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Last weekend’s visit to Why Cycles and Revel Bikes brought with it a veritable overload of Beautiful Bicycles but one, in particular, stood out to me. Matt’s El Jefe build was one of the last bikes I shot on the trip but had such a wild build kit that I wanted to reserve it for its own gallery, so let’s check it out in detail below.
It’s not often that I have to buy a fishing permit to do a Shop Visit but when Why Cycles and Revel Bikes offered up a good time riding and fishing in and around the Western Slope city of Carbondale, Colorado, I couldn’t resist the offer. The collision of outdoor activities is my favorite and knowing a whole weekend of mountain biking and fly fishing awaited me, I was eager to see how it would play out, all while learning about the brands the entire bike industry seemed to be talking about…
The El Jefe is the latest model to land in the Why Cycles titanium catalog. Think of it as the more serious sibling to the S7 and the Wayward. It’s less swoopy, more serious, lighter, and faster-pedaling, yet it has clearance for a 29×2.6″ tire.
This bike is Why’s first “pro-model”, akin to skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding. Jefe Branham is an ultra-endurance legend based in Gunnison, CO, and has been a friend and team rider for Why for two seasons. His feedback as to what his dream bike would be for going fast in the backcountry informed every decision in the El Jefe design. Jefe’s personal mantra is “Fast or Slow Just Go,” so with his input, Why turned it into a sandblasted graphic on the raw titanium. The lily flower in the graphics is a nod to his two-year-old daughter, Lillian.
With a 73.3º seat angle, a 67.5º head angle, and a 120mm fork, the El Jefe is a nimble, fast, and capable hardtail with pricing beginning at $2,349 for a frame only at Why Cycles.
When I was a child and about to get my first bike, a hand-me-down turquoise kid’s bike with pink and purple streamers, I remember being elated. I loved those streamers and couldn’t wait to ride around the neighborhood with them blowing in the wind. However, my father had different plans and cut off the streamer and put a playing card in the spokes — his attempt to turn it into a “boys” bike. I was devastated and barely rode the bike. This was just one instance of my struggle with society’s gendering of inanimate objects, and the social acceptability of my interaction with them. I always found solace in the illustration of Lisa Frank, which depicted a fantastical adventure free of gender where everyone has fun and gets along. In many ways, I find this same sort of adventure, acceptance, and escape from reality in bikepacking, and I’ve long wanted a bike that reflects this.
How big of a sale? So big that this Pure Road frame, which usually retails for $2,600 is now on sale for $1,300. That’s half off. The sale applies to complete bikes as well, which have thousands off. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to add titanium to your bike stable, and to help out a small brand keep their lights on during these hard times. To top it off, Why is offering free shipping worldwide. Head to Why Cycles for more.
The Why Cycles team has been constantly working on their Wayward 29+ platform MTB since its inception, so there’s no surprise that V2 is still the same bike but with a few new details. Why used their tubing of choice, 3/2.5 titanium, and added their unique cold-formed shaping to really tune the ride quality. The geometry has been corrected to fit a 120mm fork (instead of 100mm), giving the bike a more balanced feel. The next change is an increase in standover clearance, yet the biggest change is a product spec. Why Cycles worked with Sean Burns at Oddity Cycles, the master manipulator of titanium, to offer a suspension-corrected Squid fork option for the Wayward along with his Lowrizer titanium handlebars. The team at Why have dubbed this the Squidward.
Pricing for the V2 remains the same with a frame (including headset, seat collar, anodized water bottle bolts and rear axle) coming in at $2449. Frame and fork options start at $3049 with a RockShox Yari and a $1000 upgrade for the Oddity Squid fork. Complete builds with SRAM components and Industry 9 wheels start at $4799.
See more at Why Cycles.
Why Cycles brand ambassador Ann Driggers lives quite the life. In fact, if you follow her on Instagram, you’ll see the proof is in the pudding! Good on Why for pulling together such a rad profile on Ann.
No cable bosses, no frame drillings for wires, nada. Just a Pure Road bike made from titanium. Why Cycles wanted to make a road frame, designed specifically for SRAM’s eTap AXS group, tripping it of bosses and focusing on the frame’s details and construction. With clearance for a 32mm tire, it’s a straight-up road machine. Head to Why Cycles for pricing and availability options.
Use it for bikepacking, as an all-road bike, or a flat bar hybrid. The newly designed R+ all road by Why Cycles brings the performance and ride quality of titanium at a pricepoint starting at $4,849 for a SRAM Rival complete build. The R+ will fit a 700×46 or 27.5×2.1” tire and as you can see, has multiple bosses for bags, bottles, and cargo cages. See more at Why Cycles.
The Big Iron is Why Cycles’ response to the fatbike the brand has received. It is a modern titanium fat bike built around 27.5 wheels, with all specs suited for snow riding, bikepacking, and just about any other use you can think of. Check out more specs and photos below, or at Why Cycles.