Wilde Spelljammer Frameset — Rim Brake Randonneur, Oxblood

Wilde Spelljammer — a modern randonneur, built once and never again

The Spelljammer is what Wilde calls a wish fulfilment bike: they built it because it was the bike everyone in the workshop wanted in their own stable, and because they could. It draws on Jeff's beloved cantilever Space Horse, on the sheer versatility of the Cross Check, and on everything gravel has taught the industry in the last decade — and turns all of it into an interpretation of the classic randonneuring bicycle.

A randonneuring bike, in Wilde's definition, is a long distance machine: something that covers ground efficiently across every road surface, carrying enough to support the effort, in any weather. The Spelljammer is a modern reading of that brief rather than a period reproduction. Hence the three-pack mounts, hence the threadless headset you can adjust with the allen keys already in your bag rather than a headset spanner you would have to carry.

In Oxblood — a deep brownish-red metallic — it looks exactly like what it is: an heirloom frame that happens to have been made this decade.

One production run, and then it is finished

This is the part worth understanding before you scroll further. The Spelljammer's large fillets are filed smooth by hand, and on the island of Taiwan there is essentially one person left in the trade who does that delicate filing to the standard this frame requires. They are semi-retired, increasingly occupied by farming, and working around planting and harvest.

They agreed to one last batch. That batch is this frame. There is no second run planned and, realistically, no second run possible. Frames like this are not discontinued because they stop selling — they stop existing because the craft that makes them runs out of hands.

Why rim brakes on a modern bike

Not nostalgia, though the aesthetics are undeniably part of the appeal. Every Wilde production frame is tested to the most stringent ISO standards for its category, and passing that test with disc brakes requires visibly thicker, heavier fork legs and chainstays to handle the braking loads at the hub. Cantilever brakes put those loads at the rim instead, which frees the frame to use lighter tubing.

The result is a more compliant, smoother-riding bicycle than the same frame could ever be with discs. Wilde already has several capable disc bikes in the range. This one exists to be the other thing.

Blaise also left the rear cable stop off deliberately, so you can run V-brakes if you prefer, and spaced the brake posts slightly further apart to suit modern wider rims.

The Space Horse dropout

The dropout is a direct inheritance. It is the same casting used on the original cantilever Space Horse — designed by Anna Schwinn when she and Jeff both worked at All-City — now carrying Wilde's lightning moon logo.

It is not a styling exercise. The horizontal dropout makes the frame single speed and fixed gear compatible, lets you fine-tune effective chainstay length to your riding preference, and the 132.5 mm rear spacing splits the difference between road and mountain standards so you can run 130 mm or 135 mm hubs and open up your chainline options considerably.

The Pacenti PBP fork crown

Wilde did not want an off-the-shelf crown on a frame with this much hand work in it, so they approached Pacenti for permission to use the PBP — in their view the randonneur fork crown. It is not a cheap component and it is a meaningful part of why this frameset costs what it does.

The blades are extra curvy and deliberately compliant, with more offset than convention to produce a lower trail figure. Low trail is what makes a bike steer predictably with weight on the front rack rather than flopping into corners — the single most important handling decision on a bike designed to carry a randonneur bag.

Wilde TLC tubing

The tubeset is Wilde's own TLC chromoly — Tough, Light, Compliant. Double-butted, with diameters, wall thicknesses and butting profiles selected model by model and size by size rather than applied uniformly across a range. On a rim brake frame, where the tubing can be lighter to begin with, that selection matters more than usual.

Geometry

All figures in millimetres except angles, in degrees. The smaller sizes are specifically optimised for standover clearance and no toe overlap on 700c wheels, and the top tube runs slightly long across the range in case you want to build it with a flat bar.

Specifications

• Frame material: Wilde TLC double-butted chromoly steel, hand-filed smooth large fillets
• Fork: chromoly steel with Pacenti PBP crown, extra curvy compliant blades
• Colour: Oxblood — brownish-red metallic
• Finish: phosphate dipped and E.D. coated for corrosion resistance, wet paint topcoat
• Sizes: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large, XX-Large
• Wheel size: 700c
• Tyre clearance: 700c x 45 mm, frame and fork
• Brake type: cantilever mounts front and rear, no rear cable stop so V-brakes can be used
• Head tube: traditional straight, EC34/34 threadless headset
• Bottom bracket: 68 mm English threaded (BSA)
• Rear spacing: 132.5 mm — accepts 130 mm or 135 mm hubs
• Front spacing: 100 mm
• Dropouts: Space Horse casting designed by Anna Schwinn, single speed and fixed gear compatible, adjustable chainstay length
• Seatpost: 27.2 mm
• Frame weight: 4 lb 14 oz, approximately 2.21 kg (medium)
• Frame mounts: bottle mounts on top of down tube and on seat tube, three-pack under the down tube, front and rear rack mounts, underside fender mounts front and rear, pump peg
• Fork mounts: double eyelets at fork ends, mid-blade mount, three-pack mounts, underside fender mounts
• Routing: internal rear brake routing for frame bag clearance, full housing throughout, no down tube braze-ons, full-loop braze-ons on the stays, BB cable stop included for a front derailleur, internal dynamo routing in the fork with the exit placed for crown or rack mounted lights
• Country of manufacture: Taiwan
• Warranty: Wilde Bicycle Co. manufacturer warranty against defects in materials and workmanship

What is included

Frame and steel fork. Headset, bottom bracket, seat collar, brakes and all other components are sold separately. This is a frameset, not a complete bicycle.

The fork, separately

Because this frameset already includes its own steel fork, you do not need to add one. If you want a spare, a deliberately contrasting front end, or a fork for an entirely different project, the Wilde Spelljammer steel fork is also sold on its own, finished in black — same Pacenti PBP Bi-Plane crown, same 395 mm axle to crown and 55 mm rake, same mounts and internal dynamo routing.

Frequently asked questions

Which size should I choose?
The Spelljammer comes in five sizes, Small through XX-Large, and the full geometry table is above. The top tube runs slightly long by design, so if you are between sizes and building with a drop bar, the smaller size with a slightly longer stem is usually the better call. Send us your height, inseam and current position and we will confirm it, or come to L'Hirondelle Bike Shop in Meppel and we will measure you properly.

What tyres will fit?
700c up to 45 mm, frame and fork alike. That is generous for a rim brake frame and covers everything from a fast 32 mm road tyre to a genuine gravel casing. If you are fitting metal fenders — and the underside fender mounts exist precisely so you can fit them cleanly — drop a few millimetres from that maximum to leave working clearance.

Why would I buy a rim brake frame in 2026?
Because on this frame the brake choice is what buys you the ride quality. Cantilevers put braking loads at the rim instead of the hub, so the fork legs and chainstays can be built lighter while still passing the same ISO testing. You get a more compliant frame, a lighter build, and compatibility with a deep pool of beautiful vintage and boutique components that have nowhere else to go.

Can I build it single speed or fixed?
Yes. The Space Horse dropout is horizontal and fully single speed and fixed gear compatible, and it lets you fine-tune chainstay length to your preference at the same time. There are no down tube braze-ons, so nothing catches your knees on a single speed or 1x build, and a BB cable stop is included if you later decide you do want a front derailleur.

Which hubs do I need for 132.5 mm spacing?
Either a 130 mm road hub or a 135 mm mountain hub will work — that is the whole point of the figure. Steel takes the small amount of cold setting involved without complaint, and the wider option opens up stronger touring wheelbuilds and better chainline choices.

Can I fit racks and fenders?
That is what it was designed around. Rack mounts front and rear, mid-blade mounts on the fork for low riders or platform racks, three-pack mounts for cargo or water, and underside fender mounts front and rear so metal fenders install cleanly without visible hardware. Internal dynamo routing in the fork exits where crown or rack mounted lights want it.

Can you build it up for me?
Yes. Our workshop at L'Hirondelle Bike Shop in Meppel builds complete bicycles from framesets, and this is exactly the kind of project we enjoy — whether you want a period-correct build around vintage parts or a modern randonneur with dynamo lighting and a front bag. Tell us how you want to ride it and we will put a build sheet together.