Since the start of Grinduro back in 2015, there has always been a search for the perfect bike to use. This search has been led by those who can produce their own visions, the hand-built bike builders.
From workshops across the globe, bikes have been created to represent their builders' interpretation of what a gravel bike actually is... drop bars, flat bars, skinny tires, fatter tires... nothing is off limits.
Grinduro has always set out to be a champion of these bikes; our courses offering no obvious solutions — forcing reasoned choices, compromise, and sometimes just a refusal to conform to any requirement. An ethos echoed by Columbus, who have strived for bicycle perfection since 1919.
Throughout 2021, we have challenged builders to present what they feel is the perfect Grinduro bike and to showcase this in the Grinduro x Columbus Builder Show.
Maxime Poisson, co-founder of Wish One Cycles joined us at Grinduro Switzerland in October, proud to display this special one-off build in collaboration with SRAM and Zipp to showcase the new XPLR collection of gravel focussed components.
w: www.wishonecycles.com / @wishonecycles
Founders Maxime and François are long-time friends and passionate riders, who live sport every day and are constantly looking for ways to improve the cycling experience. Together they launched Wish One in 2018 and released their first bike, an uncompromising, fixed gear track bike built for unrivalled performance, simply called the Criterium.
The brand is focused on lightweight, steel race bikes. Why steel? Because it is a sustainable material, which can be easily recycled at the end of its life. Creating bikes with minimal impact on the environment is top of their list of company objectives, designing, fabricating, and painting their bikes all within their locality of Southern France.
The two friends may have started Wish One on the crit circuit, but they soon discovered adventure out in the hills surrounding their headquarters in Aveyron, Southern France.
Hooked on the fun that can be had on gravel trails when attacked at speed, it was inevitable that the brand would start to design race focussed gravel bikes that would still appeal to their crit-race background and appetite for high speed thrills.
The Wish One SUB (Sport Utility Bicycle) was created for ultimate performance on all types of roads, everything from smooth pavement to gravel roads and singletrack. Assembled from Columbus Spirit to deliver efficiency and compliancy whatever the terrain, but still able to put the power down when hitting those timed stages. Columbus' full carbon Futura Gravel fork re-enforces the performance ethos absorbing the chatter of even the most impervious trails.
Max knew when planning this special Grinduro collaboration that going fast counts for nothing if you don't look good while doing it. A custom purple colorway makes a statement whether Maxin' the trails at full gas or Relaxin' at the afterparty.
This high performance frameset deserves the ultimate performance groupset. The new SRAM Force AXS XPLR groupset celebrates the new era of drop bar riding, delivering crisp, rapid, wireless shifting and instant power delivery through the lightweight yet stiff Force 1x chainset with a 10-44T cassette and matching derailleur giving big range for gravel climbs and tight jumps for fast riding on road.
Pedalling effort is translated to the trail via Zipp's new 101 XPLR carbon wheelset with more control and durability over harsh terrain, providing a smooth ride quality that helps reduce rider fatigue. Ideal for those long and loose gravel climbs that frequented the Grinduro Switzerland route.
Complementing the fast tracking of the Columbus Futura fork, a Zipp Service Course SL 70 XPLR handlebar and SL stem finish off this rowdy racer.
Discover the full SRAM XPLR Collection. Click here for more info.
