While dreaming idly about all the bike-related stuff I wished Santa might bring me (I got socks and a hug), I got to wondering about some of the Rolls Royce titanium bikes I’ve read about, but never ridden. While I have ridden some snazzy higher-end carbon bikes, I’m just an average cyclist who appreciated the ride but couldn’t really discern any crucial difference between various brands’ offerings. I got to wondering if that same thing might be true of the ti “legends”: would an average cyclist be likely to feel they were generally great but be unable to distinguish one brand’s ride from another, regardless of how exalted it might be. So, my question: Has anybody on the forum had 1st hand experience with a Moots bike, for example, or any of the other much-admired, very expensive titanium bikes? If so, was the ride “worth it/better” or was it more the subtle pleasure of riding something so grand?
my main ride is a 2000 Litespeed Vortex - at the time the only production frame built entirely from 6/4 titanium, giving it an alleged stiffness and real (albeit not huge) weight advantage over more commonly used 3/2.5 Ti and a price tag at the time ($3500 for the frame set, IIRC) that put it into the “super bike” category. Enough with the sales blather - it’s a great bike because it fits me well and rides pretty much like the steel bikes I used to ride, albeit lighter. Do I experience a “magic carpet” Ti ride? Not really, but it rides beautifully, so no complaints. Apart from that, what I love about Ti is the low-maintenance finish, the general robustness and, in this instance, the traditional geometry. It was my dream bike when I bought it, and coming up on 100,000 miles later, I still admire it. Which is a relief to my bank balance, because when I see modern top-end bikes going for $10k and up, I’m pretty happy that I’m not yearning for a modern superbike - mine’s already plenty super 👍
