merlin gravel bike Heighliner

merlin gravel bike Heighliner*This is a prebook, framesets will deliver in July 2026* Old Beliefs, Modern Technology Clears a 29 x 2. 25 tire, ridiculously fun, unbelievably fast. We decided to make a thoroughly modern gravel space ship cutting no corners, cost be danged. You'll find the finest double butted titanium tubing, full internal cable routing, a custom T47 bottom bracket shell, it's UDH compatible, and fits the big tires. The Heighliner is built in Taiwan by our friends

*This is a prebook, framesets will deliver in July 2026*

Old Beliefs, Modern Technology
Clears a 29 x 2.25 tire, ridiculously fun, unbelievably fast.

We decided to make a thoroughly modern gravel space ship cutting no corners, cost be danged. You'll find the finest double butted titanium tubing, full internal cable routing, a custom T47 bottom bracket shell, it's UDH compatible, and fits the big tires. 

The Heighliner is built in Taiwan by our friends at ORA, the same folks who build Dark Stars and Mean Jeans. Their work is absolutely impeccable. 

Designers Notes
I can tell you with the utmost sincerity that this is the most fun drop bar bike I've ever ridden. I feel such joy when I ride it, like the toughest thing on two wheels. Unstoppable. It’s an absolute monster in the dirt, becoming ever more fun the harder you push. I was very much a skeptic of the big tire trend, but off-road it’s superb and on pavement it’s still pretty fast. In a world of gravel bikes that are becoming more and more specialized at going in straight lines and don't really want to turn, the Heighliner is nimble, agile, playful, and I find myself reaching for it ride after ride after ride.

Why Titanium? The first Wilde ever built was my own titanium Earth Ship, the prototype for every Wilde gravel bike that would follow. The ride quality of a high end titanium frame is simply sublime and it offers significant weight savings. As I've always counseled our customers, "if titanium is in the budget, go Ti. You won't be disappointed." Just like our steel production bikes, the Heighliner allows us to bring the titanium experience to more riders via a significantly reduced cost compared to our USA made customs. 

In case you were wondering, the name is a Dune reference. From Dune Wiki: "A Heighliner was a large starship used by the Spacing Guild to transport people and equipment, and could fold space to travel vast distances."
Yeah, we folding friggin' space. 
Blaise named it. I did the geo, he did the development.
 - Jeff

FRAME

• Double Butted Titanium Main Triangle
• Tapered Stays
• 29 x 2.25" Tire Clearance
• Two bottle mounts in main triangle 
• Three pack mounts under downtube
• Top tube feedbag mount
• Full internal cable routing
• Clearance for up to 29 x 2.25" tires
• Fender Mounts

WAYPOINT CARBON FORK 

• Internal brake cable routing
• Three pack mounts
• Fender mounts
• Internal dynamo routing
• Tire Clearance 29 x 2.25”

GEOMETRY
Our proven gravel race geometry adapted for 2.25" tire clearance.

TUBING
Double butted titanium tubing, custom drawn for the Heighliner. We don't yet have a catchy name for it, but maybe we'll come up with one. 

FRAME SPEC

• Clearance for 29 x 2.25" tires
• Headset: EC44/EC44 Internal Routing Specific
• T47 Bottom Bracket
• UDH Compatible
• Electronic Groupset Only
• 1X Only 
• 142mm Spacing
• Seatpost: 27.2mm
• Seat Collar: 30.00mm

FORK SPEC

• Clearance for 29 x 2.25" tires
• Internal dynamo routing
• Internal brake hose routing
• 100mm spacing
• Three Pack mounts
• Fender mounts
• Thru Axle
• Flat Mount

COMPLETE BUILD OPTIONS
We offer a stock build with SRAM's excellent Rival AXS 1x13 group or we can build yours up any way you want. We'd love to create your dream bike according to your taste and budget. We work with all the major component suppliers, as well as with many small niche makers. Contact us to get started.

COMPLETE BIKE BUILD SPEC

SRAM Rival AXS 1x13 Specifications*

• SRAM Rival AXS shifters with hydraulic brakes
• SRAM Rival AXS XPLR full mount rear derailleur
• SRAM Rival 1x Dub Wide 170mm crankset 42t
• SRAM XG-1351 cassette, 13 speed, 10-46
• Cane Creek HCR headset
• Cane Creek HCR stem
• Thomson Elite setback seatpost
• Ritchey Comp Butano handlebar
• Cane Creek Leige Tape
• Boyd CCC wheelset
• tires
• WTB Volt saddle
• AXS charger
• SRAM Paceline 160 mm rotors
  
• Extras: AXS battery charger
• Shipped set up tubeless

FINISH

• Wet paint and brushed titanium. Paint Color is a Marbled Green finish. 

DELIVERY

We anticipate these coming into stock in June 2026. 

SAFETY

Please read the bicycle owners manual before riding. This is important for safe operation of your new bike. 
Bicycle Owners Manual