Titus El Guapo :D (slightly gory photo pg 3)

angry_bird

It arrived today. El Guapo with RS Monarch RT3, in nice shiny raw colour.

The finish is very raw and I like it! Really pleased with it, got it fitted with a 1 degree slackset too.

The plan is to whack all the bits from here...

... onto it. With the exception of a few little parts like the seatpost and the stem, and grips as they're worn out.

Got a reverb on its way over from Germany, stem and grips on the way from superstar, new backplate for the chain guide is needed too so that's coming. New chain is ready to go as the current one will be too short I'd imagine.

Initial comments about the frame... there's a serious design flaw regarding the shock. The 3 position compression lever will ony go to pedal and unlocked because the frame prevents it getting all the way round to locked out Doesn't really bother me if I'm honest, if it starts to do so then I'll just cut the lever down a bit I guess.

Can't wait to get it built, hopefully get chance this weekend to perform the transplant...

Proutster

Looks good Rich, be good to see it built up!!

Good to see that my taxes are getting spent wisely

mrmonkfinger

It looks like the shock is mounted wrong, shouldn't the adjusters be facing downward?

Tidy looking bikes, anyway, interested to see how this one turns out.


<edit> on one's site, all the pictures of the el guapo have the adjusters facing downward.

paulneenan76

I really like the look of these frames - looking forward to seeing it finished.

Paul

angry_bird

Cheers guys, goodies from superstar have arrived now, just waiting on the reverb and walk 50 yards up the road to grab some cable from the LBS...

Proutster wrote:

Good to see that my taxes are getting spent wisely

Well, what's the point in having a student loan if you don't have some fun with it

mrmonkfinger wrote:

It looks like the shock is mounted wrong, shouldn't the adjusters be facing downward?

Tidy looking bikes, anyway, interested to see how this one turns out.


<edit> on one's site, all the pictures of the el guapo have the adjusters facing downward.

Interesting, guess I'll just swap it around then, hadn't even considered that

MountainMonster

What a lovely bike frame, got to love the brushed alu styling!

Can't wait to see it built up.

angry_bird

There's been progress today... at the expense of the 456

First came this



Then I decided to at least get it rolling




Puppy didn't know what to do with himself



That's enough for tonight, tomorrow will be reverbing and braking. Saturday morning will be drivetraining. Job done. Very happy right now.

lawman

Looking goos mate, looking forward to seeing this fully built up What offset does the headset have and what kind of headnagle does the el guapo have? I got a works components one for the HD, they look like quality kit, can't wait to get it fitted

angry_bird

Cheers, standard it's a 67 degree head angle and the headset takes it down a degree to 66 which will do me nicely. Rode one before I got it and considering how I intend to use it I felt that to get the most out of it, it needed to be a tad slacker, stuck to a 1 degree rather than the 2 as it'd be a bit much. That 456 was stupidly slack and didn't want to push this too far that way. Just dying to get it finished now.

lawman

Know what you mean about the 456, my carbon is about 67 with a 140mm rev, so its a full degree slacker than the HD, despite the shorter fork, seriously slack bike, but I love that! I'm going slacker on the HD, but I'm very tempted to get another for the 456 and see how it goes even slacker. The titus looks like it'll be a blast once its built, and a bloody bargain too!

BlueAdvocate

These Titus do look good. Ed Oxley was riding one a lot last year and he seemed happy with it.
Oh yes obligatory kitchen shot a new bike part built - I'd get castrated for that.

http://www.great-rock.co.uk/2012/03/feeling-el-guapo/

EH_Rob

Nice.

I know the pivot will be different, but the curves remind me of a Nomad Mk 1



Which in turn reminds me of



In a good way.

The Rookie

Looking good, the Titus frames are stupidly good value!

Have you checked the BB height, there was a big problem with a batch of EG Medium (only I believe) frames coming out with a stupidly low BB, just use a piece of string between both wheel axles and the BB should be less than 1/2" below that line, if it's over an inch you need to get the frame changed!

angry_bird

Lawman, do it. Just slacken the pair of them off!! As for price it is quite the bargain, I mean you don't get stuff like owners manuals and that sort of junk, but then On-One are great when it comes to support anyway. Weight wise it's not too shabby either for £600, they quote 6.6lbs with shock on the titus website, I'm led to believe the mediums are 7lbs although don't quote me on that, would have weighed it but don't have the scales down here.

Had a feel of the frame vs a summer season frame when I went up to the showroom and there's virtually nothing in it at all. I mean adding the reverb will put some weight on, but then I'm running lighter tyres, around 100g dropped off the stem so will probably balance out. With the Domains and EX729s it's never going to be light anyway, but will be burly enough for me

The Beginner wrote:

Looking good, the Titus frames are stupidly good value!

Have you checked the BB height, there was a big problem with a batch of EG Medium (only I believe) frames coming out with a stupidly low BB, just use a piece of string between both wheel axles and the BB should be less than 1/2" below that line, if it's over an inch you need to get the frame changed!

Hmm I hadn't realised this until now, just seen the thread over on MTBR about it.Judging from that thread On-One got the updated stock in a few weeks ago leading me to believe this the updated V3 model with the in line BB, however will have a look when I get home. I've noticed it's not the highest BB around, but from looking at it it doesn't strike me as being too low, still, will do the string thing later but I guess the real test is riding it.

EH_Rob wrote:

Nice.

I know the pivot will be different, but the curves remind me of a Nomad Mk 1

Hmm slightly, the El Guapo is much nicer though



Anyway, sod it, hopefully going to finish it tonight and go ride it tomorrow morning

paulneenan76

Slack - what a lovely word. Can be used to sum up frame geo, work rate, hygiene, er Post childbirth? ;D

This is looking great - hope it rides as well as it looks. Ed Oxley seemed to think so.

angry_bird

Yeah, he seems happy with his, I imagine he'd have to say that though what with his relationship with on-one, but equally if it was a pile of crap he'd probably not ride it

angry_bird

The Beginner wrote:

Looking good, the Titus frames are stupidly good value!

Have you checked the BB height, there was a big problem with a batch of EG Medium (only I believe) frames coming out with a stupidly low BB, just use a piece of string between both wheel axles and the BB should be less than 1/2" below that line, if it's over an inch you need to get the frame changed!

Talking to the centre of the BB I assume here, in which case it's about 6-7mm below so not an issue. Phew.

the_moodster

nice build!

The Rookie

Angry Bird wrote:

The Beginner wrote:

Looking good, the Titus frames are stupidly good value!

Have you checked the BB height, there was a big problem with a batch of EG Medium (only I believe) frames coming out with a stupidly low BB, just use a piece of string between both wheel axles and the BB should be less than 1/2" below that line, if it's over an inch you need to get the frame changed!

Talking to the centre of the BB I assume here, in which case it's about 6-7mm below so not an issue. Phew.

Yes to the centre, and yes that sounds spot on, the side on photo on the wheels looked fine, but safer to speak up now rather than when you'd finished I thought!

angry_bird

Excellent.

It's finished. Pics to follow in a little while, got to clean up the lounge

You should all be drooling with anticipation...

angry_bird

Here we go...





Need to shorten the brake hose and reverb hose, but they can wait a few days, need some heli tape and trying to dig out an old road inner tube to wrap the stays in.



Bit of a mess at the moment.


Been out a couple of times on it round the estate briefly, bit dark now. Good fun, feels great to ride.

compo

I like it

I also likethe bike on bed approach

paulneenan76

That looks great - nice one.

Paul

angry_bird

Looks even better in the daylight



Very happy with it, hopefully take it for a blast tomorrow. Now really just waiting on some heli-tape and some time so as I can do the brake and reverb. Although I'm tempted not to do the brake as it's so nice right now, considering it's an avid it's probably best not to meddle when it's working fine

The Northern Monkey

that looks really good!!

The Rookie

Thats looking superb! Loving the bare ally frame.

DanDax1990

That looks the sh!t. How are those tyre's? Good all rounders or?

mrmonkfinger

Very nice indeed.

RS Sektors?

angry_bird

Cheers.
Can't really comment on the tyres yet, not used them enough although the inital impressions were good. Forks are Domain RCs.

mrmonkfinger

Angry Bird wrote:

Forks are Domain RCs.

Cool. In 160mm guise, I guess?

angry_bird

Well they're the U-turns off the 456, they're sat at 160mm constantly. I would see about converting them to a fixed travel but probably not worth it to be honest, as it is I really like them anyway... well maybe not the weight of them