Ex Titanium owners

Fishboyz

I've built up an enigma bike from scratch with some choice components so its hovering just under 7kg...

I've owned an Ti bike in the past so its a bit of a trip down memory lane as I sold the old one when I really shouldn't have. I was wondering apart from the weight how folk have transposed over from Titanium to Carbon and how the ride compares? I'm not into road racing as such and don't want to make an expensive bike and ideally I'll try and demo a few to see how they compare...

Any views?

gabriel959

I had a Sabbath Silk Road. Very comfortable ride, as comfortable as my steel bike, no worry about rust, scratches and fairly lightweight, better than steel anyway.

Problem was that it felt dead and it was very soft, I didn't get excited or inspired by riding it. The geo didn't help either. Super Six is a lot more fun.

napoleond

I had a Litespeed Siena. Used it as a winter bike. It was 'OK'.

Sold it and actually prefer my Ribble winter aluminium bike.

jordan_217

I currently own an Enigma Echo. It's great for mile munching and general riding but it feels a bit dead when I want to really put the hammer down, sprinting in races and such. I have a CAAD10 which feels so much more responsive and isn't that much more uncomfortable TBH.

90% of the time the Enigma is all the bike I need. I think the curved seat stays a the 'problem' with mine, maybe why the latest Echo now has straight seat stays (?)

I sold a Scott CR1 ('07 vintage) to fund my Enigma, I really wish I hadn't now. It was sublime to ride hard and was even better when the road started to point up, though it was very very stiff and I did know when I'd been on it for several hours.

maddog 2

I run a ti Airborne Carpe Diem for a commuter/trainer/CXer and it's great - comfy, tough, supple

But on a recent Mallorca trip I hired two bikes, on different days - a Van Nic Aquilo (ti) and a cheaper Massi carbon. Both general roadies and I was surprised to prefer the cheaper Massi. The Van Nic was higher spec (Ultegra Di2) and had better wheels but the cheaper Massi was just a better ride. You wouldn't guess it by looking at them...

flasher

For the roads where I ride I much prefer my ti bike to the carbon, a much smoother ride.

I too had a Massi (full carbon) when I was in Majorca this year and it was lovely, but the quality of the tarmac is also sublime!

Fishboyz

interesting reading...I might try a cannondale supersix evo

Monty Dog

Depends on what you're looking for from a bike - for me at 60kg, racing an ultra-stiff carbon frame and wheels over typical broken tarmac surfaces means the whole bike skipping about and having to careful how hard I kick on corners and hills - I actually prefer racing a titanium frame for this reason. Relatively, a 80kg rider on a similar bike would have a very different opinion.

meanredspider

Monty Dog wrote:

me at 60kg, racing an ultra-stiff carbon frame and wheels over typical broken tarmac surfaces means the whole bike skipping about

Sounds like you could have done with less tyre pressure

Fishboyz

Monty Dog wrote:

Depends on what you're looking for from a bike - for me at 60kg, racing an ultra-stiff carbon frame and wheels over typical broken tarmac surfaces means the whole bike skipping about and having to careful how hard I kick on corners and hills - I actually prefer racing a titanium frame for this reason. Relatively, a 80kg rider on a similar bike would have a very different opinion.

I'm 83kg :?