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I know there's no such thing as a bike for life, but humour me...
I'm after a nice ti 29er that will last me a very long time if not forever...I'd like it to have decent tyre clearance so I could fit the odd fatter tyre if I wanted but most important is it's capacity for mile munching.
The dream is to one day do the Tour Divide so something capable of that but that would still be fun tearing about the Peaks as well. Probably thinking it would take a 120mm fork.
Oh, and I'm not that keen on the bendy down-tubes that most seem to have...
Any ideas?
Fireline or Sync.
And it'll only last as long as you can buy parts that fit it.
Jeesus theres loads. Travers 29+ anything custom by engin, black sheep, moonmen, IF (although recent reports are that the QC can be a bit iffy) vassago optimus ti, salsa el mar in ti. Id you want cheapy ti with bik fork capabilities look at the titus titanium thing that on-one sell....loooaaaads out there
I've just bought a Kona Raijin and I love it. Really comfortable and fast.
Pipedream Skookum?
You clearly want one which does this
No ta. Linkages belong on me full sus bike!
I've just bought a Kona Raijin and I love it. Really comfortable and fast.
I've been looking at those. Out of interest (sorry for thread hijack) which size and how tall are you?
Well...I do love a kona so could be very tempted by that. Any more info would be ace
I'm 5' 11" and have been riding a medium Solaris which I loved. But always fancied a ti frame so bought an 18" medium Raijin. It's a few mm's shorter in the top tube and a bit shorter chain stays which I love. First ride was this morning and for me it's definitely a keeper. It's beautiful. It's much more comfortable than the Solaris. (And that was comfortable too).
The 27.2mm Seatpost helps. I've never bothered with a dropper but might treat myself to a ti post. I was a bit dubious of press fit BB's but it all seems nice at the moment.
[i]Bike for life[/i] in titanium... 😐
Something nice in steel.
Love my Fireline. Plenty of clearance IF you sort the front mech properly. I run 2.25 Smorgasbords on the rear.
[img][url= https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2853/11406530456_c331c0df46_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2853/11406530456_c331c0df46_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url] [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/76248110@N06/11406530456/ ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/76248110@N06/ ]danthomassw13[/url], on Flickr[/img]
[img][url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7330/11818842846_b8e27d0c24_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7330/11818842846_b8e27d0c24_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url] [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/76248110@N06/11818842846/ ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/76248110@N06/ ]danthomassw13[/url], on Flickr[/img]
[i]Love my Fireline. Plenty of clearance IF you sort the front mech properly.[/i]
Ditch it?
Another fireline vote. Love it.
Mboy to the forum, calling Mboy to the forum!!
Worth doing a search for the Sync thread if you haven't already. I'd say it fits the bill, but then I would as I've got one and I like it a lot.
I rode Sync and while I enjoyed it I did find it a little stiff (less compliant) compared to my Solaris. Also I didn't like the internal headset or internal cable routing. It did look nice though.
As Bol said, the Sync fits the bill, and it is awesome!!
[url= https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2827/13200867004_fb627b80e3_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2827/13200867004_fb627b80e3_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= https://flic.kr/p/m7vTRf ]DSC02767[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/52769476@N00/ ]South Downs MTB Skills[/url], on Flickr
The fireline has definitely got some compliance in the back. Fast, comfortable bike. If I could make any changes ask I'd do would be to put a bolt thru rear axle on it, but that would be nit picking. (now has a 10mm rear axle which helps)
I think you might find it hard.
For me mile munching =
Standard BSA BB or PF30 to fit adaptors for standard BB
2x bottle bottle brackets
Vertical dropouts
Geo - you probably don't want particularly fast so 69.5 HA or less.
Seat post - used to think 27.2 but I have a feeling my Syntace 30.9 shockpost is more comfortable than my 27.2 one.
FWIW I couldn't find a Ti frame to meet my requirements so built a steel Curtis to my design. It weighs 400g more than an equivalent Ti frame. I'm happy with that.
thanks all.. THe sync looks lovely but a bit too 'aggressive' for my liking...would love something like a Swift in ti (I have an old swift at the mo) but not sure Sam does one anymore? Not a huge fan of On-one (sorry!) so probably rule out the Fireline...
adsh like the idea of your Curtis. Got any pics? Guess I could always get something built in ti. Which was my original plan but saw a scary thread on here that I suspect was about the guy I wanted to use.
If your aspirations include the distances and usage that lead up to and include the Divide I'd look for a steel frame. Ti is nice but it's a luxury item, steel is something even Conan had trust in.
Anyway, shouldn't you get a Moots Divide?
[url= http://moots.com/our-bike/mtb-29/mxdivide/overview/ ]Moots divide[/url]
I have owned many ti bikes from pretty much all of the boutique brands (too many Sevens, a few Moots, an IF, a Merlin and a Serotta). Like most things, you get what you pay for, but the law of diminishing returns applies beyond a certain price.
I recently built up a 'bargain' (it's all relative!) Lynskey Pro 29 from Chain Reaction. OK, not quite as nice or exclusive as the other brands that I have mentioned, but certainly very decent. Nice quality welds, good geometry, decent warranty (and these days less need to call upon it), and a very good price. The twisted tubes look OK in the flesh, and they do seem to add stiffness, but they have a few straight tubed versions available in the sale too if you want something more traditional. 44mm head tube, so future proof, standard bb, so no creaking, slider dropouts, so single speed or geared. Ticks a lot of the boxes.
Worth a look. If you fancy something more boutique, for me it would be Seven all the way! Best mix of fit, quality, detail, options, warranty, service and the ability to tune the ride quality to your needs. As close to a bike for life as you will get (until you buy the next one!).
I know what you mean jameso but part of it is I am looking to treat myself with a luxury item too 🙂 Have never bought a new bike and want my first big purchase to be something I've always wanted...
Moots Divide looks lovely but I'm after a hardtail really...
still loving my Ti Fireline Evo.
[img][url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5336/9167472558_f62ba1cb3b_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5336/9167472558_f62ba1cb3b_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/eY6GcG ]IMAG0264[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/62031621@N06/ ]the_lecht_rocks[/url], on Flickr[/img]
Fair enough, nothing wrong with a luxury bike, that's what my ti MTB was bought for : ) Just get one with solid back up from a reputed builder. I don't think ti deserves a 'cracky' rep, fwiw.
Cool. Will have a look at Seven...Jameso, what ti bike do you have?
A Jones. A ti spaceframe and the standard steel one. The steel one goes where I couldn't risk losing the ti one - the ti is a bike for life as in affordability / a one-off buy. Having said that I'd replace it in a moment if needed now, wasn't sure if that would be the case when I bought it. I'd also be happy on the steel bike as a 'lifer', the ti is a luxury SS version.
Had a couple of custom ti road bikes before that, about 8 yrs ago. I wasn't meant to have 2 but it all worked out ok.. that's where my 'buy from a good guy / company' point comes from.
The Fireline geometry numbers on On One website look a bit odd.
http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FRTITFL29/titus-ti-fireline-evo-29er-frame
Stack and reach are H and I
Numbers are just miles out.
Are the stack and reach actually I and J. Makes sense then.
Brian
I have a lovely Ti Burls that I'd happily recommend. You can specify tube lengths, angles, drop-out types, cabling options etc. but the rear tyre clearance is nothing special. 2.25 Ardents fit fine, I suspect anything wider would rub. The purchase process was simple and pain-free and didn't take too long and, what's more, it was much less that the Ti El Mariachi I'd previously been eyeing up.
[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5117/14165644482_2b1511cbaf_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5117/14165644482_2b1511cbaf_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/nzLCzG ]IMAG0204[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/22384952@N02/ ]ScotRoutes[/url], on Flickr
Ti Mariachi is my fave bike. If you want to cover distance and your trails don't look like the kind of thing Steve Peat does, then it could be your baby. Mine's an old one with standard headtube and old-style dropout. I've got it set up for winter in the forest with cromoto steel fork, Tubeless Arches on Hope with Nobby Nic rear @ 28psi and Hans Dampt 2.35 front @ 21.
Love the bent Thomson 27.2 seatpost and SDG BelAir. Drivechain - whatever you like.
Even with the 100mm Fox F29 on the front, I can't quite compete with a full-sus in Wales, but I love it. Timmee
Been riding a Sync for the last 10 months or so now and... Well, it gets my vote!
There's a huge thread on here about them, but put simply, it's an incredible bike. It's perhaps a tiny bit steeper than some of its competitors, but if anything that just adds to the character, as it's probably the most lively, entertaining 29er I've ridden. It's also usefully stiff and responsive (unlike a lot of Ti) though still less harsh than ally.
It's been a demo bike for my shop, and a number of people have ridden it and everyone loves it. It's the time of year where I've been thinking "what do I ride for 2015" but I can't bring myself to get rid of the Sync, it's just awesome! So... As it happens, my GF who also loved it (and currently rides an FF29) is going to inherit it it seems, so it stays within the fold.
Always wanted a 2012 Ti Mariachi - last of the vertical dropouts.
Drop me an e mail (profile) for photos of the Curtis.


