I'l preface this by saying I do not really understand bike geometry. The bike I ride the most is an old Puch Royal Force as a single speed with chopped flat bars. I've been told it's a little big for me. I find it very comfortable.
I want a modern steel frame set with a steel straight blade fork, I think it looks cool. I like biking fast and I don't see the need for all the tire clearance that the Wilde has. But it would give me flexibility in the future if I wanted to do gravel.
I've heard the MASH has "aggressive" geometry. In the picture I added, you can see the bars are below the seat. But couldn't I just cut the steerer tube longer?
What are you pavement guys running for tire size? I'm definitely leaning towards the Rambler. You know any other straight blade baddies I could look at? Test road a Rambler SL today and it was a dream.
by Georgelino
10 Comments
I have a rambler and love it. Rocking specialized pathfinders in 650b/47 which is perfect for quick commuting and woods weekends
Yes you could leave the steerer tube longer on the MASH. The other aspect is it has shorter chainstays than more touring oriented bikes like the Wilde. I don’t think it makes a huge difference.
You could also look at a Velo Orange Passhunter.
Personally I couldn’t stomach spending $1000 on a Taiwanese-made frameset alone, but that’s just me.
I have a Mash All Road and I personally love it, I have it set up for primarily road riding (700cx30) and it’s definitely a conversation starter when you run into people familiar with their fixies.
If you think you’d do more touring or off-road riding I’d probably opt for the Wilde out of the choices here.
I ride a Kona Rove set up flat bar and with 650x47s and love it. It’s heavy but it’s a workhorse and just does not quit. I primarily commute on rough New England city roads and would not want tires any smaller.
Check out the Black Mountain MCD or Mod Zero too. Very high quality frames from the guy whose geometry gets copied by the others.
If they’re each only available in these drive train configurations I’d get the mash because of the 2x drive train, especially if you’re mostly riding on the road. I also think the flatter top tube looks cooler.
You can adjust “aggressiveness” of the fit with different stems. Cheap and easy to swap.
I run 35mm tires riding in the city. 32 is good as well. I find most larger tires feel too sluggish and smaller ones beat you up on bad pavement. Buy the most expensive tires you can afford. They’re worth it.
I will say: there are a lot of other options out there for modern steel frames. Everything from road to gravel to XC, touring or all road, relaxed or aggressive – there’s a lot of options out there.
I would focus on the fit of the frame first. Forks are swappable. But the frame is more important than anything else.
See if you can test ride some options at a LBS. different sizes, most importantly. Ask questions. Don’t get caught up on the details yet. Dont sweat the geometry till you can test a few different options. That way lies madness. Start there!
Also, Taiwan is fine, idk why the hate. That’s where 1/2 of the bike industry comes from anyways.
Get the rambler. The tubing is premium – the fit is exceptional. Very future proof. Fenders or racks. Run it with fast tires, it’ll do it all. I own multiple wildes and I think they’re exceptional. I have made in USA ones and Taiwanese ones and they’re both great in their own right. I know ppl will say it ls expensive – but if you have the cash and it’s not a strain, I think it’s ok to invest in something you’ll have for a long time. Plus you have the benefit of haven test ridden one.
You may find the Puch comfortable for a short ride but that little seatpost may result in a lot of fatigue on a long ride. How old is old here? Bikes in the 70s would have minimal seatpost relative to today… if it’s that old, 70s/80s then it might be a little big for you but not way out of the ballpark.
If the bike is new, sure, no need to cut the steerer tube down as far.
I like being in the 35mm +/-3mm range for mostly pavement riding. But I’m not opposed to running something wider granted it has good rolling resistance numbers.
Genesis Croix de Fer