promises bike packing performance on and off the road. We took a closer look at the Polish brand’s booth during the Eurobike Media Days expedition.
The designers at RONDO have thought a lot about the features of the brand-new BOGAN ST as they wanted to make the lives of all bike packers who like to leave the paved roads and paths a lot easier. The result is a bike that mixes many already characteristics we already know from the RONDO RUUT ST and RUUT CF2 and also has lots of new features to offer in terms of off-road and touring performance.
RONDO BOGAN ST in detail
At the heart of the new BOGAN ST is a double butted Tange Champion Chromoly steel frame with bolt-on points for almost every accessory imaginable. Depending on the riders’ preference, the BOGAN can be used to mount frame bags, mudguards and numerous bottle cages. In addition, the RONDO TWINTIP 2.0 carbon fork has lateral attachment points for additional luggage or bottle holders. Compared to its predecessor, the new fork has more compliance and lower weight as well as a slimmer silhouette, RONDO says. But the fork has even more to offer: As with the previous models RUUT ST and RUUT CF, the geometry of the bike can be adjusted with the help of a flip chip located in the front dropouts. Here, there are two options to choose from. In the “HI” setting, the BOGAN offers steeper head and seat angles, a shorter fork trail and correspondingly sportier handling. If the flip chip is turned to the “LO” position, the steering and seat angles increase by 0.7 / 0.8 °. The fork trail grows at the same time by 10 mm and the height of the cockpit increases by a few millimeters. This more relaxed position is designed to make the character of the bike more tourable and provide more directional stability.
The frame of the BOGAN ST is compatible with both 1x and 2x drivetrains and has immense tire clearance for knobby tires with dimensions of up to 29 x 2.1″. The frame is also compatible with 27.2 mm diameter dropper seatposts. Thanks to the horizontal dropouts, the rider can fix the rear wheel in two positions and thus adjust the effective length of the chainstays according to preference. In combination with the flip-chip of the fork, the BOGAN should cover a very wide spectrum of preferred handling characteristics.
| Size Lo/Hi | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 470 mm | 490 mm | 510 mm | 530 mm |
| Top tube | 573/575 mm | 583/585 mm | 598/600 mm | 618/620 mm |
| Head tube | 140 mm | 160 mm | 180 mm | 200 mm |
| Head angle | 70.8/70° | 70.8/70° | 70.7/70° | 70.7/70° |
| Seat angle | 73.8/73° | 73.8/73° | 73.7/73° | 73.7/73° |
| Chainstay | 435 mm | 435 mm | 435 mm | 435 mm |
| BB Drop | 86/80 mm | 86/80 mm | 86/80 mm | 85/80 mm |
| Reach | 409/401 mm | 413/406 mm | 423/414 mm | 432/424 mm |
| Stack | 577/582 mm | 595/601 mm | 611/619 mm | 633/638 mm |
In terms of specifications, RONDO presents a solid mix for the BOGAN, which should above all be sturdy and easy to maintain. The SRAM Apex 1 x 11 rear derailleur is combined with the FSA Omega EXO crankset and SUNRACE 11-42 T cassette. The TRP Spyre disc brakes are operated by cables. WTB Nano tires in 29 x 2.1″ are installed on the RONDO aluminum wheelset. In this configuration, the BOGAN comes to 10.7 kg in size M according to RONDO.
Conclusion
The RONDO BOGAN ST, as presented during the Eurobike Media Days, is a consistent concept that uncompromisingly caters to all bike packing adventurers in terms of its features and specifications and promises carefree travels. We are looking forward to the first test in the Polish backcountry in a few weeks time. You’ll learn more about our test soon right here.
For more information head to rondo.cc
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Words: Photos: Felix Stix
