We spied this interesting looking Raijin on Instagram a few weeks back and it turns out it’s owned by Texas Kona dealer John Kendall of Local Hub Bicycle Company. John says this bike has been about 8 years in the making. “I thought it would be cool to take a 29’er mountain bike, outfit it for riding gravel roads and build it up to have the strength to put up with whatever I could throw at it during a commute but also be comfortable enough to ride all day at a gravel event.”
The original plan was to base the build around a steel frame, but when he recently decided to strip his first generation Ti Raijin he figured that it would be the perfect base for the project.
The Easton Haven wheels hint at the all mountain build the Raijin originally had while the Enve carbon fork and scandium rack add pedalling efficiency and cargo room. 
XT 1×11 turn the Havens and 105 hydro levers go through a Wolftooth Tanpan to control the derailleur. 180./160 rotors stop the bike and an ergo dirt drop bar steers the bike through a Chris King headset. A Raceface N/W blue ring spinning in a Wheels MFG bottom bracket with a KMC DLC blue chain and blue Jagwire housings and hose add some color.
The bike is still a work in progress for John, he has plans for an Enve wheelset trimmed in blue along with an Enve seatpost and stem, and maybe a Brooks saddle.
