The Wombat, as you may already know, is the signature frame of Garrett at Crust. It’s the kind of bike that only exists when someone is allowed full creative control to bring their passion project to life: a totally unique bike that doesn’t really align with anything on the market already.
What makes it unique? So, it’s a singlespeed ATB at heart but the influences run wide: it’s a little bit klunker and BMX, but it also has internal dynamo and dropper routing pulled from modern MTB and touring bikes. The fork blades angle forward, which combined with the BMX-style dropout plates provides a mid-trail geometry despite the 69 degree HTA (nice). And it’s 650B with room for big modern knobbies, yet the high BB allows for smaller tires if you wanted to stick to pavement and skate parks.
My first impressions when I built it in early 2023 were all positive. Most surprising was that it was fast, even on pavement. I attribute a lot of this to the minimalist (aka lightweight) build and fast-rolling Rene Herse knobbies. I went with a 2:1 ratio which turned out to be a pretty optimal compromise for the mostly-road, sometimes-trail, and never-rushed riding I use this bike for.
Despite really enjoying the bike, I bucked it back down to a frameset and put it up for sale because I had bought back a commuter bike (the Riv Charlie) and was finding that while fun, the Wombat was less practical for my needs: it didn’t carry much, it was missing various practical accessories like fenders and dynamo.. and adding those things would just make it another one of the same bike in my collection anyhow.
Fast forward a few months and I’ve built it back up, invested a little more in it, and it’s probably my favourite bike at the moment. So what changed? Well, I found that even with the Charlie I chose the Brompton for commuting because of its practicality despite being less comfortable, and as summer rolled in I realized the Wombat is a great summer bike, something refreshingly different from my heavy, full-featured bikes, and just plain fun.
Once I fully embraced it, and spent a little more time on it, the Wombat kept making more and more sense to me. The thing about a strange, category-escaping bike like this is that you can’t just sub it into your quiver based on preconceptions; you need to ride it with an open mind and let it find its place organically. So while it was fun from the start, I’ve now reached a deeper appreciation for the Wombat and even if I had to halve my bike quiver, it would remain in my possession. Pretty ironic since I nearly sold it.
Being able to carry a little more stuff thanks to the addition of a (questionably installed) Nitto M-1 rack was the necessary bit of practicality to make this a go-to bike for me. The Fab’s Fanny (shown above) was close enough to the tire that they’d make regular contact, which I initially alleviated with a HMPL Double Buddy bag – but the rack allowed me to use the same small Chest that I shared with the Rivendells and could be packed with a couple four-packs and a change of clothes.
The Rene Herse Umtanum tires on it were originally for the Bombadil, but they truly found their best life on this bike: fast rolling and predictable on pavement yet very grippy on dirt, they are a perfect match for what the Wombat can do. I still have a lot more clearance available to run bigger, knobbier tires but little reason to do so.
When autumn weather sets in, I’ll probably be tempted to put fenders and dynamo on this bike, but I hope that I can resist: the magic of this bike is partially rooted in its simplicity and those would simple erode at this.
It should be noted, I live in a hilly place. I ride this in the mountains. A single speed seemed like a bad idea to me too. I’m not a particularly strong rider either. If you’ve tried riding your geared bike in one gear, and came to the quick realization you can’t do single speed – you may be surprised. I have tried that and came to the same conclusion, but it’s not comparable to riding an actual single speed. Once the option is physically removed, two things happen: you appreciate the simplicity of it, and you put it out of your mind to some extent (though old habits die hard, and you might find yourself thumbing for a shifter that isn’t there). You’ll stand and pedal a bit more. You’ll take it a bit easier so you don’t blow up. You might walk some stuff you’d otherwise have rode. But you’ll have fun – maybe more fun than you would have. Quite possibly, honestly.
December 2023 Update:
I put gears on last month for a specific ride that involved a ton of brutal climbing and a mix of pavement and technical trail. I used the Problem Solvers tensioner with integrated hanger to do it. It gets in the way of the smallest cog, so it’s a 13-42T 10-speed cassette currently with the limit screw removing the bottom gear. I don’t plan to leave it geared, but I also kinda like it this way. Still looks good! As of today it has about 1200km on it, and has been on some epic rides. Love it as much as ever!
The above photo is June 2024; I put gears back on for this ride but took them back off after because a) I bent the Problem Solvers hanger and b) I think that the magic of this bike is somewhat dulled by gears to be honest. It’s a simple-fun kind of bike. This particular ride had over 1100m of elevation over 50 km so the gears were pretty darn welcome though.