Part of the speed disparity is due to weight. My size 61 Wabi weighs 21.6 pounds with a saddle bag, while the Straggler (size 58) tipped the scales at 28 lbs, even as a single speed (but including its rack, its dynamo front hub, and aluminium fenders).Īpart from the weight, I attribute its brisk acceleration to its wheelset and its stiff rear triangle. Compared with the Straggler, the Wabi is a rocket. Prior to riding the Wabi, my main frame of reference was my Surly Straggler. I’ve owned my Wabi Classic for three years and, after spinning over 2,000 miles on it, I can confidently say it’s my favorite bike. The consensus from the bike-forum community was that it'd be worthwhile to spend a few extra hundred in exchange for a Reynolds-725-tubing bike thoughtfully designed by a then one-man operation from Los Angeles. At the time, I was hoping to spend less than $500 on a single speed to kick around on. I learned about Wabi Cycles a few years ago while wading through bike forums and blogs about single-speed steel frames. The RLT RDO is great at what it’s built for-going fast and straight on gravel-but front-end handling can feel dead on the road which, unfortunately, has been its most common surface. The SIR 9 is a smooth XC hardtail with ample frame space for bikepacking but can be timid on descents. The Straggler has a stuff-of-dreams paint job but its rear end noodles around when I mash the pedals. Of my four bikes, I am consistently the most excited to reach for my Wabi. I am fortunate and, at the moment, own four bikes: a Surly Straggler, a Niner SIR 9 (circa 2016), a Niner RLT 9 RDO, and a Wabi Classic.
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