A Love Letter to Cycling: Introducing Wilde Bicycle Company – Josh Weinberg & Jarrod Bunk | The Radavist | A group of individuals who share a love of cycling and the outdoors.

Wilde Bicycle Company is the passion project of long-time Minneapolis cycling industry fixtures Jeffrey Frane, Josh Klauck, and Andy Tesch. The brand launched this week with two exciting bike models, the Earth Ship gravel/adventure bike and the Yo Jeffy! hardtail. Today we’re featuring an early look at Wilde’s initial offerings with imagery from our buddy Jarrod Bunk.

Frane spent many years as an employee of QBP and was a founder of All-City Cycles. He has dedicated his life to the bicycle, through racing, riding, community organizing, designing, running his Bike Jerks imprint, and collecting vintage bicycles. Along with Klauck, owner of Minneapolis’ Angry Catfish bike shop and Northern Cycles, and Tesch, co-owner of Angry Catfish, the trio knows what it takes to make a meaningful impact. Wilde is their “Love Letter to Cycling.”

All Wilde framesets will be built in the U.S. and available in variety of stock sizes, fully-custom options, and multiple materials (titanium, steel, and aluminum). Wilde will also provide riders the opportunity to implement “unique feature wishes and/or have their creative inputs reflected in the outcome.”

Now, let’s take a look at Wilde’s two initial models…

Earth Ship
A modern gravel race bike that can flex into bike packing. It’s available in four stock sizes (small through XL) or as a custom. It fits a 700x50c or 650bX2.2” tire, includes an Enve Adventure fork, has the requisite suite of mounts, is made in the USA and available immediately.

Geometry
Gravel race geo with all-day comfort and bump absorption at the forefront. The tall stack, a slightly lowered bottom bracket, and generous stays yield an unbelievably smooth ride and inspire confidence when descending fast over loose terrain. Fairly traditional head tube and seat tube angles keep everything quick and maneuverable with an agile and responsive front end.

Tubing
Titanium: Butted Titanium Main Triangle with custom S-bend seat and chainstays. Paragon Machine Works head tube, bottom bracket, and dropouts.

Steel: A mix of Reynolds 853 and Columbus Life for the top and downtube. The seat stays and seat tube are custom designs from Fairing and the tapered head tube and chainstays (also a proprietary design) are sourced from Nova Cycles.

Full Build Specs:
Handbuilt in the USA
Enve Adventure Fork
Includes copper, handcrafted, Jen Green headbadge
Clearance for 700 x 50c or 650b x 2.2″
Three bottle mounts
Top tube feedbag mounts
Fender mounts
Tapered head tube with external cup: EC34/44
68mm bottom bracket shell
Flat mount brake
Rear Thru Axle M12 X 1.5
Derailleur Hanger: Paragon B4085
Seatpost: 27.2mm
Seat Collar: 30.8
Cable Guides: Paragon Modular guides under the downtube, and full loop braze-ons on the stays (No Zip Ties)

Yo Jeffy! Hardtail
Wilde’s signature mountain bike frame that can be built according to individual riders’ desired suspension travel, fit, and riding style. It’s available in steel, titanium, or aluminum and, at this time, made to order with a lead time of four to five months. While build options for the Yo Jeffy! are plentiful, the titanium frame pictured belongs to Jeffrey Frane and is built around a 120mm fork. This enables seamless swapping for an Enve Mountain carbon fork without altering the bike’s geometry. It fits 29 x 2.6 tires and is capable of running a derailleur or as a single speed. The geometry is a mix of trail and race with a 67.4 degree head tube angle and a high bottom bracket. The anodized finish is done by Agave Finish Works in Durango, CO.

Stock Build Specs
Anodized downtube logo – other options available at an additional charge
Stealth dropper routing
Two water bottle mounts
Paragon Modular cable guide system