First Look: Moots' Womble Slider Is A UDH-Compatible Singlespeed

May 9, 2023
by Seb Stott  
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The Moots Womble is a versatile titanium hardtail with progressive XC geometry which can accept up to 140 mm forks and up to 2.6" tires. Now, the new Womble Slider offers the same package but with sliding dropouts for singlespeed use. The Colorado-based company say it's "​for the ultra-purist rider that wants a simplified connection to the bike and trail... Single speeding strips away all distractions other than pedal, coast, and carry momentum. Read the trail, and find the flow; the smiles will follow!"

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The interesting/ironic thing about the Womble Slider is that it's compatible with SRAM's Universal Derailleur Hanger with the purchase of an optional dropout. That means it can accommodate gears, including SRAM's direct-mount Transmission, making it even more versatile as it should be able to accept any conventional chain-driven drivetrain.

If you think the lack of gears (in its stock form) will make it cheaper, bad news. The full build as shown goes for $9,999 USD. For those who like to make good use of the things they can find (in their parts collection), there is a frame-only option for $4,975.

For more, head to Moots.com



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Author Info:
seb-stott avatar

Member since Dec 29, 2014
297 articles

156 Comments
  • 196 3
 it might be cheaper to hire a custom frame designer than to buy a moot frame.
  • 22 2
 This frame is super pretty and all, but yeah this is the winning take here.
  • 4 25
flag suspended-flesh FL (May 9, 2023 at 7:40) (Below Threshold)
 On their site you can spend 1,200 to have them refurbish your current Moots frame and stem, so the frame price doesn't seem that bad. No excuse for having a typo in the description....

"Well, if your Moots frame is showing too may character marks for your liking, we can help".
  • 24 2
 And here we thought Yeti was for dentists…
  • 72 1
 @TheR: It still is, Moots is just for Oral Surgeons.
  • 17 1
 @SidewaysSingleSpeed: Funny you should say that. The only guy I know who had a Moots was an orthopedic suregeon. But that was like 15 years ago. I’m surprised they’re still in business.
  • 26 0
 can get a custom Atherton for less...
  • 7 2
 @artistformlyknowasdan: Much prefer an Atherton myself.
  • 9 14
flag joebiden FL (May 9, 2023 at 8:29) (Below Threshold)
 update: I looked it up and you can make your own Ti frame for about 2k. buy some moot decals, and you've basically got the same bike.
  • 10 4
 Breadwinner over Moots
  • 4 30
flag Bushmaster123 (May 9, 2023 at 8:42) (Below Threshold)
 @suspended-flesh: Which one? Gee or Dan. I know its not Rach for you...
  • 2 1
 @suspended-flesh: Honestly, I feel like that's a bad thing. You are paying in the original price for things that you may or may not need.
  • 3 18
flag Bushmaster123 (May 9, 2023 at 8:50) (Below Threshold)
 @joebiden: go away...
  • 28 0
 As a hedge fund manager, do you get tired of people presuming you are merely a dentist while riding your Yeti? Fortunately for you, Moots has your back.
  • 7 0
 Does it have an S&S coupler option to fit better into the luggage compartment on a jet? Asking for a friend.
  • 12 5
 @Bushmaster123: Did you really just 'phobe out on me? I know you're the absolute Master of the Bush, but try operate within the tape at this race to the bottom. Pun intended
  • 12 0
 For less than half of that price, buy a Ti Stanton bike and help Dan restart his business.
  • 3 0
 @whambat: Your friend must be poor. Otherwise he'd give his bike its own seat on his private jet.
  • 4 21
flag Bushmaster123 (May 9, 2023 at 10:26) (Below Threshold)
 @suspended-flesh: it was joke you tee d' up perfectly. Typical bay area uptight ass. Pun intended...
  • 4 1
 @whambat: I have two Yetis both bought 2nd hand off eBay (probably sold by dentists). The SB130 is coil both ends and use it purely on uplift/bike park days and it’s Tiger Tony grreeaaaat.
  • 9 0
 I build bike stuff, solo op. It's crazy how some people make money in this trade and some people don't. It is one or the other. I make $2 an hour and sometimes I make $20 an hour and once a year I make $80 an hour. This applies to neighboring sporting product disciplines, I took on a canoe client recently and they say the exact same thing. The variability is staggering.

I suspect established companies like Moots have some experiences they just won't go back on. On some level I get it, but I have not figured out how to benefit from it.

I'd really just like to make $30 an hour consistently.
  • 2 4
 @RegularCyclesLLC: maybe get a different job? Fir all that hard work, you could and should name more, but we’re talking career change.

… and don’t shoot so low, $30 and hour looks good to a twenty something, but goljs with family aspirations need double that just to make ends meet.
  • 9 0
 All your comments are moot....
  • 2 0
 @danstonQ: I approve this message
  • 1 0
 @joebiden: uh yeah that’s not how it works.
  • 2 0
 @sanchofula: That’s not his point at all.
  • 60 2
 Forget the frame price, how is that build kit worth $5,000?
  • 17 0
 That's what I was thinking too. I'm too lazy to actually look it up but I'm sure even at full retail price the build kit could be bought for less than $5k - you don't even have to buy a full groupset.
  • 18 2
 ~$2300 for the wheelset from Astral (assuming DT 240 hubs), $1050 for the Pike, $850 for the dropper. White cranks ($350), Enve cockpit ($470); G2 brakes ($390). That's over $5400 -for the price you'd pay buying those parts individually- before you get to the saddle, tires, grips, bottom-bracket and headset.
  • 5 29
flag R-trailking-S (May 9, 2023 at 8:20) (Below Threshold)
 It's marginally under retail pricing. I just eyeballed it:
Tires $175
Tape $25
Valves $30
White industries m30 $350
Xx1 chain $90
Grips $30
Bars $200
Stem $100
Brakes $500
Carbon wheels $2000 plus
Cog $50 stainless
Charger 3 pike $1050
Axs dropper $850
Saddle $150

$5600

Substitute Nextie or light bicycle hoops on Hydras for $1600
Drop in a cable actuated post for $550 savings
Already down to $4,650 for the group...

Take a chance on a custom TI frame through Alibaba who probably builds moots' frames anyway, save another $3500 or so...
  • 36 1
 @R-trailking-S: I am not here to support Moots, but I had a look at their site:

"Where are your products made?

100% of our frames, stems, seatposts and titanium accessories are crafted by hand in Steamboat Springs, Colorado."
  • 16 0
 @R-trailking-S: Alibaba? Moots is built in Colorado.
  • 4 8
flag R-trailking-S (May 9, 2023 at 9:49) (Below Threshold)
 @suspended-flesh: Honestly I didn't check, because if i were to spend dentist money on a ti frame just because, then i would have a custom frame built in Boston or Seattle. Chumba frames are 1900 for ti, US built. Ridiculous cost, even if you insist on nativism.
  • 18 2
 @R-trailking-S: If you didn't bother to check, why bother to post an uninformed, ignorant comment?
  • 5 0
 @R-trailking-S: Chumba's steel frames are $1900. A Ti Sendero runs $4000.
  • 6 12
flag R-trailking-S (May 9, 2023 at 13:08) (Below Threshold)
 @rockandride6: its not completely uninformed. Truly incorrect, since chumba doesn't publish the ti pricing and you have to fill out a form. I can see why with that pricing. Google was wrong. Yay. Yet you have no curiousity as to why I suggest some chinese frame suppliers are not necessarily a bad option.

$4,000 for a hardtail is flat out a dumb business proposition. Most people live paycheck to paycheck, and the people who ride all day for a living don't have the means to cover it. On top of that, this really isn't a good value for the groupset either
  • 10 1
 @R-trailking-S: the Ti pricing is clearly posted on Chumba's website: chumbausa.com/sendero-titanium-custom-mountain-bike-29er

Please, do continue to explain to us why you don't know what you don't know.
  • 7 0
 @R-trailking-S: There are plenty of companies that are doing quite well selling $4k+ hardtail/road/gravel frames made in the US with a backlog of customers. There's a market for it, even if you think it's dumb.
  • 1 1
 @JVance: that’s not how you value a parts package on a production bike … try 65-70% of retail.

Moors is whacked! 5k for a stock frsme?

They’re asking premium for a Ti bike that isn’t custom, in a day and age when custom Ti bikes are a dime a dozen.
  • 3 0
 @sanchofula: Moots isn't Trek or Spesh. Most of those components are made in the USA, small volume production from boutique companies. Retail, well north of $6k...so, some discount is clearly there. Is it the 65-70% you claim? No, but you made those numbers up so cut the disengenuity.
  • 1 0
 Ok, I finally looked up the build as I don't see how one could recognize how a black hub is a DT240 without the red label. Apparently I'm not geek enough Wink . Either way, I'd never pay that much for the (as claimed) installed Bike Yolk Revive over a regular Bike Yoke Revive.
  • 5 0
 @vinay: the Bike Yolk is an eggsellent dropper
  • 1 0
 @VtVolk: Until it heats up that is. Then you need to resort to the "Revive" feature, which is a spoon.
  • 48 0
 A $10k Moots single speed? Is this the Radavist?
  • 40 2
 Pointing out the price feels like a moot point. It titanium and it's a Moots.
  • 18 0
 Moots Bloody Moots
  • 4 0
 @danstonQ: I pray, we don't need to change our gears to be saved
That's all we wanna be, watch us walk
  • 24 0
 It's funny about the price because the bike looks exactly like that hardtail sitting in your neighbour's shed thats been neglected and forgotten about since 2007 with half scratched off stickers and a pogo stick fork with zero compression and the chain tensioners are stripped so the chain always falls off
  • 6 0
 Olde-tyme geo, and a rear slider that could easily have had a hanger for a rear mech for 5k. Sorry, there is just no way in the world to justify that price. A pure experience, I'm sure.
  • 16 0
 Wait, there is obviously a typo in the price, right... right ?
  • 18 0
 Clearly your first time Mootsin'...
  • 11 0
 f'k me that's more than I'm willing to pay for a complete anything.
  • 6 1
 That's not even COVID pricing. Moots has always had crazy pricing. Beautiful frames, though.
  • 5 0
 It's Moots, so if there is a typo then it's probably because the quoted price is too cheap.
  • 4 0
 Your head would explode if you went to the website - there's a geared full build for $14.8K.
  • 3 0
 These Moots are made for riding And that's just what they'll do One of these days these Moots are gonna ride all over you
  • 1 0
 @DaneL: Yep. Moots frames have always been expensive relative to other brands. Since I live near them, were I to spend this sort of money on a Ti frame, I'd go with an Engin.
  • 11 1
 Are the knees of this target demographic (45-60 year old guys with money that grew up in the basic bike hardtail x/c bike era) even going to work for singlespeed anymore? I thought those old guys were flexing on e-bikes these days. And it's priced like an e-bike. Weird frame for 2023.
  • 9 0
 I know more than a few hardcore SS guys in the demo you described. Well, except the wealthy part lol.
  • 4 0
 I'm the target demographic, and my knees work just fine - thanks for asking. I also have the advantage of not taking up running until my 40s and being a snowboarder and not a skiier.

Current bike is a Solace OM-1 built with new school geometry - the front half of this thing is pretty similar to my backup bike (and Ibis Ripmo with this weird thing called a wireless shifter).

The main problem with this Moots is no Gates Carbon Drive. I want UHD for my next backup bike, but a titanium singlespeed, no belt drive equals non-starter...
  • 4 2
 @newenglandrocks: Since its handmade in the US I bet you could ask them to put a belt in before welding
  • 1 0
 @nowthatsdoomage: Except then when the belt breaks, how do you replace it? The rear drive side triangle needs to crack open somehow if you're really gonna run it as a belt drive.
  • 2 0
 When you stand up and pedal it the gearing and suspension don't quite make it harder on your knees as your body naturally moves in the correct position to load everything properly. My knees have taken a beating through running and sometimes getting a foot trapped in a hole in the ground I didn't notice because of the high grass. And seated pedaling can be tough on the knees when something isn't adjusted properly (which it never really is unless you're on the perfect slope). But how heavy the gear is shouldn't really matter, should it? I think when you pedal heavy at a low cadence, you do apply the kind of force through the leg as you'd otherwise do when climbing up a flight of stairs with a 10kg of stuff in your backpack. A healthy 45 - 60 yo should be able to do that. If not, that is what should be solved. Otherwise you can also no longer do your own groceries.
  • 1 0
 @newenglandrocks: Gates is where it's at.
  • 14 3
 while I would never purchase one.. that thing is gorgeous
  • 21 4
 I don't understand some peoples taste. This is the most basic looking hardtail I have seen in a long time.
  • 1 4
 @fred-frod: Mate, check that gorgeous knick point in the seat tube. How can this be the most basic HT you've seen?
  • 9 3
 @fred-frod: That's the point. Its a classic design, and its built to high standards (It better be anyways). To me Moots is like designer furniture. Is the 25K couch better than the 5K couch? Probably not in function, but to the people buying it, yeah, its better to them.

Just so we are all clear though, 5k for a hardtail...I would never.
  • 1 0
 @fred-frod: what you mean, the "understated design"??
  • 4 0
 @fred-frod: hard tails are supposed to look basic. It’s literally two triangles welded together lol
  • 6 0
 FWIW--as a reformed single speeder I will always have love for them, still a bit surprised to see they are still a sought-after item. Not sure if putting a Pike on it is pandering to the P.B. or Downcountry crowd--but since riding a single speed does actually involve quite a bit of walking and pushing I would probably want a SID or 34.
  • 1 1
 @oceanPhil Fox 34 and a Pike are basically the same fork. There is only a mm difference in the stanchions and in most webpages I look up, the 34 is slightly heavier
  • 1 0
 @bman33: The newer 34 (140mm non-step cast) is actually a little lighter than a pike now 1732g vs 1832g. I would probably rather have the 120mm SID (1527g) in this case though.
  • 1 0
 @jlauteam1: for me it's all about the damper and air spring. I just don't like how the SID rides and would happily take the weight penalty for the Pike, as I've done on my XC bike
  • 1 1
 Pike has been sort of re categorized. It's now more of a Down Country fork, as opposed to a trail or All Mountain fork, I think
  • 1 0
 @jlauteam1: That weight deltas are so small I would have to run a Pike/34 for the added stiffness. That said, climbing with a super light hardtail after riding 28-30lbs dual suspension for years is refreshing.
  • 2 0
 @bman33: The stiffness has never been an issue for me (I weigh less than 150 lbs though). 200g is close to half a pound, as a light person I can feel the difference for sure. 300g vs a pike! I should try a lightweight hardtail, I wouldn't call the Chameleon I have 'light'. I got it down to about 27.5 lbs with a SiD, 26T chainring/9-39T ethirteen cassette, light tires and carbon wheels. But back to back against the full suspension rig (31 lbs) it sure feels light.
  • 1 1
 @woofer2609: Kind of weird to think that people are still unsatisfied with current models for stiffness. SID, Pike and Lyrik are all 35mm. The old dirt jump favorite 2008 Pike 454 was 32mm in a similar travel range to SID.
  • 2 0
 @jlauteam1: and the Pike 454 was a nooodle...I had one on a DJ back when I was hitting much gnarlier stuff. They broke often. The SID Crown and tubes are different/lighter that Pikes. SID comes in 32mm -OR- 35mm now. That said, once you ride a torsionally stiffer fork, riding flexy forks just isn't what you are looking for. That said, fully understand a super light hardtail would not be ridden the same as say a 130-140mm trail bike, but 200-300g isn't a deal breaker for me unless I was racing XC or ultra distrance
  • 1 0
 @bman33: I guess, this could be entirely different for you. I never found the old Pike to be a problem in it's day. Even now I have all 3: 2021 lyrik, 2021 pike and 2022 35mm sid. All of them are totally fine for me. People were able to win enduro races on the lyrik before the zeb/38's came along ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I appreciate lighter weight things because I just don't end up breaking many parts really. Freestyle bmx is a great example; the bikes now weigh about 1/2 of what they did in the peak 90's "mid-school' and are stronger. Maybe mountain bikes could get there but not with everyone crying about stiffness and bogus 'lifetime warranty' for "manufacturing defects" lol, what even is that.
  • 2 0
 @jlauteam1: Lyrik and anything above aee different category of forks compared to the Sid and 34 or a Pike. I've got a lyric on one bike and an Ohlins 36 on another. Either is fine and I don't ride a 38 on anything... Not even my DH bike. I grew up BMX and freestyle. The freestyle bikes of the '80s or great for kids, but the pros broke them often . In the '90s, I worked at a shop selling Standards, S&M, etc and they went completely opposite direction of being overbuilt. They make sense today. Same thing with DH bikes and free ride bikes. They went through a phase where they weighed 40 or 50 lb which was ridiculous. I'm not saying you should enjoy what I enjoy. However, I'll take a stiffer fork every day of the week for only 200-300 grams difference The way I currently ride. I'm 178 lb. As well, so there is a bit of weight difference between both of us.
  • 8 1
 @fred-frod the crazier bikes have gotten (ie. batteries, bluetooth shifting, blah blah).. the more these simple aesthetics (and pretty parts) appeal to me. But cheers bud
  • 5 0
 For what these things cost, they certainly do not last without repair or replacement. Between me and my buddy we had 3 RSL's break/crack on either the headtube area or by the dropouts. Each one was with less than 2 years of riding, and neither one of us hit big jumps or anything traditionally out of line for a hardtail.
  • 4 0
 I am going on 8 years with my Moots Mooto-X RSL single speed.
  • 2 0
 @WillBlack5tU: Hell ya that's awesome! Ours were setup single speed as well. I did like it quite a bit and miss it from time to time.
  • 5 0
 I used to dream of one day buying a ti bike like this and having it "last forever". Had I done that back then, I'd still be riding a 26" bike with cantilever studs and a very steep geometry. Things change too fast to invest $5K in a frame.
  • 5 0
 any framebuilder can make a bike using paragons sliding drop out and a UDH insert
  • 3 0
 I love Paragon Machine Works stuff. Richmond, CA,
  • 2 0
 There are a number of amazing custom boutique frame builders that could make this frame for you. Do your research... I know Moots has a great history and the bikes are of course well made but they are a larger established custom builder and if you dont like the price you can have someone make you this exact bike for much less. At this point your'e paying for the name not the revolutionary geometry or anything else that sets it apart. Bring on the triggered Moots owners in the comments below...
  • 3 0
 Aren't all frames with Paragon Machine Works dropouts UDH conpatible? That design has been around a while and they announed eons ago they'd offer drive side only upgrade kits
  • 1 0
 It's not that interesting or ironic, really. Many sliding dropout systems have had hanger options. And since UDH took off well enough to be almost everywhere, it just makes sense to have your sliders be UDH compat. Actually makes more sense than a full optional slider with classic hanger, since the UDH part can handle the hanger bit on its own.
  • 1 0
 I'll finish the sentence for them. "for the ultra-purist rider that wants a simplified connection to the bike and trail...and a simplified disconnection between rider and wallet."
  • 5 3
 A $5,000 frame is "a bit" antithetical to what singlespeeding is about. One of the goals/points-of-pride of is to build it as cheaply as you can.
  • 11 1
 Singlespeeding is about other people knowing that you are singlespeeding. What you spend accomplishing that is up to you.
  • 2 0
 @AndrewFleming: Guilty as charged.
  • 1 0
 To me it is about being cheap and free from worries. And living in the Netherlands, I don't understand why I hardly ever see other singlespeeders. Maybe they are afraid to be judged as an attention craving clown.
  • 1 0
 @Dopepedaler: No guilt! It's a noble endeavor.
  • 1 0
 $5,000 for frame.
In a blind test, can you tell the difference between Moots vs. (carver, Desalvo, china build, seven cycles, Lynski, Salsa, etc.)
Think the wheel set are more of a factor in ride quality than frame.
  • 2 0
 Wouldn’t it be possible to use the UDH dropout on any bike with the same horizontal dropout style?
  • 3 0
 "For the ultra-purist well-heeled rider"
  • 3 0
 $10k for a single speed hardtail......
  • 2 0
 Most of the pleasure of owning a Moots is knowing you've over paid and having all the retires jelly
  • 1 1
 A local shop here in Minneapolis carries Moots and I swear I’ve never seen one leave the showroom. They are just comically expensive even by custom Titanium boutique standards. Its 2023, NOBODY is paying 7K for a hardtail.
  • 6 0
 @MattyRides ... most of us here on PB will never buy a Moots, but until recently I lived on Colorado for 10+ years and was in Steamboat a good bit. They are booked with orders and sell every frame they make. Someone is keeping them in business.
  • 3 0
 @bman33: the roadie crowd is likely buying Moots mtbs…have you seen what they’ll pay for a fully ridge bike that sucks on the dirt?! Lots more $ and people ride rd vs mtb
  • 1 0
 Angry Catfish? I mean, they're still in business somehow, and I can't imagine it's just Surly loyalists.

I do remember my first time seeing a Moots price tag when window shopping there. I'll learn TIG and make my own, thanks
  • 1 2
 Y'all are missing the point by hating on the price of this thing. The main confusion I have as a single speeder is why you can't run a Gates Carbon Drive on this. And why it is limited to a 140mm fork. Other than that, this looks like a fine North American made steed from a company steeped in tradition.
  • 3 0
 Be curious how this compares to a Kona Unit...PB Shootout article?
  • 1 0
 I'm confused. The geo looks more modern in the pictures on PB. But on their website the geo is 'XC carbon frame racing geo' spec.
  • 3 0
 they say a sucker is born every minute.
  • 1 0
 @seb-stott
Love this “For those who like to make good use of the things they can find” be looking out for you in Wimbledon on one of these.
  • 1 0
 Are those presta to schraeder adaptors being used to hold the the rear wheel in place?
  • 2 0
 Think of the up charge for Cable Tourism. Wink
  • 2 0
 Ebike seems reasonable now...
  • 5 3
 lmao f*ck moots

just send this pic to waltly and get the frame for $800
  • 2 0
 niche market, 10000$ single speed bike...
  • 3 1
 Moots, huh? Didn’t realize they were still around.
  • 3 0
 heavens to betsy
  • 2 0
 Lord have mercy, how she even get dem britches on
  • 2 0
 Single speed with udh compatibility.. the math ain't mathin
  • 2 0
 I could literally pay someone to weld me up a frame and pay less. Nice.
  • 2 1
 Well, when all the people in the Dental professions "Nope Out", then maybe Moots will get the message..........
  • 1 0
 Has the world gone completely mad. That price isn't even funny. Are they actually hoping to sell these things.
  • 2 0
 I could get a completely pimped Vassago Optimus or Radimus for way less.
  • 1 0
 or a custom Desalvo, Dean
  • 2 0
 i live under a rock and need info like wheel size and weight. thank you
  • 2 0
 Damn five grand inflated inflation
  • 1 3
 Paying that much for a production Ti hardtail is ridiculous. If you're spending that much at least get one custom made, so you can feel the benefits of the titanium with the tubing sized for your weight. Any production steel or ti frame will be so overbuilt, so that it doesn't feel like a noodle under a 250lb rider, that it negates any of the "ride" benefits for a healthy rider.
  • 2 0
 Are we single speeding on 12 speed chains now?
  • 1 0
 15k for a full ebike top mounted with high end electronics gears..... shame! 10k for a front... great! love it
  • 2 0
 That´s not Moots, you jerk! It´s Moors, it´s a missprint
  • 1 0
 "it can accommodate gears, including SRAM's direct-mount Transmission"

I can't see any cable gudie there :-(
Zip tie?
  • 1 0
 These are custom frames, built to order. If the buyer wants guides, they are easily added. Of course, wireless shifting doesn't require them.
  • 2 0
 That's a pretty ugly bike
  • 1 0
 yeeeaaaa you can go ahead and F@%# right off
  • 2 1
 Lol April 1 was last month.
  • 2 1
 Get a sick Revel Jefe with the same features for waaaay less.
  • 3 1
 Made in China vs Steamboat
  • 4 0
 @DetroitCity: I'm aware! They both do great work.
  • 2 0
 10k... Lololol
  • 2 0
 $5,000? Ha ha ha...no.
  • 4 3
 Anyone charging 10k for a hardtail literally belongs in prison
  • 1 0
 Finally a normal looking bike.
  • 1 1
 If I was in the market for a handmade Ti frame, I’d get a Ti Fat Chance over this and save myself a grand.
  • 1 0
 god damn thats one ugly bike
  • 1 0
 Damnit moots now I need another freaking bike hahaha
  • 1 0
 Not purist enough. Has a dropper, suspension fork and two brakes.
  • 1 0
 Ugh, and no titanium flex stays
  • 1 0
 Graphics look like : Walmart, or K-mart bikes
  • 2 1
 Waltworks>moots
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