The company offers a steel Flaanimal bike and a carbon Traildonkey. It’s on iteration 4.1 for the Flaanimal and 3.0 for the Traildonkey.
The Traildonkey caught our eyes a few years back, and again in 2018 at Sea Otter, when SRAM had an aero-bar-equipped Traildonkey 2.0 that was ready to upset Geoff Kabush at Dirty Kanza.
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Last year, we saw the Traildonkey 2.0 with aero bars. Rodeo Labs’ Traildonkey 2.0, 2018 Sea Otter Classic. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]
The company has since revamped that bike with increased tire clearance, more mounts and a 250-pound rider limit while keeping the geometry the same in creating the Traildonkey 3.0.
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Rodeo Labs Trail Donkey 3.0 with a dropper post and TRP Hylex / Shimano Di2. 2019 Sea Otter Classic. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]
The company developed the $2,650 Traildonkey 3.0 frameset with the pipedream of “What if there were no bike categories” in mind, and so it’s intended to be a do-everything, category-busting bike.
With that in mind, the frame pairs a longish 43.5cm chainstay with a tallish 6.5cm bottom bracket drop and shorter stack heights. The hope is to provide a stable platform for bikepacking, pedal and toe clearance and versatility in fit.
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Toray T800 carbon and a beefy head tube junction make for a 1200g frame. Rodeo Labs Trail Donkey 3.0. 2019 Sea Otter Classic. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]
Sound like a compromise? The company isn’t afraid to admit to that, embracing the question “What if a bike was neither good nor bad at anything?”
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The Spork 2.0 fork offers more mounts and tire clearance. Rodeo Labs Trail Donkey 3.0. 2019 Sea Otter Classic. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]
If a Traildonkey helped you clear some space taken up by the quiver, be sure to save some room for extra wheels and bars. To showcase the bike’s versatility, the company had a Traildonkey 3.0 on display with two wheelsets and two handlebars.
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Rodeo Labs had a Trail Donkey 3.0 that was set up to quickly swap between 650b wheels and flat bars to 700c wheels and drop bars. 2019 Sea Otter Classic. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]
The idea was that a rider could quickly swap between a flat bar 650b setup to a drop bar with 700c wheels. The Shimano XT Di2 drivetrain paired with TRP Hylex brakes and Di2-enabled levers and quick-connect hydraulic hose couplers to make for clean, bleed-free swaps.
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The Rodeo Labs Trail Donkey 3.0 setup for dual handlebars relied on TRP Di2-enabled Hylex shifters and hydraulic brakes. 2019 Sea Otter Classic. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]
The company has also taken its branding game to a new level through pairing with Rapha for a limited edition Traildonkey frame.
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Rodeo Labs was showing off a Trail Donkey 3.0 Rapha edition. The pink color scheme and “ex duris gloria” (glory through suffering) on the chainstay will cost you a cool $200 extra. 2019 Sea Otter Classic. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]
The pink and black frameset adds a $200 premium but rewards you with a Rapha logo, “ex duris gloria” (glory through suffering) printed on the chainstay and if you’re an RCC member, you can proudly show off your RCC member number on the seat tube with an optional monogram.
The two companies are collaborating on just 25, so if you’re anxious to show that you care more about branding than categorization, don’t wait!
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Rodeo Labs was showing off a Trail Donkey 3.0 Rapha edition. The pink color scheme and “ex duris gloria” (glory through suffering) on the chainstay will cost you a cool $200 extra. 2019 Sea Otter Classic. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]
Readers have asked about a Traildonkey review, but the company said, “We don’t do bike reviews.” Instead, the company plans a media event in Colorado to showcase their bikes and culture. Stay tuned.
For more on the Rodeo Traildonkey, see the photo gallery below.
More info: rodeo-labs.com
All of our coverage of new bikes and products is available in our 2019 Sea Otter Classic archive.
Photo Gallery: Rodeo Labs Traildonkey 3.0
Rodeo Labs Trail Donkey 3.0 with a dropper post and TRP Hylex / Shimano Di2. 2019 Sea Otter Classic. © Cyclocross Magazine
