The Bike, The Plan, The Project

What logically should have been the first post, now comes one week into this project.  The bike to-be will be used as a car replacement.  Recreational riding and light touring add secondary purposes.  Being slated as a car replacement dictates the bike be similar to a car in terms of reliability, durability and maintenance.

What the bike is not:  A hobby.  I'm not looking for another hobby, nor do I have any desire to learn bike maintenance in general, but I want to know my bike inside and out, hence the decision to build it myself.  Ask me anything about a derailleur and I'll look at you like a calf staring at a new gate.

Durability:  Steel frame, Rohloff hub and carefully selected components.

Reliability:  Comes from me knowing how to install, replace, adjust, maintain and fix every component on this particular bike.  It also comes from having high use parts on my garage shelf and all the tools necessary to do most repairs without waiting for a bike shop or delivery trucks.

Maintenance:  Little as possible, please.   Check the tire pressure regularly, change the oil every 3000 miles, new brake pads every once in a while, and tires when needed.  Am I talking about a car or a bike?

Here's a list of major components:

Frame	Soma Wolverine 54cm
Forks	Soma Soma Wolverine Lugged Disc
Headset	Cane Creek 110 EC34
Bottom Bracket	Shimano BB93
Crank Set	Middleburn RS8 X-Type
Stem	Kalloy Adjustable
Handlebar	Syntace Duraflite
Rear Hub	Rohloff Speedhub
Front Hub	Schmidt SON 28
Saddle	Brooks B17
Chain	Wipperman Connex 8sX
Chainring	Middleburn Thick Thin 38t
Sprocket	Rohloff 16t
Pedals	NS Bike Aerial Industrie
Brakes	Shimano LX
Rotors	Avid G2 Cleansweep 160mm
Computer	O-Synce Macro High X RC
Ant+ Sensors	Garmin  Magnetless
Rear Rack	Tubus Logo Evo
Fenders	Curana C-Lite
Headlight	B&M Luxos U
Tail Light	B&M Toplight LED Line Plus
Tires	Schwalbe Marathon Supreme
Wheels	Rigida Andra 210, 36h
Spokes	DT Swiss Competition
Skewers	Shimano Deore SLX
Seat Post	Soma Layback 350mm (Black)
Grips	Ergon GP-1L for Rohloff
Kickstand	Pletscher Double Leg

The original plan was to employ a belt drive through the Wolverine's belt-compatible drop outs, but Rohloff, Gates and the Wolverine don't mix well.  The frame is a touch too flexy for the required belt tension when added to the hub's torque.  If/when the Conti belts become available to retail outlets, they will be worth a look.  The Continental belts have longer teeth requiring tension similar to a chain.