Kent Eriksen titanium road bike
#51
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Good thing I had the bike shop do a once-over... The prior owner had put on an 11-32 cassette, which apparently does not play nicely with the last generation di2. They swapped it out for an 11-30 and it's working perfectly per the shop. They also noticed that the chain was pretty stretched out, so they replaced that as well. Hopefully picking it up today... Can't wait for the maiden voyage. I'll post pics of the finished product soon.
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Why are there so few titanium forks?
Because titanium, while it is a fantastic material to build a bicycle frame out of, is really, really difficult to make forks out of. Fork blades are tapered. Titanium tubing doesn't taper easily. Fork blades are, ideally, bent. (Straight bladed forks are a cost-saving measure, they have no other reason to exist.) Titanium doesn't bend easily... at all. Stiffness isn't relevant to this discussion, since you can make a fork as stiff or as flexible as you want out of any material. (Ask anyone who's ever ridden a TVT carbon fork down a steep, curvy, rough descent...)
Basically, making forks out of titanium is really expensive, and a huge pain in the posterior. Which is why the few builders that offer them charge what they do... like, 1/3 the cost of the frame. And, since very few customers are willing to pay that premium, it's just easier for framebuilders to buy off-the-shelf, brand-name carbon forks that almost everybody likes and so everybody's happy.
--Shannon
Because titanium, while it is a fantastic material to build a bicycle frame out of, is really, really difficult to make forks out of. Fork blades are tapered. Titanium tubing doesn't taper easily. Fork blades are, ideally, bent. (Straight bladed forks are a cost-saving measure, they have no other reason to exist.) Titanium doesn't bend easily... at all. Stiffness isn't relevant to this discussion, since you can make a fork as stiff or as flexible as you want out of any material. (Ask anyone who's ever ridden a TVT carbon fork down a steep, curvy, rough descent...)
Basically, making forks out of titanium is really expensive, and a huge pain in the posterior. Which is why the few builders that offer them charge what they do... like, 1/3 the cost of the frame. And, since very few customers are willing to pay that premium, it's just easier for framebuilders to buy off-the-shelf, brand-name carbon forks that almost everybody likes and so everybody's happy.
--Shannon
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#53
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Laser sintering 3d printers addresses some of the engineering limitations working with Ti for forks, making them more practical, but costs remain high.
Sturdy Cycles in the UK does cool stuff with the tech, including forks.
Sturdy Cycles in the UK does cool stuff with the tech, including forks.
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Not sure how my thread turned into a discussion on forks, but this is BF! Anyway, just got the bike back. Haven't had a chance to take photos or go for a ride, but I did just order some King titanium cages to complete the look...
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Caliwild Yes, the welds are very even, almost as even as my max OCD, 1.5 hour long bar tape wrapping job.
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Those welds are very, very impressive! That’s craftsmanship!
The King cages, at 28g, are light, but ridiculously light belongs to Supacaz Fly cages at 18g. They’re very good, too, great for road, but a little too light for gravel work with large water bottles. For a lifetime of use, though, you can’t beat King; I’ve broken, in crashes, very expensive carbon fiber road cages from both Lezyne and Elite. I doubt Ti would have broken in those situations.
The King cages, at 28g, are light, but ridiculously light belongs to Supacaz Fly cages at 18g. They’re very good, too, great for road, but a little too light for gravel work with large water bottles. For a lifetime of use, though, you can’t beat King; I’ve broken, in crashes, very expensive carbon fiber road cages from both Lezyne and Elite. I doubt Ti would have broken in those situations.
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Finally got a chance to take her out for a maiden voyage... I was very pleasantly surprised that this isn't a noodle-y ride. It's very responsive when you stand up (maybe due to the beefy chainstays). It's a comfortable ride too, but not really more than my carbon bikes (I'd say it's just as comfy). Shimano di2 with rim brakes (especially with the braking on these wheels - DT Swiss dicut oxic) is a pretty amazing combo. It's fairly lightweight too: I weighed it with everything you see on the bike, and it's exactly 17.5 lbs. I really like the dark blue Fizik Terra bar tape too. It looks the part (blue without being too blue) and is super grippy and comfortable. I also swapped to a different Fizik saddle, as this one fits my rear better. I have 700x25 tires on there right now, but may switch to 700x27 Enve tubeless tires (these rims are tubeless ready) to get some more comfort and grip. But so far, so good! Go Dodgers!
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OK, ordered some Enve gumwall tubeless tires (which I love on another bike) in 700x27 size (should hopefully fit)... The 700x25 Continental 4 Season clincher tires are bombproof but not really supple. I might actually order a bluetooth module for the di2 so that I can see the shifts on my Wahoo Bolt. Otherwise, loving this thing! Hit my fastest speed on a local descent this morning.
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OK, finally got a chance to take some photos... Went tubeless and installed some gunwall Enve's in 700x27. Also, switched out the saddle to a brown Selle Italia Flite (re-release). Once the tires get a little more brownish, I think they'll match the saddle better too. The bike definitely feels more comfortable, as I am able to run lower pressures. Also, had the bike shop install the bluetooth module for the di2 so that I can fiddle with it without having to plug it into a computer. Also, I'm now able to see which gear I am in on my Wahoo Bolt.
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#67
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It's obvious that you love your bike when you stop in the middle of your ride just to take a picture of it.
Who here has not done that? I know I have. I would too if that were my bike.
Who here has not done that? I know I have. I would too if that were my bike.
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Just found a great deal on a navy blue (discontinued color) Chris King bottom bracket. Had to get matchy matchy with the rest of the blue on the bike
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Nice bike! I preferred the aesthetics before the "brown" replacements though.
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OK, I think this is the last of my upgrades/changes... Threw on a Zipp Service Course XPLOR bar. A much more shallow drop and the flared ends make for a super comfy bar. Plus, I think the silver aluminum matches nicely with the titanium bike and stem... The bikes feels pretty dialed in right now.
https://www.rei.com/product/219238/z...E&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.rei.com/product/219238/z...E&gclsrc=aw.ds
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Some of these shots look like Griffith Park? And a Serious Cycling bottle? You know those guys?
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Good eye! Yep, Griffith Park... great place for a quick spin. I know a couple guys from the Serious Cycling Northridge location. Have purchased a bike and other stuff from them before. Nice guys...
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