Mean Jean Order Update
Jeff from Chain & Spoke here!
I apologize for the long radio silence but we’ve got news! I didn’t want to lead anyone astray on timing, tariffs, builds and such until I knew for certain. So here is the big update we have been waiting for:
Frames Have Shipped!
Our Mean Jean project is coming to fruition! Your frames have left the factory and are on a ship making their way to Wilde’s HQ. They should make their way to the US in the next 3-4 weeks and, depending on time through customs, we expect them here in Des Moines by the middle of June! WOOOOOT! It was touch and go for a bit on the imports side, but it looks like tariffs are on pause long enough for this project to see little impact outside of the base 10% tariff across all imports.
Next Steps
So, what’s next. You all have put your deposits down on frames. The remaining balances will be due to Chain & Spoke when the bikes arrive. If you would like to swing by and finish those balances in advance, that is absolutely an option. That would also be a great time to talk builds. We have three “stock” builds outlined below, but we know many of you may want to modify those builds even further to make it your own. So over the next few weeks, stop by the shop and let’s talk about your build. We already have some customers with totes of parts here ready to go! Frame only will be ready for pick up as soon as they get here for those who want to build themselves and online frame orders will ship as soon as we get them. There also will be SS specific non hanger sliders available for purchase for those who will never put gears on their bike and want the cleanest look.
I know for some of you this is a passion project that won’t see immediate duty, but some of you have been waiting and need your Mean Jean built ASAP. So, we will be prioritizing those builds first to get you rolling as fast as we can. We have added a new mechanic on staff to help keep that timeline as tight as possible, but we may be building 40+ Frame up builds, so as much communication as we can provide on timeline, spec etc. will be needed.
(Testing the limits of the handling and tire pressures last cross season)
Stock Builds
Testing Configurations & Limits
Since we last talked, I’ve been riding the absolute crap out of my prototype, testing configurations, limits and clearances. The Mean Jean may be designed as a CX ripper but it’s so much more than that. It’s done Core4 SS, Geared and SS CX, fast single track duties and has taken over as my gravel bike for the spring classics and the remainder of the year. The only thing I haven’t tried is 2x road bike, but it sounds like Mr. Frane at Wilde has had his setup like that and loved it! The good news is the bike is AWESOME and you should be excited.
(Jeff at Core4 60mi. 42x18 SS with 40C Terra Speeds)
What I’ve Learned From Testing
Let’s not forget this is an old school cross bike first and foremost and absolutely excels in that form. The current setup I have been running is pretty sick and I’ve been really enjoying my Core4 / Rule of 3 / Gravel Multi Format build phase on this bike. It will be nice to swap it back to CX mode and knock some pounds out of it this fall. Not that it’s heavy, but the big tires, S level XPLR wheels and power meter definitely add some heft compared to the tubular 33 setup I was running last fall on it. With these 45s (which measure 47 on these XPRL wheels) I am still able to run the sliders pretty far forward in the drops as you can see in the photo. This keeps the handling pretty snappy in the woods and it still is really lively and engaging to ride on gravel. For me, there is a bit of toe overlap with a tire this large. The XPLR wheel at least flattens the profile a bit and widens it. On the narrower road wheels I had on earlier the overlap on tires this size was worse, even with 170 cranks. BUT it’s a CX bike first and foremost and the fact we could run this setup if we want is awesome! I think that the sweet spot is 33-40C from all the tires I’ve tried. (Almost like that’s what it’s designed for!) I’ve cleared a 2.2” in the fork with room. I’ve had a set of 50s (measured 51) with the slider all the way back and ran those for a bit. I tried a set of 2.1” Thunder Burts we had in the shop. Those did not fit in the rear. Extending the rear sliders does slow the rear down quite a bit, but it’s got a nice steep head tube to initiate turn in and was really stable descending. The current aero ring is a 48T 1x ring clears on a non wide crank. I haven’t tried a 50T yet but I would assume it would also work on a wide crank. Happy to talk about more of my experiences with the bike but it’s been a great ride so far.
Current Build
Frame & Fork: Wilde Mean Jean L (56)
Crankset: Force 1x D2 DUB / PM Upgrade 170mm / 48T Wolf Tooth Direct Mount Aero Ring
BB: AM BB DUB English/BSA
Bars: Zipp Service Course SL 70 42cm
Stem: ZIPP Stem Service Course SL 6° 120mm / ZIPP Out Front Mount
Left Brake: APEX eTap AXS Left Lever
Right Brake: APEX eTap AXS Right Lever
Rear Der: APEX XPLR eTap AXS D1
Hanger: Wolf Tooth Aluminum UDH Hanger - Ultraviolet
Cages: King Cage Ti
Front Wheel: ZIPP 303 XPLR S Carbon Wheel
Rear Wheel: ZIPP 303 XPLR S Carbon Wheel
Rotors: 160mm F/R
Seatpost: ZIPP Seatpost Service Course SL 20mm Setback
Saddle: Selle Italia Boost SLR / Ti rail
Tape: ZIPP Service Course Bar Tape CX Black
Tires: Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RC Tire - 700 x 45
Casette: Force XG-1271 D1 10-44
Headset: Wolftooth Premium Headset EC34/44
Chain:Chain Force D1 Flattop