[WILDE] A Legacy in the Genes

2026/2/23 Circles

Redefining “speed”: from ALL-CITY to WILDE.

The other day, we delivered a build based on ALL-CITY's classic, the Cosmic Stallion.

The customer already owned a KONA gravel bike.
To turn a simple, honest wish — “I want to go faster and farther” — into reality, they chose this frame, and we built it up into a complete bike.

The Cosmic Stallion was developed with a passion to “push past the limits of steel and build the ultimate bike that can compete in modern gravel racing.”

The deeper you dig into its geometry, the more clearly that design philosophy comes through.

Sadly, ALL-CITY has ended production, and these bikes are now hard to come by.

But its spirit and philosophy have been carried on — deeply and faithfully — into WILDE by former ALL-CITY man Jeff.

An inheritance called DNA

The Cosmic Stallion was a frame that took on the challenge of “racing a steel bike” head-on. A head angle that isn't too slack, a fairly high BB (bottom bracket), and a rear end designed to hold traction while still being stiff enough to stomp on.

In a sense, it was a geometry with a clear intent that refused to hide behind the idea of “that steel feel.” It rejected the lazy equation of “steel = comfort” and existed as a tool for shaving off every last second.

And the bike that carries the Cosmic Stallion's DNA most strongly is WILDE's “Rambler SL.”

The Rambler SL: “a different answer along the same line of thinking”

So what about the geometry of the WILDE Rambler SL? First, an important premise: the Rambler SL is not simply the Cosmic Stallion's successor. It's probably more accurate to think of it as “a different answer” that extends the same design philosophy.

The heart of the Rambler SL is its exquisite “balance.”

Where the Cosmic Stallion was built with race wins in mind and assumed stability at high speeds, the Rambler SL seems to put more weight on being easy to handle at realistic speeds.

Trail: Not overly long, and not tuned purely for straight-line stability.
BB drop: 72mm — a sweet spot that keeps the center of gravity low while also minding the risk of pedal strikes on rough ground.
Rear center: 438mm. Jeff called this length a “magic number.” The idea is simple: go too short and the response gets sharper, but the bike turns nervous on rough surfaces.
Go too long and it settles down in a straight line, but loses its snap when accelerating or changing lines. Knowing both extremes, 438mm is the point where you “keep the agility while giving the rear end some ‘breathing room.’”

In a word: “it doesn't overreach.”

As a result, there's less “hesitation” the moment you turn the bars, and correcting your line on descents comes naturally. Even late in a ride when fatigue has built up, the handling is less likely to get unruly.

In the end, a bike's speed isn't decided by its “peak,” but by its “average.” I think the Rambler SL is designed to raise that average speed.

From “people who ride fast” to “people who want to get stronger”

The Cosmic Stallion had a clear “purpose”: racing. The Rambler SL, on the other hand, has the strength of “not being locked into one purpose.”

That strength shows in its tire clearance, too.

It fits up to 50mm tires on 700c, or 2.2″ on 27.5.
You can breeze along paved roads on 40c tires, or head deep into forest roads on tires close to 2 inches. Depending on your wheel choice, its character changes surprisingly.

The frame's torsional stiffness isn't excessive either. Yet it flexes as much as you push and springs back. That rhythm feels great.
Your pedaling effort isn't simply absorbed — it feels properly “stored up.” That may be territory only steel can reach.

And here's the most important part: the Rambler SL is “high-spec for people who don't race.”

The Cosmic Stallion was aimed at “people who ride fast,” while the Rambler SL is aimed at “people who want to get stronger.”

Ideas evolve.

Farther.
More freely.
Trusting your own strength more.
This bike has the balance to answer those desires — no more, no less.

If the steel-fork Rambler is a “tool for traveling,” then the Rambler SL is a “tool for riding.”

Before loading up with gear, you'll want to test your own legs first.
You won't turn back at the entrance to a forest road.
And when you're back on pavement, you won't slow down.

The Cosmic Stallion's DNA definitely runs through it.
But it's by no means an imitation — it's proof that “ideas evolve.”

And steel is not nostalgia.
It's an excellent material that still performs on the front line today.
I don't think the Rambler SL is a bike built to prove that — it's a bike built to make it “a given.”

For anyone who wants to think one level deeper about what speed means.
The Rambler SL is sure to answer that question.

As mentioned in our recent blog post, WILDE's core models are back in stock. The Rambler SL is available too, including the sizes that had sold out, so please take a look.