When you have a Tour Divide winner riding your frames, it makes sense to produce them a bike that can go as long as they can. That's exactly what Why Cycles did for Jefe Branham, winner of the 2014 pan-American event, and no stranger to massive backcountry rides. Now they will be releasing a replica version for customers too.
Named el Jefe, Why Cycles describe it as a combination of their current frame line up with it being lighter than the backcountry-focussed Wayfairer but less swoopy than the S7 trail hardtail. As a result, they say the el Jefe is suitable for bikepacking, technical singletrack, and even the start line of an XC race.
The bike is titanium tubed, uses 29" wheels and is designed around a 120mm fork. It has clearance for 29x2.6” tires and sliding dropouts with 420-435mm chainstay adjustability. Unlike Why's other bikes, it uses a straight top tube but it keeps the impressive storage capacity with room for three bottles plus plenty of real estate for frame bags, fenders and rack mounts.
Why will only be offering the el Jefe in raw titanium with a sandblasted Lilly logo that's an homage to Branham's daughter. As this is a pro model, Why is taking some inspiration from the skateboard and snow world and will be supporting Branham's racing career with a portion of each sale.
Due to stock issues, Why will be offering the bike as either a frame-only for $2349, a frame and SID ultimate ($2999), or a frame/fork and new Revel Wheels RW27 wheelset ($4499). The bike is in stock and ready to ship now. More info,
here.
The definition of having a bike "in stock" is just not the same anymore... WHY?
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
No more
Is there a meme I don't know about?
I do feel however that at the levels in which this stuff matters you've gotta have a whole lot more time than you do money, which is funny, because often the folks who are selling us this stuff have very different lifestyles, and therefore different priorities. I get maybe 4 hours a week to ride, usually in 1-2 hour stints, so my bike is built to be fast where I'm fast. This bike (the El Jefe) is built to be fast and comfortable for someone riding more hours in a day than I ride in a month.
I think the thing I struggle with the most is the fact that these frames aren't made in the USA. In bulk pricing from Taiwan, they probably cost $1000, maybe less. At these price levels I think I'd rather wait in line for a WaltWorks or something made stateside, unique to me.
“ Our frames are manufactured in a small mom-and-pop style “factory” in Northern China. Adam has travelled to China nearly a dozen times, and after visiting multiple factories in Taiwan and China (as well as the United States), chose the current manufacturing partner for several reasons.”
I can guess the reasons:
1) Cost, and
2). Profit margins.
Their website reads like an assembly of buzzwords without substance. I would not pay that much money for a Chinese TI off the shelf frame when I could get custom Ti from the eastern bloc for far less or custom steel from any of dozens of great US custom builders. In fact that is what I did four years ago, Waltworks. I still love it as much as the day I got it.
What I'd like to see is someone come out with a helium filled frame(or even just a sealed vacuum) Negative weight!
My gripe here doesn't have anything to do with quality. A good Chinese welder can probably stack dimes all day every day just as well as anyone anywhere.
My issue has more to do with "where does the money go?"
Is that Chinese welder making the same amount of money as the USA welder? Is he treated the same way by his employers? Is he given the rights and freedoms equivalent to the USA welder? I'm actually kinda surprised very few bikes companies aren't poaching these Chinese welders and bringing them to the USA on a work visa. That would seem like the best of both worlds.
How much of that cost is going into the logistics of the frame? The fuel burned crossing the oceans?
How much is going into the marketing, sponsorships, warranties, and staff salaries of US based employees? Why can't they manufacturer the frames stateside? Would that one extra employee the welder, hell, even part-time, negatively impact the business so much?
When the frame breaks and I send it back to the company, do they just toss it? It obviously won't go back to China for repair.
Yes, so much of our material lives is consumable. Yes, 90% of what I own was probably produced in China. In the case of bikes however, all else being equal, I feel like its one of the easier ways of keeping production and manufacturing stateside on a large ticket item.
I'm thinking of buying some carbon rims from China. You might say "that's hypocrisy, you should buy I9, or Revel, or WAO rims!" I disagree. In the case of these rims, that money is cutting out the middle man. Not to mention the price difference is substantial (4x the price for North American made rims). If the USA rim manufacturer suddenly start pumping out rims for $200, hell, even $300, it'd be a no brainer, I'd buy USA carbon rims.
Maybe that's just it. Maybe the welder in China is making bank. Maybe his company is offering him killer benefits, and reducing their pollution. Perhaps that why the frame costs as much as it would made in the USA, because more people are benefitting from that arrangement. Higher pay for the welder, his company, the logistics company, the employees stateside, the consumer. If that's the case, great! But I'm always a bit skeptical, and therefore the prices surprise me, and advocate for USA made where the welder, the owner, the designers, the marketer, etc etc etc...are all the same guy, or at the very least, are living the same life as me.
Then, comparatively, interview a USA based owner-operator frame builder and ask them the same questions. Maybe compare their take home salary adjusted for PPP.
Did you read the article?
www.prioritybicycles.com/products/600x