Why Cycles’ booth at Sea Otter seemed to be a hit, and not just because there always seemed to be some delicious food on the grill. Taking the opportunity to give the crowds a sneak peek, show goers got a chance to check out their newest bike. Called the Wayward, the 29+ titanium monster is their answer to a supremely capable big tire bike that can be loaded up for what ever adventure you want to get into. But since Sea Otter was the soft launch of the bike, Why Cycles is now coming back with more details and a pre-order opportunity that will get the Wayward into your hands in under a month…
Built from the same 3/2.5 titanium tubing with 6/4 titanium for the head tube, threaded bottom bracket shell, and machined bits as their other bikes, we’re assuming that the Wayward will have just as sweet a ride as the R+ we tested out recently (and didn’t want to give back). Frame specifics include an integrated 42/52mm headset, 73mm BSA bottom bracket, 12 x 148mm Boost axle spacing with a sliding vertical dropout that is belt drive compatible, three bottle cage mounts with a three pack on the inside of the downtube, rack and fender mounts, and 160mm post mount brakes.
The Wayward’s geometry was still being finalized at Sea Otter, but the production bike will feature 440-455mm chainstays and a 70mm bottom bracket drop. Why Cycles’ Adam Miller says this is to offer a more stable ride while keeping that ability to feel like you’re railing corners which becomes a harder to accomplish with tires this big. Coupled with a 68.3° head tube angle and 73.5° seat tube angle, the Wayward looks like an interesting addition to the world of 29+.
Currently available for a pre-order only, frames start at $2,250 for the frame, headset, Thomson seat collar and the rear Maxle. Bump up to $2,849 and you can add a Rock Shox Pike RCT3 100mm Boost fork to make it a frameset. Complete bikes are available in SRAM X01 Eagle for $5,499 or XX1 Eagle for $6,599, both with Rock Shox Pike forks. The DVO Sapphire shown is available as an upgrade for another $100. According to Why Cycles, pre-orders should ship mid-June.
