Traildonkey 3.1

What if there were no bicycle categories? What if nobody had told us that we needed a different bike for each day of the week and every different riding surface? What if a bike was neither good nor bad at anything? What if, instead, it was merely a capable tool for testing yourself and proving your own mettle? To Rodeo Labs these are not abstract questions. They are the inspiration by which we design and engineer our premiere bike: Traildonkey 3.1. TD3 is a platform on which a rider can build a bike of supreme function and versatility. The spectrum of its abilities ranges from pavement to singletrack to gravel, and everything in between.

The Traildonkey Story

Now in its third major iteration, Traildonkey has upped its capabilities to match our ever growing ambitions. Since 2014, our eyes for rugged conditions have only gotten bigger and the punishment we’ve subjected the bike to has only gotten more severe. While we wanted to create a more capable bike, we did not however want to turn Traildonkey into an overbuilt, drop bar mountain bike. We wanted to stay true to the original principles of the bike which required that it feel at home in the intensity of a competitive road group ride, a 200 mile gravel race, a winding ribbon of singletrack, or a multi-day bikepacking trip. TD3 is not only an exercise in increasing capabilities, it is also an exercise in restraint. The lines of the frameset have become more elegant and the execution of the details has become more focused. The entire 3.0 rear triangle, from the seat tube back, has been completely redesigned. Over the years we’ve formed some strong opinions on what makes a great bike. We’ve woven those ideas into this frameset. High on our list of improvements for TD3 was increased tire clearance. Our newest Donkey has that in spades. On Rodeo 650b rims with a 24.5 mm ID a 2.25″ (57mm) tire will fit on TD3. On Rodeo 700c rims with a 24mm ID a 2.0″ (50mm) tire will fit on TD3.*

More Capable, Just as Sleek

In order to achieve greater tire clearances, extensive and careful shaping was required in the design of the rear triangle. Pronounced asymmetry between drive and non-drive side stays can be clearly seen in our design. We also took the opportunity to refine and simplify the dropout design, brake housing routing, flat mount brake mounts, and derailleur housing routing. When wireless eTap shifting is used on TD3, no residual housing protrusions are seen on the frame. This results in a beautiful, minimal aesthetic. Both 2x or 1x drivetrains work equally well on TD3 and when 1x drivetrains are used the front derailleur mount can be removed. Rack and fender mounting eyelets are once again standard on TD3 on both the frameset and fork and now feature larger clearances for fender / tire combinations. TD3 features extensive mounting options for long-distance travel and bikepacking. On the rear triangle we include eyelets on the upper stays and just above the rear thru axle dropouts. On the main triangle, the frame features two bottle mounts on the main triangle as well as one mount beneath the lower down tube. The top tube includes two mounting points for top tube bags or a standard water bottle cage.

Built for the Long Haul

TD3.1 doesn’t pay lip service to strength and durability. When we upped the technical capabilities of the bike we were careful to also increase strength in critically stressed areas. In both lab and real-world testing TD3 is leaps and bounds stronger than any previous Traildonkey frameset. So many modern bikes are engineered with a disproportionate emphasis on light weight. We believe that the arms race to shave grams has resulted in a reputation for carbon framesets as fragile, almost disposable. With TD3 we have created a frameset that will reliably serve its owner over the long term and we back it with a lifetime warranty. Our engineering culture is to integrate an excess of strength into the frameset; to create a frameset that will stand the test of time on road, gravel, and trail. Traildonkey is constructed with Toray T800 carbon for high strength and high performance in real world use. Each frame is constructed entirely by hand in Taiwan by a manufacturing partner with over 30 years of high-end carbon manufacturing experience.

T47 Bottom Bracket

Rodeo was one of the first bike manufacturers to standardize all of our framesets around the threaded T47 bottom bracket standard. The removable bottom bracket cover on TD3.1 features a drain hole which allows water to escape the frame in wet conditions. The result is a quiet, low-maintenance bottom bracket experience for every owner. It was one of the best spec decisions that we’ve ever made. The threads allow reliable, quiet operation over the life of the bike, and the 47mm shell allows compatibility with all crankset spindle diameters while also leaving room for internal Di2 and dropper post routing.  

Spork 3.0

The Traildonkey 3.0 used the 2.0 series Rodeo Spork fork. Spork 2.0, which we designed for Traildonkey 3.0, checked all of the functional boxes, but the visual profile of the fork was out of balance. Enter Rodeo Spork 3.0. Spork 3.0 carries forward the key features of Spork 2.0 such as full carbon construction, internal dynamo routing, adaptable axle spec, and configurable eyelet options, and brings it all together in a slimmer, lighter package. Traildonkey 3.1 will change to 12×100 front thru axles but retain the ability to convert to 15×100 if your build requires it. Traildonkey 3.1 and Spork 3.0 were developed in tandem to work together as a single system. Spork 3.0 matches TD3.1 tire clearance and adds additional versatility in the form of integrated dynamo hub, headlight, and USB stem cap integration. Spork 3.0 features mid-leg eyelets allowing expanded water and 12.5kg of gear carrying capability. Spork also features two axle eyelets on the end of each leg and an optional offset eyelet hardware kit, which allow for a massive range of rando racks, low rider racks, fenders, and combinations therein.

 

Limited Lifetime Warranty

Traildonkey’s lifetime warranty covers the performance and durability of the frame and fork and warrants them against deficiencies in design, engineering, and construction to the original owner of the frameset as long as they own the bike. Our owners are family and we take care of them long term. Read our full warranty terms here.

 

Frame Material	Toray T800 carbon fiber
Country of manufacture	Taiwan
Design / Tooling	100% proprietary
Tire clearance 650b	Max width: 57mm / 2.25″ | Min. recommended width: 40mm | Varies by tire / rim / conditions
Tire clearance 700c	Max width: 50mm / 2.0″ | Min. recommended width: 30mm | Varies by tire / rim / conditions
Frame weight	58cm 1350g raw, 56cm 1300g raw, 54cm 1250g raw, 52cm 1200g raw. Hardware 70gr.
Fork	Rodeo Spork 3.0 / Full carbon adventure fork
Fork weight	Average 600g
Cable routing	Mechanical, Di2, eTap. Convertible or cappable endcaps.
Dynamo routing	Internal. Frame and fork. Front and rear light, USB stem cap, dynamo hub compatible.
Brake Standard	Flat Mount, 140mm front & rear
Bottom Bracket	T47 threaded, 68mm width
Seat Post	27.2mm
Dropper post	Full internal routing for both internal actuation and external collar actuated posts.
Seat Clamp	31.8mm (6066 aluminum clamp included)
Thru Axles	12 x 142mm rear. 12 x 100mm front. Front optionally convertible to 15 x 100mm.
Headset	1-1/8″ to 1.5″ tapered integrated cups (FSA Orbit IS included). IS52/40 lower, IS 42/28.6 upper.
Chainring compatibility	2x: maximum 50 / 34, minimum 46 / 30. 1x: maximum 53t
Front derailleur mounting	Braze-on, removable.
Rear derailleur hanger	Aluminum, replaceable
Di2 battery position	Seatpost Di2 mount
Fender mounts	Frame and fork. Removable seat stay bridge. Max 65mm outer fender width at 700c.
Bottle mounts	2 on inside main triangle. 1 on outside lower down tube. 1 on upper top tube. 2 on fork.
Rack mounts	Frame and fork. Optional offset eyelet kit available for fork.
Fork mounts	2 mid leg eyelets per fork blade. 2 eyelets on each blade near axle. Optional offset eyelet kit.
Fork crown bolt	Not included. 85mm length typically needed for lights / racks
Fork cargo capacity	27.6 lb / 12.5 kg total cargo weight, evenly distributed
Frameset rider weight limit	250 lb / 113 kg

Frame size	52 cm	54 cm	56 cm	58 cm	61 cm
Seat tube (C-T)	460	480	500	520	550
Top tube length (effective)	535	545	560	580	605
Chain stay length	435	435	435	435	435
Seat tube angle	73	73	73	72.5	72.5
Bottom bracket drop	65	65	65	65	65
Head tube length	120	145	160	175	207
Head tube angle	69.5	70	71	72	72
Reach	366	374	384	393	409
Stack	529	558	576	594	622
Fork length	396	396	396	396	396
Fork rake	45	45	45	45	45
Front center	595	604	611	615	641
Wheelbase	1020	1031	1037	1041	1067
Stand over height at center of top tube, 700 x 38mm & 650b x 2.1″	761	785	818	827	854
Stand over height at center of top tube, 650b x 47mm	751	775	808	817	844
Dimensions listed in millimeters and degrees unless otherwise indicated.

General Sizing Guidelines

Frame size	Rider height
52 cm	5’4”-5’6”
54 cm	5’6”-5’9”
56 cm	5’9”-6’0”
58 cm	6’0”-6’2”
61 cm	6’1”-6’4”

---

Traildonkey 3.1 can be ordered either as a frame and fork module (at the top of this page), or as a complete bike. Soon we will add online purchasing for any of the complete bikes detailed below. In the meantime, we recommend pre-ordering a frameset to stake your claim and we will follow up with you directly to work through the details of your Traildonkey’s build. Feel free to send in a build form in addition to your pre-order to get the ball rolling: BUILD FORM

Every complete bike is built to order in-house and, because we can source from a wide range of components, we are proud to offer a huge range of pre-configured and fully custom builds. One of the build configurations listed below might suit your needs exactly. Or, it could be the starting point for further customization if you have specific components you’d like to see on your Traildonkey.

Click any of the sections below to collapse / expand for easy spec comparison. COVID-19 update: we are continuing to see disruptions to availability of specific components within the U.S. As a result, the exact specs and price may vary from what are listed below, but we will always get your approval on any necessary substitutions prior to beginning your build.