Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Singlespeed & Fixed Gear
Reload this Page >

Aphelion Ti 1985 Model

Notices
Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

Aphelion Ti 1985 Model

Old 09-05-20, 08:04 AM
  #1  
AJ1515
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 35
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 16 Times in 8 Posts
Aphelion Ti 1985 Model

Hey Everyone. I am a frequent lurker but first poster. I wanted to pass along some serious love to Aphelion Cycles. I took the plunge during the US's shutdown and, without much more than the word of some past customers and the help of their sales team, had them build me a custom Ti singlespeed--their 1985 model. The bike is downright gorgeous, the welds are expert, and I can't believe how much bike I got for the price.

If anyone is looking for Ti without a crazy price tag, this company really is worth checking out. Their website is pretty bare bones, but the sales team is very quick to respond. Pictures to come once I hit 10 posts...

Last edited by AJ1515; 09-05-20 at 10:22 AM.
AJ1515 is offline  
Old 09-05-20, 10:23 AM
  #2  
AJ1515
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 35
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 16 Times in 8 Posts
Alright: I got one photo uploaded to an album. More to come.
AJ1515 is offline  
Old 09-05-20, 10:28 AM
  #3  
cb400bill
Forum Moderator
 
cb400bill's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Kalamazoo MI
Posts: 21,321

Bikes: Fuji SL2.1 Carbon Di2 Cannondale Synapse Alloy 4 Trek Checkpoint ALR-5 Viscount Aerospace Pro Colnago Classic Rabobank Schwinn Waterford PMount Raleigh C50 Cromoly Hybrid Legnano Tipo Roma Pista

Mentioned: 58 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3059 Post(s)
Liked 6,376 Times in 3,689 Posts
Pic Assist

cb400bill is offline  
Likes For cb400bill:
Old 09-05-20, 01:17 PM
  #4  
AJ1515
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 35
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 16 Times in 8 Posts
Thanks, CB. The wheels, tires, and saddle are all upgrades; everything else came from the company. I've put maybe 400-500 miles on it since August 11th, and it is so, so much fun to ride.
AJ1515 is offline  
Likes For AJ1515:
Old 09-06-20, 03:56 PM
  #5  
veganbikes
Clark W. Griswold
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 13,274

Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26

Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4251 Post(s)
Liked 3,863 Times in 2,578 Posts
That's a neat frame. Love me some Ti.

Odd choice of an integrated seat mast but square taper cranks? But I love seeing more titanium fixed gear road bikes and maybe you could get it sans seat mast.

Give us a longer term review, I am curious to hear your thoughts on it. Did you do a custom geo or is it their stock bike?
veganbikes is offline  
Old 09-06-20, 04:33 PM
  #6  
hsuBM
jj
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 331
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 140 Post(s)
Liked 110 Times in 78 Posts
That is sick.

While the seatmast’s upper looks crooked in the pic (probably a lighting illusion?) I love it and don’t know why anyone would want anything different.
hsuBM is offline  
Old 09-06-20, 06:37 PM
  #7  
AJ1515
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 35
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 16 Times in 8 Posts
hsu...I am pretty sure it is crooked in that picture! I was playing around with spacers and saddle height, and I think that may have been a day when I had the seat topper too high on the seat tube, allowing for some play back and forth between the topper and the post. I've fixed that...


Veganbikes: The design and component packages from Aphelion--until you get to their 4300 pound sterling road bike-- are odd. High quality ti frame, custom geometry facilitated by an incredibly responsive sales team, really lovely carbon fork and handle bars, and then very heavy and very "stock" pedals, saddle, wheels, and tires. I'm a small dude--roughly 76 cm inseam--so that helps bring the weight of the bike down, but between the Fabric saddle, the Egg Beater pedals, and the Ellipses, I was able to shave 1-1.2 kg off the bike without spending a ton more.


I fell in love with the aesthetics of ti frames when I taught 5 or 6 blocks down the road from Firefly Bikes in Boston. The picture above really doesn't do justice to just how lovely the frame looks. In terms of ride feels, I've moved from 32mm tires on an alloy frame + steel fork to 25mm tires supporting the ti frame and the carbon components, and the difference in comfort is pretty astounding even with the much narrower tires.
AJ1515 is offline  
Old 09-09-20, 10:51 PM
  #8  
veganbikes
Clark W. Griswold
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 13,274

Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26

Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4251 Post(s)
Liked 3,863 Times in 2,578 Posts
Originally Posted by AJ1515
hsu...I am pretty sure it is crooked in that picture! I was playing around with spacers and saddle height, and I think that may have been a day when I had the seat topper too high on the seat tube, allowing for some play back and forth between the topper and the post. I've fixed that...


Veganbikes: The design and component packages from Aphelion--until you get to their 4300 pound sterling road bike-- are odd. High quality ti frame, custom geometry facilitated by an incredibly responsive sales team, really lovely carbon fork and handle bars, and then very heavy and very "stock" pedals, saddle, wheels, and tires. I'm a small dude--roughly 76 cm inseam--so that helps bring the weight of the bike down, but between the Fabric saddle, the Egg Beater pedals, and the Ellipses, I was able to shave 1-1.2 kg off the bike without spending a ton more.


I fell in love with the aesthetics of ti frames when I taught 5 or 6 blocks down the road from Firefly Bikes in Boston. The picture above really doesn't do justice to just how lovely the frame looks. In terms of ride feels, I've moved from 32mm tires on an alloy frame + steel fork to 25mm tires supporting the ti frame and the carbon components, and the difference in comfort is pretty astounding even with the much narrower tires.
Firefly is awesome, they are at the top of the list of bikes I really really really really want badly but cannot purchase at the moment. If I could get Kevin to weld me up a few bikes I would be so happy. Dude is really nice and does some AMAZING work.

Most companies love to just cheap out on components it sucks. That is why I don't buy complete bikes unless I have to for some reason. Nobody builds 'em like I would build 'em and if they do they are dumb AF because I like odd stuff that most probably wouldn't buy or stock on the bike.
veganbikes is offline  
Likes For veganbikes:
Old 09-10-20, 12:20 PM
  #9  
seau grateau
Senior Member
 
seau grateau's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: PHL
Posts: 9,948

Bikes: Litespeed Catalyst, IRO Rob Roy, All City Big Block

Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1332 Post(s)
Liked 398 Times in 194 Posts
Nice! Ti bikes are sweet. I found a Lynskey era Litespeed frame on eBay a while back and built it up as my road bike, definitely one of my favorite bikes I've owned at this point. I'd probably have more Ti in my stable if it wasn't so expensive.
seau grateau is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.