The Wraith uses Columbus Zona s-bend chain and seatstays, the former being vertically ovalized to yield a massive tire clearance. © Cyclocross Magazine
All cables are routed externally along the top tube, with the front derailleur cable stop on the back side of the seat tube. There is no pulley below, so you’ll either have to use a top-pull front derailleur compatible with road shifters, such as the Shimano CX70, use flat bars with a top-pull mountain bike derailleur, clamp on a pulley to the seat tube or run a single-ring. The rear derailleur uses a full run of cable housing from the back of the top tube to the derailleur. The brake line also runs along the top tube and down the left seat stay, with guides for the hose or housing to be clipped or zip-tied on.
There are no fixtures for fenders or racks, nor are there any water-bottle bosses—driving home the point that it’s intended to be purebred race machine. But with such great tire clearance that would easily accommodate fat gravel tires, the lack of bottle bosses is a shame.
The Wraith Paycheck comes with a Columbus full-carbon tapered steerer disc fork painted to match, giving a perfectly integrated appearance with the externally tapered head tube.
The Build:
Our Wraith Paycheck came built up for review, with a complete complement of SRAM Rival 10-speed: 46/36 chainrings and a SRAM 1070 11-28 cassette and 1051 chain. SRAM’s Avid BB7-S mechanical disc brakes (a black anodized version of the venerable BB7) were installed with a 160mm rotor on the front and a 140mm rotor on the rear.
A Thomson Elite 31.6mm seatpost is topped with an MK Pro Racing saddle. The bar and stem are unmarked, black anodized aluminum.
The Wraith has full length cable housing that runs along the top tube. © Cyclocross Magazine
Novatec CX D disc road wheels are shod with Challenge Grifo Race 32c, 120 tpi nylon casing clinchers with tubes installed. The Novatec CX D is a 1465g wheelset with 20 double-crossed spokes up front and 24 double-crossed spokes on the rear, both of which are laced to an aluminum 22mm deep rim labeled as tubeless ready, though we did not test or ride them that way.
2015 Wraith Paycheck Vital Specs:
MSRP: $1,350, frame and fork
Frame: Columbus Life Niobium steel main tubes, Zona rear triangle, 68mm threaded BB
Fork: Columbus FEL carbon disc, tapered 1 1/8”-1 1/2” carbon steerer
Weight: 19.6 lbs., 13.1 lbs. without wheels
Shifters: SRAM Rival, 10-speed
Crankset: SRAM Rival 172.5mm, 46/36 chainrings
Brakes: SRAM Avid BB7 S, stainless-steel rotors, 160mm front, 140mm rear
Cockpit: Aluminum, unmarked
Saddle: MX Pro
Seatpost: Thompson Elite, 2-bolt clamp, 31.6mm diameter, no set-back
Wheels: Novatec CX D clincher, tubeless-ready
Tires: Kenda Small Block 8, 32C
More info: wraithfabrication.com
