Pashley have just launched the Wildfinder and, for a company fast closing in on their 100th birthday, it really is a bit wild.

A drop-bar mountain bike crafted in the UK from Reynolds 853 steel, the Wildfinder is the latest addition to Pashley's 'Finder' collection. It will sit alongside the Roadfinder and Pathfinder, as a more rugged go-anywhere adventure bike: a bike, in Pashley's words, that is designed to take a ride on the wild side.

Drop-bar mountain bikes are having a bit of a moment right now, occupying a niche somewhere in the centre of the Venn diagram where MTB and gravel bikes collide.

Take a look at Keegan Swenson's race-winning bike from this year's Leadville Trail 100 and you'll get the idea: it's a bike that blends the chunky tyred capability of a MTB with the long-distance comfort and aero advantages of dropbars.

"The Wildfinder is the true expression of a bike designed to facilitate the desire to ride way beyond the everyday," says Andy Smallwood, Pashley's CEO.

"The rugged Wildfinder will take you around the world, into the wilderness or on your own out-of-bounds weekend adventure. Joining our critically acclaimed Roadfinder and Pathfinder models, it's the latest example of true British design and craftsmanship, incorporating the best use of Reynolds steel, all created from start to finish by our team of artisans in our Stratford-upon-Avon workshop right here in the UK."

Let's take a look at the frame first. Hand-crafted using Reynolds 853 DZB tubing, the geometry is fine-tuned for efficiency, comfort and control over long distances and vertiginous terrain.

The frame is UDH compliant, with a BSA threaded bottom bracket and external cable routing for a future-proof frame that should also provide ease of maintenance in the wild.

Whereas the Roadfinder and Pathfinder come paired with carbon forks, the Wildfinder  is supplied with Pashley's own in-house manufactured Reynolds 853 bladed rigid fork.

Geometry has been suspension corrected to 100mm so buyers have the option of a RockShox SID SL suspension fork on all complete bikes and frameset for additional off-road performance.

"We have designed the Wildfinder to be a drop-bar mountain bike, blurring the lines between gravel and mountain genres (I like to call it a 'grountain' bike) primarily designed to be a capable machine for long distance, multi-day off-road bikepacking expeditions," explains Mark Lloyd, Pashley Project Design Lead.

"Even if you aren't on an epic multi-day expedition, the bike is equally at home exploring the gnarlier end of gravel and even singletrack, inspiring the rider to go beyond the confines of a conventional gravel bike, follow that trail you didn't think possible and find out where it leads..."

In keeping with other models in the Finder collection, Pashley has blended cutting edge manufacturing processes and technology with traditional craftsmanship. That means you'll spot their signature 3D printed seatstay-top tube junction, which beautifully blends into the seatstays to create a seamless finish.

Additional 3D printed elements include the chainstay yoke to provide extra clearance for the large 29x2.4"/60mm tyres and up to 42T chainring and neat gear cable routing (for mechanical builds). The 3D printed dropouts allow for a 180mm rear brake disc with a view to fully loaded mountain touring.

Versatility and durability is further highlighted with the frame and fork equipped with multiple mounting points for frame bags, cages and racks allowing the rider to accommodate any luggage set-up they want. The tough Reynolds 853 frame has also been fully e-coated for corrosion protection then hand powder coated for an extra durable finish befitting a bike with such wilderness taming capability.

Build options

The Wildfinder is available in five sizes (XS, S, M, L & XL) and three recommended builds - but as all Pashley frames are made-to-order in their factory in the UK, they can be customised by the customer (i.e. mechanical, Di2, Wire-free ports required or not) to create a stunningly clean individual frame with tailored spec. The Wildfinder is available in two colour options - Ember and Tempest - or can be custom coloured for a modest £75 upcharge.

The recommended builds are:

Pashley Wildfinder SHIMANO GRX, 34T 10-51T groupset, Blackjack SL27 wheelset, Schwalbe Rick XC, Ritchey finishing kit and Brooks Cambium C15 saddle.

Pashley Wildfinder SRAM Rival GX AXS, 32T 10-50T groupset, Blackjack SL27 wheelset, Schwalbe Rick XC tyres, Ritchey finishing kit and Brooks Cambium C15 saddle.

Pashley Wildfinder (flatbar) Shimano SLX groupset, Blackjack SL27 wheelset, Schwalbe Rick XC tyres, Ritchey finishing kit and Brooks Cambium C15 saddle.

Both dropbar builds come with an option to swap in a Rockshox SID SL fork (£549 upgrade) and/or Pro Koryak 120mm dropper post (£249 upgrade), with a further opportunity to swap out the dropbar for a flat bar.

As for pricing, complete builds start at £2,995 / €3,895 / $4,495 / AUD$6,895 for the Pashley Wildfinder Shimano GRX.

The SRAM Rival GX AXS model is available from £3,995 / €5,095 / $5,995 / AUD$9,195, and the Flatbar Shimano SLX from £2,795 / €3,595 / $4,195 / AUD$6,495.

Want to build it your way? The Wildfinder is available as a frameset kit for £1,695 / €2,195 / $2,595 / AUD$3,895.

Find out more at www.pashley.co.uk.

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