Dustin Klein’s Custom Wilier Jena DCO (Video)

We’ve been spending more time on YouTube now that we’ve started our own channel, and we recently stumbled upon Dustin Klein’s extensive archive of highly entertaining videos after someone pointed out that he was holding a copy of The Bikepacking Journal in a recent video. Everthing’s Been Done (EBD) is his weekly series that showcases adventure rides and related projects, and is well worth checking out. Outside of his YouTube channel, you might know the Portland-based artist’s other hand-illustrated bike collaborations with various brands or his work as the founder of Cadence Collection.

We really enjoyed this recent video in which he unboxes, builds up, and test rides the new Wilier Jena he designed the graphics for, all delivered in his signature style. You can watch the full 10-minute build video below, then continue on to find a build overview, a short interview with him about the collaboration with Wilier and his first impressions of the new bike, and another short video that provides some context for the project.

Wilier Jena Build Overview

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For folks who aren’t familiar, can you introduce the Wilier Jena?

The Jena (pronounced Yena) is Wilier Triestina’s carbon fiber gravel bike. This model is a special collaboration between myself and Wilier as part of their UNICO artist series.

How’d this collaboration with Wilier come about?

Wilier got in touch with me last year after they saw my video series on Youtube called “Everything’s Been Done.” From there, they asked if I wanted to do this year’s UNICO project. I said hell yes and started to put together a concept for the colorway you see here.

Tell us a about the process of creating the graphics for this bike, which you call DCO.

I wanted to create a colorway that was made out of my signature commotion style brush work in a camouflaged pattern that I call DCO: Disruptive Commotion Overlay. We ride in a lot of areas where people don’t always want us to be riding. As such, I wanted to make the bike camouflaged to blend into the forest environment that I live in. It obviously doesn’t hide bike, but it makes a great direction for design and has a functional reasoning behind it.

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Looks like you were set up with a really impressive build. How much of that tech (e.g. AXS, monocoque handlebars) is new to you, and what are your first impressions?

I was blown away by this build and I’m very appreciative to be able to ride such a nice bike. I’ve never ridden SRAM eTap before, or those bars. This bike weighs in at just 15 lbs 13oz. So far so good, but there are a few things I plan to adjust.

What, specifically, are you looking to change about the build?

I prefer to run 650B wheels with wider internal width rims (around 30-35mm), set up with Panaracer Gravel King SK 1.9″ tires. This gives me a large, stable tire that I can still run fenders on for the winter (I live in Portland, Oregon, where it rains nine months out of the year).

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Lastly, any big rides or future plans aboard the Jena in the works?

As soon as the COVID-19 lock down is over, this puppy is going straight to the trees! There are always rides happening around here. A group called Our Mother The Mountain (OMTM) does an amazing job of building and sharing routes for those who live in Portland the area. If all goes according to plan, I will also attend the Chrome Gravel Happens and Grinduro this year.

Behind The Scenes Video

In addition to Dustin’s unboxing video, the folks at Wilier Triestina also put together this short video in which Dustin offers some background about himself and his art, then goes on to talk specifically about the Disruptive Commotion Overlay pattern he designed for the bike and the process of working with the company to transfer the graphics on the bike. This one’s quite interesting, too.

The Wilier Jena DCO is available now Jungle or Tundra colorways. Visit Wilier Triestina or contact your local dealer for details.