Currently, we don’t have the ability to manage waitlists or presales. All restocking will be announced by newsletter and social media. While we may be able to provide you with a general ETA of restocking shipments, unforeseeable issues (often outside of our control) can arise, which can make it difficult to provide an accurate estimate.

Call or email us if you want to verify sizing or have any questions. If you know the model, size, and color you want, simply choose “complete bike deposit” on our website which will secure you a frameset. Then, we will send a build sheet for you to review with as much or as little input from us as you’d like. If you are working with a local bike shop, they can order a frame from us and work with you on your custom, frame-up build. We do not sell complete bikes to dealers, and nothing in our warehouse is preassembled.

We estimate a timeline of 4–6 weeks to receive your new bike, depending on the availability of custom parts, which may require longer lead times. Our goal is to ship bikes approximately 4 weeks from when you pay the full balance.

Once you order your bike and pay a deposit, we will reach out to confer about your build details. When we get verbal confirmation from you that the build sheet accurately reflects the bike you want to show up to your door for your next big adventure, we will bill you for the outstanding balance, order any special parts, and get to work on it! After you have paid the remaining balance, your build is locked in and nonrefundable.

During the process, we will contact you: 

1. After you have placed a deposit so we can work through your build sheet details.
2. When your build is in the stand for assembly.
3. When your build has been quality-checked, photographed for our archives, and packed and labeled for delivery. 
4. We will also contact you if there are any unforeseen delays or supply chain issues that influence the build or timeline.

While we will likely only contact you during these phases of your bike’s assembly, please feel free to reach out to us via phone or email with any questions or concerns that may arise at any point during your build process. We aim to be available during regular work hours to answer questions and support your enthusiasm for our bicycles.

All shipments over $500 include insurance and require a signature upon delivery.

Contact us before ordering. We are often able to meet expedited deadlines, but only if we are aware of your needs prior to ordering. Please note that expedited shipping may require additional fees or specific couriers.

We do not offer custom colors or customized frame options.

We generally require three measurements to verify your size: pubic bone height, your overall height, and if possible your current saddle height from a bike that fits well—measuring in centimeters from the center of the cranks to the top of the saddle, following the seat tube. We are always happy to work with you to confirm any discrepancies or uncertainties.

Access our pubic bone height (PBH) measuring instructions here.

Our frames are designed for extended off road loaded touring, and have been tested over thousands of miles. We recommend a maximum rider weight limit with gear of 350lbs.

We do our best to match your confirmed build as closely as possible. In some cases, due to part availability, we may make small substitutions with components of equal value, performance, and quality. For example, we may substitute Maxxis Ikon tires with Maxxis Rekon Race tires, or swap between similar dropper post models like OneUp or PNW.

If you have specific components that you don’t want substituted under any circumstance, please let us know and we’re happy to accommodate when possible, though this may delay your build.

We will always contact customers if any major shortages occur for which we don’t have a readily-available equivalent. We will also contact you if there are any changes to tire sidewall color. As always, our highest priority is to ensure you get the best bike we can make, so rest assured there will be no compromises for you as a rider.

Yes, we offer highly flexible customization options based on your timeline, needs, and budget. If you're on a specific schedule, note that some special orders may extend lead times. For various needs we can tailor your build whether you're commuting on pavement, traveling off-grid for days at a time, or anything in between. And, if your budget allows, we can offer the finest ceramic bearings and color-matched parts. We want this bike to suit your personal lifestyle, so we are happy to have conversations that allow us to find the perfect customizations for you. 

Some upgrades won’t affect the total cost, for example, swapping out tires. For other changes, we simply charge the difference between our standard component and the MSRP of your preferred one. In certain cases, additional labor fees may apply, such as installing multiple dynamo accessories, adding fenders, or routing wiring internally through our racks.

Upon confirmation of the build sheet and a fully paid balance, your purchase is nonrefundable. Because we put an incredible amount of time and effort into customer communications, we ask that you not place a deposit until you are ready to begin the build process. We can delay builds, shipping dates, and split payments in some cases, but the build must be fully paid before we begin assembling your bike or ordering any non-standard parts. Some changes we are happy to accommodate, for example, if you want to add a rack to your build. We can also change what bar tape you prefer until your bike is in the stand for assembly. 

However, for our sake as well as yours, we ask that when you confirm your build details you feel good about what we have discussed, have asked all questions you have on your mind, and you feel confident about your build. We are happy to wait a few extra days to make sure all of your questions are answered as there is no reason to rush through the decision making process for our sake. Some customers take a day to decide, some have taken months for more thorough research. We are here to help and want the end result to be providing you with your dream bike.

Framesets are prepped and shipped within 72 hours of your order. We dress all frames and forks, which includes milling the crown race, facing the BB shell and headtube, and chasing the BB shell threads. A light coat of oil is applied to bare metal to prevent oxidization during shipment and storage. Additional parts may be supplied at MSRP with labor, as needed, including wheelsets, drivetrain parts, etc., so if you want Ratio converted shifters with your frameset, please inquire via email as these items will not be in our web store. Please note that we inspect but do not prep wholesale framesets.

We don’t stock touch up paint. We recommend using nail polish, which is relatively durable, inexpensive, and widely available in many colors.

The frame is not designed with a split, and for these reasons we don’t recommend it. The rear triangle does, however, meet Gates’ specifications for rigidity. A competent framebuilder can help with any modifications, which will void the frame’s warranty.

Phil Wood makes an eccentric bottom bracket insert for us, which is a single piece of machined aluminum that the actual bearing system (the bottom bracket itself) threads into. The bottom bracket can be of any manufacturer available to us, though we highly recommend using a 24mm spindle for ease of adjusting the eccentric while on tour. 

No. We do not recommend attached kickstands for off road riding in general, as accidental deployment can create a safety hazard. However, Click-Stand offers detachable stands, which some of us have had good success with. We suggest Click-Stand’s Max model for loaded off road use.

No. Our only suspension corrected frame is the Prospector. We have neither designed nor tested the Sunliner or Stargazer for any type of suspension fork and we cannot and do not recommend installing one.  

Frameset compatibility details are on the “Specs” tab of each model for rotor size, etc. If you have any questions or need help translating Bikespeak to something more simplified, reach out via phone or email and we are happy to help.

• The Sunliner, Stargazer, and 110mm Prospector fork all use the same thru-axle, which is 133mm in length with a 15 x 1.5 thread pitch. Please note that “overall length” does not include the axle head, only the length of the shaft itself, and +/-2mm is typically acceptable in finding replacement axles.
• The Prospector 150mm fork uses a 15 x 1.5 thread pitch with an overall length of 174mm.  
• The rear axles of the v1 Stargazer and v1 Sunliner are the same and are 180mm long, using a 12 x 1.75 thread pitch, and both use hanger #753 which is available from us or third party suppliers such as DerailleurHanger.com. 
• The Stargazer v2 (UDH) and Sunliner v2 (UDH) use a 15 x M12 axle with a 1.0 thread pitch, with 179.5mm length.

We do not recommend putting bars onto our frames that do not account for the frame geometry, which in each case is optimized for a specific type of bar. People have put different types of bars on our frames, but the result may not be in line with our design expectations and may produce suboptimal comfort and handling.

Both our Persuader riser bars and Big Dipper drop bars are ISO trail-rated. They are intended for cross-country (XC) style terrain and use, and are not designed for racing or competitive events, enduro, or downhill use. Using components outside of their intended range will void the warranty in the event of injury, death, or damage to your bike or any of its parts, and you do so at your own risk.

Yes, you can trim down any version of the Persuader bar. Be sure to measure the grip area you will need for your controls to ensure any shortening of the bar doesn’t inhibit reinstalling the grips and shifters, etc., that you will need. 

Access our rack installation instructions here.

Our racks are designed to use four mounting points. The position of these mounts varies from frame to frame. We state widths corresponding to hub widths between 100mm and 150mm to be compatible irrespective of actual outer-to-outer measurements between your mounts. Actual outer-to-outer measurements may vary: as a concrete example, our fork eyelets are 140mm outer-to-outer and the rear triangle mounts are 182mm. The tabs on the rack mounts may flex to be flush with your frame. This is normal and does not compromise strength or safety. Our racks are designed with inherent flexibility to accommodate different spacing without compromise to safety or function within the limits stated above. 

We have used and tested our pannier racks with standard bags from 10L to 30L from brands such as Carradice, Rockgeist, Ortlieb, and others. Fit and bag clearance will vary from frame to frame. As of 2025, our racks all share 10mm diameter tubing, which matches inserts included by many companies with their panniers. 

We have worked closely with Rockgeist and offer custom bags through them. As for determining the types and quantities of bags, this will depend largely on what kind of riding you are doing. If you are interested in using a different custom bag maker that does not have our geometry, please ask your bag maker to reach out to us so we can provide them with a technical drawing.

Weight limits are on each of the product pages. Total weight includes anything mounted on the triple mounts as well as anything on the deck. The listed weights make two assumptions:

1. The load is distributed and balanced
2. The load is not hanging off the end of the rack and creating undue leverage.

We have only ever seen our racks become damaged due to overloading, particularly when the load hangs off the end of the rack. Assessing warranty claims is made on a case by case basis. We will ask you to submit photos of your bike and how it was loaded up when your rack bent or otherwise failed to assess if the situation was user error due to not following the included specifications and guidelines. 

Please refer to our Master Reassembly Document. If you have questions about any terms, tools, or instructions contained in that document, we recommend you take your Tumbleweed to a professional bike mechanic for reassembly. For safety reasons, we do not provide assembly or tuning instructions over the phone or email.

We recommend a professional reassembly regardless of prior experience or what tools you have at your disposal. If you have been riding for a while, periodic adjustments common to any bike will need to be routinely performed. We recommend visiting your local bike shop or contacting the manufacturer directly for part-specific mechanical advice.

Please refer to your Rohloff manual for general use advisory as well as maintenance and recommended tools for extended tours. New hubs are louder and some shifts can feel sticky. Riders new to IGHs (internally geared hubs) will have to learn a different shifting technique. Nearly all of the problems we encounter are simply riders acclimating to a new type of component and not an actual issue with the component itself. 

For international orders the customer is responsible for all taxes and customs duties that go along with a package. Please see our list of international dealers to contact/order from if you are outside of the United States. Due to trade policy volatility there have been unique tariffs applied to products shipped from the United States. Please check with your country’s customs office to determine all duties you may be responsible for paying.

We prefer to deal consumer-direct whenever possible, and we ship worldwide. For customers outside the US, check to see if we have dealers in your area. We are happy to answer general questions about sizing or compatibility, but regional pricing and component availability will vary and we cannot speak to the brands your local bike shop (LBS) has access to. Trust your local shops and mechanics, who can reach us if they have any compatibility questions. If you are in the US and prefer to work with a local shop for your build, have them reach out to us directly and we will coordinate with them after confirming the best size and model for you and your riding needs.