Velduro offers the Rogue as a frame-only option, which means riders can build it exactly how they want. Jeff Carter did exactly that, and the result is a thoughtfully specced enduro machine built for everything from Rotorua loam to South Island rock.
Who is Jeff Carter
Jeff isn’t just a rider with an eye for a good build. He’s the director and trail designer at Southstar Trails in Rotorua, New Zealand, and has spent his career building some of the best singletrack in the world. His teams have worked on trail projects across New Zealand, Chile, Portugal, Jamaica, Australia, Canada and Mexico, with more than 500km of hand-built trail between them. He’s also a past president of Mountain Bike New Zealand and currently sits on the Standards NZ advisory board for trail construction.
That background makes him exactly the kind of rider who knows what a bike needs to handle real terrain, not just look good in photos. So when Jeff put together his own Rogue, we wanted to share the full build.
Jeff walked us through every part on the bike, from the suspension setup to the small details like his titanium water bottle. Here’s the full rundown.
Suspension and wheels
The frame runs a silver rocker link, which Jeff matched with the rest of his silver components for a clean look. Check with your Velduro dealer for availability on this option.
Out back is a Suspension Tech International ST-29 A shock from Rotorua, set up with a Spindex 450 to 500lb spring. That lets Jeff adjust his spring rate depending on whether he’s carrying a backpack full of trail tools. Up front, he’s running a Rockshox Zeb with a Fluid Focus piston.
The wheelset is a proper custom build in itself. Project 321 hubs, Sapim CX Ray spokes, and Nextie 46mm wide carbon rims. Jeff says the rims are bomber and let him run low tyre pressure with plenty of sidewall support. Tyres are Schwalbe Magic Mary up front and Radial Albert out back, both in Trail casing for Rotorua dirt, with a Gravity casing rear tyre swapped in for rockier South Island trips.
Drivetrain and cockpit
Cranks are from Lekkie Bikes in New Zealand and Jeff is a big fan of the machining work on them. He’s paired those with Hope clipless pedals, a OneUp 240mm V3 dropper post, and a Chromag Riza stem made in Canada, another component he singled out for its machining detail.
Up top is an Enve handlebar with 50mm rise and a 31.8mm clamp diameter for a bit of extra compliance, plus OneUp Jackson Goldstone grips. The drivetrain is a mechanical mix, with a Madrone derailleur, SRAM XO cassette, e*thirteen chainring, and SRAM Eagle 90 shifter.
Brakes and finishing kit
Braking comes from Radic in Christchurch, NZ, running Kaha mineral oil brakes with Galfer 223mm Shark rotors. Jeff says they’re super powerful and confidence-inspiring on steep trails, which matters when you’re riding alpine terrain.
The smaller details round out the build nicely. A titanium water bottle from Silver Ant means Jeff isn’t drinking microplastics on the trail, the saddle is an Ergon SM E-Mountain Men Sport, and the seatpost clamp is a Wolf Tooth.
The result
All up, Jeff’s build comes in at 22kg, a solid weight for a fully kitted enduro machine that’s ready for everything from alpine tarn missions to rocky South Island descents.
Huge thanks to Jeff for sharing the full rundown of his Rogue build. If you’ve got a Velduro build you’re stoked on, we’d love to feature it. This is the first in an ongoing look at how riders are making their Rogues their own.
Follow Jeff and Southstar Trails
You can follow Jeff on Instagram at @jeffcarter21, and follow Southstar Trails at @southstartrailsnz. For more on Jeff’s trail-building career, Trail Builder Magazine ran a full interview with him, which is well worth a read.