Fred Cuthbert of Wolfhound Cycles builds what is considered a true work of art. His fillet brazed, custom steel creations not only look like nothing else on the trail, but they are the best riding steel frames that I have ever had the pleasure of testing. Hambone’s orange Wolfhound 29er rigid is featured on this site.
Some might argue that a bicycle is simply a tool, a way to get from point A to point B. They’re not wrong, but that utilitarian view misses perhaps the most crucial point: A bicycle, especially one built with passion for passionate riders, is not just a tool. It’s a way out. Out of where? One ride, and you’ll know.
I see no place for a long travel 29er. I ride a 36 lbs 6″ bike as my regular ride, and to get a 29er to fit the same bill…the geometry would not work. To get the slack angles required by 6″ + bikes, a 29ers wheelbase would have to be so long that it wouldn’t be turnable in tight dh situations.
That’s right…I finally said it. I really do miss my singlespeed. Now, to clarify, I don’t particularly miss the Curtlo as much as singlespeeding itself. The Curtlo was an incredible bike built by Doug Curtis. It rode beautifully and one of the best rides I have ever been on was a ss ride on this bike at Tsali with Jason. It was just one of those days where everything was on. I think we did somewhere around 33 miles that day if I remember correctly.
What a ride! Fred Cuthbert makes a killer ride. By far the best 29er I have ever been on. The geometry is a close resemblance of what you see out of Jeff Jone’s stable. It eems to put you in the perfect stand and hammer climbing position that you are often forced into with rigid singlespeeding. The bike almost felt like it had suspension with the large volume tires and compliant rear end. Nothing quite beats the feeling of a custom steel ride.