First ride on the Titus FTM carbon WOW. I miss being on squishy bikes. This bike is too much fun. I have been on a hard tail 29er for about 2 years now.  There is something to be said about preloading before an obstacle and popping up over it instead of bashing straight through it. I know that has nothing to do with this bike, but it has to be said. It is almost like being a monk locked in a monastery for years and then visiting Portland on vacation.  You’d be hard pressed to walk back in to the monastery.  The Actual Ride It was rainy and muddy up around Saltzman and Firelane 5 this morning. It is to be expected for the end of February. It just means slow down a bit going around corners, and your wife will have a conniption if you bring those dang muddy clothes in the house. I figured I would ride down F5 and back up Saltzman, a short ride but being the closest trail to me it would have to do before the workday began. Firelane 5 is all down hill and Saltzman is all up, unless you take them in reverse.  F5 is mostly double track/unimproved road until the bottom section which is twisty singletrack. Saltzman is a road, err unpaved stretch of scenery. I’ve ridden all my bikes on it so it proves to be a good short tester. The FTM, being a trail, bike eats this stuff up for breakfast. Having ample suspension both front and rear brings smiles all around. I found myself going a little faster and pushing a little harder through the techy stuff. I didn’t think about the suspension as I was making my way down hill. Which as you know from my previous posts this is a good thing. The FSR type suspension has been around for a while and as I posted before, feels comfy to me. I know what the bike is going to do and it does it. The new thing to me is the Rockshox Monarch doing the business on the rear end instead of Fox. You have a couple settings (Rebound, Air pressure, and Floodgate) which make it dead simple to setup. A funny thing happened and I left the Floodgate closed this whole ride. I guess I didn’t need it.  I mentioned on twitter last night that I love the thru-axle. Having one on the front should be mandatory for longer travel forks. some may say it is a “nice to have” but once you actually ride with one on your everyday trails it really make them more fun. When you put the wheel somewhere it actually goes there with no complaints. My only complaint is now I will need a new fork, front wheel, and rack. ;) The bottom line I am not one to tell you to buy this bike or that bike. I think you are big boys and girls and can make that decision on your own. If you are in the market for a carbon trail bike I definitely would put this one on your list to check out.  Titus sells the frames online ($1199) or full builds (X9/Rockshox)($3299) at their location in Portland. Contact me if you are in the area and want to see it I may or may not let you ride it :) Final note: The Crank Bros wheels are niiiiiiice! Before getting her dirty Taken at speed The road out.
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First ride on the Titus FTM carbon

WOW. I miss being on squishy bikes. This bike is too much fun. I have been on a hard tail 29er for about 2 years now.  There is something to be said about preloading before an obstacle and popping up over it instead of bashing straight through it. I know that has nothing to do with this bike, but it has to be said. It is almost like being a monk locked in a monastery for years and then visiting Portland on vacation.  You’d be hard pressed to walk back in to the monastery. 

The Actual Ride

It was rainy and muddy up around Saltzman and Firelane 5 this morning. It is to be expected for the end of February. It just means slow down a bit going around corners, and your wife will have a conniption if you bring those dang muddy clothes in the house. I figured I would ride down F5 and back up Saltzman, a short ride but being the closest trail to me it would have to do before the workday began.

Firelane 5 is all down hill and Saltzman is all up, unless you take them in reverse.  F5 is mostly double track/unimproved road until the bottom section which is twisty singletrack. Saltzman is a road, err unpaved stretch of scenery. I’ve ridden all my bikes on it so it proves to be a good short tester.

The FTM, being a trail, bike eats this stuff up for breakfast. Having ample suspension both front and rear brings smiles all around. I found myself going a little faster and pushing a little harder through the techy stuff. I didn’t think about the suspension as I was making my way down hill. Which as you know from my previous posts this is a good thing.

The FSR type suspension has been around for a while and as I posted before, feels comfy to me. I know what the bike is going to do and it does it. The new thing to me is the Rockshox Monarch doing the business on the rear end instead of Fox. You have a couple settings (Rebound, Air pressure, and Floodgate) which make it dead simple to setup. A funny thing happened and I left the Floodgate closed this whole ride. I guess I didn’t need it. 

I mentioned on twitter last night that I love the thru-axle. Having one on the front should be mandatory for longer travel forks. some may say it is a “nice to have” but once you actually ride with one on your everyday trails it really make them more fun. When you put the wheel somewhere it actually goes there with no complaints. My only complaint is now I will need a new fork, front wheel, and rack. ;)

The bottom line

I am not one to tell you to buy this bike or that bike. I think you are big boys and girls and can make that decision on your own. If you are in the market for a carbon trail bike I definitely would put this one on your list to check out. 

Titus sells the frames online ($1199) or full builds (X9/Rockshox)($3299) at their location in Portland. Contact me if you are in the area and want to see it I may or may not let you ride it :)

Final note: The Crank Bros wheels are niiiiiiice!

titus carbon ftm

Before getting her dirty

titus carbon ftm

Taken at speed

Saltzman Portland Oregon

The road out.


SNEAK PEEK: The Titus Rockstar 29er in carbon. Once a dream, it is now getting closer to reality. The carbon version of the Rockstar is back on schedule after some delays of the language sort.  Estimated release date of “in the fall if all goes well”.  Like most the other bikes in the Titus line up this new one should be almost identical to its Aluminum brother, but with a few tweaks to accommodate the different frame material.  The medium frame should clock in at a a nice 4 pounds when all said and done.   More to come as I get more info, until then enjoy the photos:
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SNEAK PEEK: The Titus Rockstar 29er in carbon.

Once a dream, it is now getting closer to reality. The carbon version of the Rockstar is back on schedule after some delays of the language sort.  Estimated release date of “in the fall if all goes well”.  Like most the other bikes in the Titus line up this new one should be almost identical to its Aluminum brother, but with a few tweaks to accommodate the different frame material.  The medium frame should clock in at a a nice 4 pounds when all said and done.  

More to come as I get more info, until then enjoy the photos:

Titus Rockstar 29er Carbon ready for the mountains

Titus Rockstar Carbon

Titus Rockstar 29er Carbon

Light composite bikes made in China slammed by UCI execs

If you ride a carbon bike from china the UCI doesn’t think it is safe. 

I found this interesting article on BikeBiz.com this morning.  

Personally, I can see where the UCI is coming from on the side of concern that your bike made in China may not be 100% safe. But, I also am aware that even things made in the States or Europe can not be guaranteed 100% safe either.  That is the “Buyer beware” portion of a market.  It is also why we have regulators in manufacturing and importing. 

I am trying to find the UCI’s end game in stating this. Do they want us to only ride steel? Or are they making another play to become more entrenched in the industry?

——-

McQuaid also said lightweight road bike frames made from composites were less safe than bikes made from steel:

“Bikes have become too light. They’re hopping all over the place; they jump when they hit potholes or whatever. They don’t have the same reactions as when we had the old steel bikes. If we continue to reduce the weight [of bikes, these problems] will increase.

“We have a concern that when bikes are involved in crashes, frames are splitting into two and three, and there will be lengths of carbon sticking into people.”

Also, ended with “Get off my lawn!!”