| All the tubes of the Ted Wojcik hardtail are constructed using 853. This is unusual because some 853 bikes don't use 853 for the rear triangle. Rear triangles are tricky to make from 853 because the tubes can't be "cold set" (bent back into alignment after welding) which is a common manufacturing step in frame construction. Essentially this means that the alignment of the frame has be spot on after the welding is completed, otherwise the frame will be headed for the scrap bin.
So what does all this mean to the consumer? Basically it translates to a stronger, lighter, more compliant, more dent resistant frame that's less likely to be knocked out of alignment in a crash—good qualities to have.
Looking closely at the frame reveals many nice details: Ted's welds are nearly invisible and the joints between the tubes are seamless. The frame looks like no other steel frame I've seen before. Useful features include reinforcement braze ons at the water bottle mounts for protection where the tubing is the thinnest, and a reinforced lip on the head tube to protect against ovalization. The rear wheel falls into the Ritchey drop-outs with a distinctive "clunk" that is indicative of the overall quality and workmanship of the frame, and the paint job is smooth, deeply clear-coated and free of dust and debris.
About paint options: A single color Dupont Imron paint job is standard and there are hundreds to choose from. If you really want something unique, your imagination is the limit - fades, stripes, polka dots, flying Oreos (well maybe) are all possibilities. John the painter guy can talk to you about various finish ideas or you can go with the painter's choice option! For my frame I chose a top to bottom fade from a metallic black to a burnt cherry red using the standard Imron colors. It looks pretty swank and the Imron paint has proven to be very durable given the number of times this frame has been dropped on rocks.
One of the nice things about putting a bike together from a frameset is spec'ing it out yourself. You can build it up with the parts you like, parts to suit your budget, or build it to suit the manner in which you want it to ride. Here's what I'm using for parts:
- Front Shock: 2000 Marzocchi Atom 80 (80mm travel)
- Handlebar/Grips: Easton Monkey Lite Downhill bars - Oury
- Stem: 125mm 10 degree rise cheap generic.
- Headset: Chris King
- Shifters: Shimano XT Thumbshifter Front, Suntour XC Pro Thumbshifter Rear
- FD/RD: Shimano XT
- Cassette/Chain: XTR 8 speed Steel 12-32, SACHS
- Cranks: Older Shimano XT 22-32, Threshold Designs Trials bash ring.
- Seat Post/Saddle: Thompson Elite - Flite
- Hubset: Phil Wood Field Serviceable Front, Shimano XTR Rear
- Rims: WTB Powerbeam Rims built by Peter White.
- Tires: Huge & Fun 2.25 GEAX tires (Blade Front, Sedona Rear)
I've never weighed the bike, but based on the totally unscientific parking lot bike comparison weight test, I suspect that it comes in around 25 - 26 pounds. Not superlight by any stretch of the imagination - but then again neither am I, so I've built the bike up for strengh. Ted says that with standard gauge tubing the frame alone weighs 3.5 pounds, so there's a potential for a much lighter bike here with a less burly build.
The geometry of the hardtail frame may be a little shorter and tighter than what you might be used to. The top tube is somewhat short at 22.85 inches, the chainstays are a stubby 16.6 inches. The bottom bracket height (expressed as "drop", which is the distance the bottom bracket sits below the axles) is 1.15 inches. Ted Wojcik's mountain frames are measured from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat tube. So in terms of standover clearance, a given frame size may fit a little smaller than you are used to. For reference, I'm 5 feet 9.5 inches, and an 18 inch fits very well.
So you may be asking yourself, "Self, what the heck does this all mean in terms how the bike rides?" First off, let me state that how a bike handles is largely a function of the parts you put on it. For example, I set this bike up kind of trialsy and upright. This is mainly due to the amount of travel of the fork, the length and rise of the stem, the riser bar and the huge tires. For something completely different, throw some racing wheels and tires on this frame, a 63mm travel air fork and a longer lower stem and flat bars and you will find yourself with a much racier ride.
That said, the bike strikes me as somewhat quick in the steering department, a 7.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. The bike handles really tight turns well without the annoying front wheel flop that I have experienced with other bikes. This helps you in tight switchbacks — especially going up them. It seems to track stand and balance very easily, and is confidence inspiring when the going gets slow, like picking your way through boulder gardens or deciding which line you want to ride on a technical uphill. And the front wheel lifts off the ground to clear your everyday rocks and logs with just a little tug back on the bars.
The shortish chainstays and average length stem allow you to really get back behind the seat for those vertical downs (like coming off steep rock faces). Climbing back up those rock faces is pretty cool too - you feel as though you're in a good neutral position with enough weight up front to keep from flying over backwards, and far enough back over the rear tire to maintain decent traction. It feels to me that the bottom bracket is a bit on the high side, although I'm sure this is partially related to the size of the tires I'm running. It's all good as far as I'm concerned because I'd rather ride over obstacles than get hung up on them. I don't even have a big ring on my bike!
The bike also handles Cape Cod type fast singletrack and bermed turns well and it displays no quirky high-speed handling characteristics like excessive twitchiness at the front end. (Nice for those trips out west.) To its credit, the huge 2.25 GEAX Blade on the front bites in extremely well and makes you feel like a cornering fool.
To sum it all up, I would describe this bike as the quintessential East Coast Nasty Track Chompin' Ride.
I'm hooked on the bike, which is a good thing, because $1095 is a lot to spend for a frame, especially considering the high quality of production frames these days. I'm comfortable with this purchase, however, because I plan to keep this bike for a long time, I plan to put some serious off-road miles on it over the years, and I'm aware of the craftsmanship, time and effort that go into creating a frame such as this.
The Negatives? Well, let me think...you might have to wait a long time to get one of these. Lead times are normally estimated at around 6 weeks and frames are not usually built unless someone orders one. But good things come to those who wait, right?
So if you are in the market for a home grown steel mountain bike hardtail, you can't go wrong with a Ted.
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