Sneaking one south of the Canadian border.
The Bike
There are bikes that have cult followings and then there are bikes that have CULT followings. The Off Road Toad is on just about everyones short list and highly coveted by every Canadian (even ones who don't mountain bike). I spent a lot of years looking for one and, with the help of a friend who really went above and beyond, I was able to sneak one across the border into the US. It came as a frame and a few parts and it's previous iteration was rubbish. This particular frame had a tube replaced by DeKerf at some point (repainted and re-decaled as well). I set about doing a proper build using tried and true favorites which not only look great on the bike, but work great too. The end result was bringing a neglected classic back to glory.
The Build
Frame: Off Road Toad
Fork: AccuTrax
Rims: Mavic MA40
Hubs: Shimano M732 XT
Quick Release: Shimano XT
Tires: OnZa Porc/Panaracer Smoke
Pedals: Shimano XT M737
Crank: Cook Bros RSR
Chain: Sram
Rear Cogs: Shimano HG90 XT
Bottom Bracket: Shimano UN71 XT
Front Derailleur: Shimano M735 XT
Rear Derailleur: Shimano M735 XT
Shifters: Shimano M732 XT
Handlebars: Answer Hyperlite
Grips: ODI Tomac Attack
Stem: IRD
Headset: Chris King No Logo
Brake set: Shimano M734 XT
Brake levers: Shimano M733 XT
Saddle: Selle Italia Flite Ti
Seat Post: IRD
Paint: Dark Green
Size: 20"
Serial #: 172
Place of Origin: Canada
Other: 25.5 lbs. Chris DeKerf built.
The Ride
Few bikes had higher expectations than a Toad, so this was something that really needed to be experienced. As many times as I went over the measurements, I knew deep down the bike was one size bigger than I prefer my bikes to fit. Rideable for sure...but a touch big. Well despite that, the bike was an absolute delight and amazingly lived up to its expectations. This rarely happens when bikes get this hyped. I'm not sure what I expected, but figured it would feel tall with the high bb. It really did everything well. Decent climber, fine through twisties, and actually really stable at high speeds. In the end, I let the bike go as I couldn't get past the incorrect size, but would take another Toad in the next size down in a heartbeat.
The Photos