titanium recommendation?

Bob Terrwilliger said:

I am in the market for a new bike. My current bike is almost 20 years
old .

Is that all? Mine is over 20 years old.

Quoted message said:

I am interested in carbon or ti. and there seems to be a lot of
info on carbon bikes. But I am having a difficult time finding
recommendations of Ti bikes.

Quoted message said:

I only ride for pleasure, about 100-200
miles a week, and I do a century or two each year.

Ti won't rust and an unpainted Ti bike won't scratch. Other than that, what
will a Ti bike do that your current bike won't? Not much. For a lot less
money, you could upgrade the drivetrain on your current bike and have the
best of both worlds. I happen to like the geometry, clearance, and look of
the '80s bikes much better than current models.

Art Harris

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 10:53:43 -0500, "Arthur Harris" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Ti won't rust and an unpainted Ti bike won't scratch. Other than that, what
will a Ti bike do that your current bike won't? Not much. For a lot less
money, you could upgrade the drivetrain on your current bike and have the
best of both worlds. I happen to like the geometry, clearance, and look of
the '80s bikes much better than current models.

Art Harris

Well. I guess I didnt give enough detail. My current bike is a trek
1000 aluminum. It is a 56cm. I am 6'2" and 205 lbs. I guess at the
time I got it, I liked it. I dont know if I grew ( I do know my belly
has) but the bike just doesnt seem to fit. It seems small. And it
beats me to death. I want something that will fit. and something that
will help smooth out the rodes just a tad. And something that will
last me another 15-20 years.

Bob Terrwilliger <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I am in the market for a new bike. My current bike is almost 20 years
old . I am interested in carbon or ti. and there seems to be a lot of
info on carbon bikes.

A lot of the "info" you hear is really marketing hype to justify the lofty
prices of some of those bikes. Especially in the more moderate price ranges,
there is not much performance difference between bikes made from the
different popular materials. Some will handle differently from others, but
the differences are more because of geometry and tubing diameter and
componentry than because of frame material.

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 16:04:05 GMT, Bob Terrwilliger <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 10:53:43 -0500, "Arthur Harris" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Ti won't rust and an unpainted Ti bike won't scratch. Other than that,
what
will a Ti bike do that your current bike won't? Not much. For a lot less
money, you could upgrade the drivetrain on your current bike and have
the
best of both worlds. I happen to like the geometry, clearance, and look
of
the '80s bikes much better than current models.

Art Harris

Well. I guess I didnt give enough detail. My current bike is a trek
1000 aluminum. It is a 56cm. I am 6'2" and 205 lbs. I guess at the
time I got it, I liked it. I dont know if I grew ( I do know my belly
has) but the bike just doesnt seem to fit. It seems small. And it
beats me to death. I want something that will fit. and something that
will help smooth out the rodes just a tad. And something that will
last me another 15-20 years.

I have a Trek 1000 (or is mine a 1200?) and I now have a LeMond. The
LeMond is so much better than the Trek that it's amazing. For one, the
geometry is much better. Everything fits better and works better. It's
harder to find 7 speed stuff anymore, and I need the triple chainring
now. I can't go back to down-tube shifters, though I've kept my Trek for
indoors "riding".

--
Bob in CT

Yeah, look out for the hype, particularly about titanium. I just
pulled this quote off the Litespeed homepage: "Buy the TERAMO on Friday
morning, get it out of the box Friday night, get up Saturday morning
and start winning races!" If that's not bonafide BS, I don't know what
is. (http://www.litespeed.com/bikes/2005/teramo.aspx )

I know Bicycling magazine just came out with a buyers guide that might
be helpful. It would at least give you an idea of road bikes that are
in your price range, as well as what materials they're made of.

Personally, I tend to ignore the buyers guides because I'm both cheap
and reluctant to be swayed by a source that has to please its
advertisers. However, there may be a few nuggets of insight for folks
like you who are buying their first bike in a long time.

At the top end of your budget you could probably get a close to
top-of-the-line road bike that's both comfortable and very fast. But
for $1500 you could probably do well, too - all depends on how fast you
want to go and how much you just gotta have those new, fancy
components.

Comfort should be addressed by fit and frame material. If you specify
that you want to avoid aluminum frames, you should be able to find
something comfy. Some road riders are happy with an aluminum frame but
add a carbon fork for dampening the bumps, so that might be an option,
too.

Fit is diifferent for everyone so a trip to a well-stocked, quality
bike shop would probably be good, too. A good shop can look at your
size and weight and probably match you with something that'll work.

I'm a mountain biker riding an aluminum hardtail. For me the weight
benefit of aluminum over steel is worth the bumpier ride, but if I were
logging long hours in the saddle on a road bike, I would probably go
the carbon route if I had the money. If not, I'd go with maybe
aluminum frame/carbon fork option. YMMV, of course.

Good luck.

-Bill H.

Quoted message said:

Well. I guess I didnt give enough detail. My current bike is a trek
1000 aluminum. It is a 56cm. I am 6'2" and 205 lbs. I guess at the
time I got it, I liked it. I dont know if I grew ( I do know my belly
has) but the bike just doesnt seem to fit. It seems small. And it
beats me to death. I want something that will fit. and something that
will help smooth out the rodes just a tad. And something that will
last me another 15-20 years.

Sounds like you need a really good bike shop (particularly one that's great
on fit) more than any one particular frame material. As for the differences
between Ti, Carbon, Steel and Aluminum, best bet is to try them and see
which has that something that makes you want to ride more. You might want to
take a look at this article on our website-
www.ChainReaction.com/roadbiketestrides.htm before you head out; it's brand
& material neutral, and will give you a good idea what to look for.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"Bob Terrwilliger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 10:53:43 -0500, "Arthur Harris" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Ti won't rust and an unpainted Ti bike won't scratch. Other than that,
what
will a Ti bike do that your current bike won't? Not much. For a lot less
money, you could upgrade the drivetrain on your current bike and have the
best of both worlds. I happen to like the geometry, clearance, and look of
the '80s bikes much better than current models.

Art Harris

Well. I guess I didnt give enough detail. My current bike is a trek
1000 aluminum. It is a 56cm. I am 6'2" and 205 lbs. I guess at the
time I got it, I liked it. I dont know if I grew ( I do know my belly
has) but the bike just doesnt seem to fit. It seems small. And it
beats me to death. I want something that will fit. and something that
will help smooth out the rodes just a tad. And something that will
last me another 15-20 years.

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 16:04:05 GMT, Bob Terrwilliger <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 10:53:43 -0500, "Arthur Harris" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Ti won't rust and an unpainted Ti bike won't scratch. Other than that, what
will a Ti bike do that your current bike won't? Not much. For a lot less
money, you could upgrade the drivetrain on your current bike and have the
best of both worlds. I happen to like the geometry, clearance, and look of
the '80s bikes much better than current models.

Art Harris

Well. I guess I didnt give enough detail. My current bike is a trek
1000 aluminum. It is a 56cm. I am 6'2" and 205 lbs. I guess at the
time I got it, I liked it. I dont know if I grew ( I do know my belly
has) but the bike just doesnt seem to fit. It seems small. And it
beats me to death. I want something that will fit. and something that
will help smooth out the rodes just a tad. And something that will
last me another 15-20 years.

Your bike is seriously undersized. I'm 5'9" and 30-31" inseam and the Trek
1000 56cm is just about perfect for my size, though I probably could ride
the next size up (58?).

Uh, I don't know about it 'beating you to death'. Mine gives a pretty
smooth ride, using 26mm tires, though my model has a carbon fork.

OTOH, if you have as much as $2300 bucks to spend, then I'd suggest getting
a bike in the 15-17lb range. Some people report they can ride routes they
found the hills too tough with a good carbon. If I were you, I'd test ride
both Ti and Carbon framed bikes in your price range and see which feels
best. I'm not sure how long a Carbon frame is supposed to last.

jj

Bob Terrwilliger said:

Well. I guess I didn't give enough detail. My current bike is a trek
1000 aluminum. It is a 56cm. I am 6'2" and 205 lbs.

OK, that's a good reason!

Quoted message said:

I guess at the
time I got it, I liked it. I dont know if I grew ( I do know my belly
has) but the bike just doesnt seem to fit. It seems small. And it
beats me to death. I want something that will fit. and something that
will help smooth out the rodes just a tad. And something that will
last me another 15-20 years.

You definitely need to get a properly sized bike. It's amazing that you're
doing the mileage you are with such a mismatched bike. I'm 6'3" / 195 pounds
and ride a 63 cm c-c frame. I don't think a light weight bike is going to
make much difference, but the right fit will.

As for frame materials, you might want to read Sheldon Brown's article on
the subject. See:

http://sheldonbrown.com/frame-materials.html

Tire width and inflation pressure have more effect on ride quality than
frame material. Make sure you get a bike that has enough clearance so that
your tire options aren't limited.

Good luck in your search.

Art Harris

Bob Terrwilliger said:

Hello there.

I am in the market for a new bike. My current bike is almost 20 years
old . I am interested in carbon or ti. and there seems to be a lot of
info on carbon bikes. But I am having a difficult time finding
recommendations of Ti bikes. Itc ould be because of my price range, I
dont know. I want to spend 1500 to 2300 or so. the less the better. I
dont need the best out there, I only ride for pleasure, about 100-200
miles a week, and I do a century or two each year.

Anyone out there have good or bad things to say about a particular Ti
bike they have or know about? any info would be helpful.

Mark Hickey, who frequents this website, is too good a guy to recommend
his own company, so I will.

For a enthusiastic rec. ride, I like the Habanero Ti bike. I purchased
one for my wife 2+ years ago and she loves it. She puts a few thousand
miles on a year.

If you are looking at spending several grand for a frame, then this may
not be for you. There are better finished Ti frames out there, but you
do pay for it. At $800 a frame, I feel Habanero is a very good deal and
was please with the service.

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado
remove "mydebt" to reply

Craig Brossman said:

If you are looking at spending several grand for a frame, then this may
not be for you. There are better finished Ti frames out there, but you
do pay for it. At $800 a frame, I feel Habanero is a very good deal and
was please with the service.

No..the cheaper the better! thanks for the recommendation and will
look into it.

I do feel bad about going to a LBS just to get a proper size bike if I
plan on finding the cheapest place to buy it. ( does that even make
any sense?)

Bob Terrwilliger said:

I do feel bad about going to a LBS just to get a proper size bike if I
plan on finding the cheapest place to buy it. ( does that even make
any sense?)

Not really. The main reason you're buying a new bike is to get a good fit.
Frame "size" alone doesn't determine fit. For one thing, a "60 cm" frame
from one manufacturer can be very different than a 60 cm from another. A
good LBS will listen to you, get you on an appropriate bike, and then set
you up with the proper saddle position, handlebar height, and stem
extension. And most importantly, they'll let you test ride a couple of bikes
for comparison. If that costs a few bucks more than a mail order bike, it's
well worth it.

Try out a few bikes of different materials and different price points and
see how much difference you notice. My guess is that an inexpensive bike
that fits great will be just as much fun to ride than as expensive one.

The key is finding that "good" LBS. It isn't always easy. If there are bike
clubs in your area, get some recommendations. Or just drop in to a few shops
and see what the atmosphere is like.

Art Harris

I'll second Art's comments. The key to having a great bike is having a
great fitting bike. A poorly fit $5000 bike isn't all that great and
you'll get much more enjoyment out of a well fit $1000 model.
Sure if your fit is dialed in and you or your friends are experienced
with fit and mechanics a mail order bike can save you money and be fit
just fine. But that dopesn't sound like your situation.
My understanding is that the margins on bikes (as opposed to
accessories) is rather thin. So it is unlikely that savings are goin to
be huge.
I'm riding a 10 year old Litespeed and love it. Mainly because I had it
fit properly when I bought it. So, if it cost an extra $100, that's
about $10 a year for a great bike fit.

jj said:

Uh, I don't know about it 'beating you to death'. Mine gives a pretty
smooth ride, using 26mm tires, though my model has a carbon fork.

I know what he's talking about. I went from a 1100 to my cheap Ti
bike. You can really feel the difference and before anyone goes nuts
with wheel and tire comob's. I use the old wheels and tires as they're
upgrades. I still use the bike from time to time so it's been upgraded
to an 8 speed. Next upgrade will be to 9. BTW, one thing I noticed
about the 1100 the bottom bracket is like spaghetti. I'm not a big guy
but I can twist it. The RX100 I have has better components and I can't
twist the BB and I've gotten stronger since I switched over to the Ti
bike.

--
Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry [email hidden]
http://home.comcast.net/~ncherry/ (Text only)
http://hcs.sourceforge.net/ (HCS II)
http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog

Bob Terrwilliger said:

Hello there.

I am in the market for a new bike. My current bike is almost 20 years
old . I am interested in carbon or ti. and there seems to be a lot of
info on carbon bikes. But I am having a difficult time finding
recommendations of Ti bikes. Itc ould be because of my price range, I
dont know. I want to spend 1500 to 2300 or so. the less the better. I
dont need the best out there, I only ride for pleasure, about 100-200
miles a week, and I do a century or two each year.

Ti bikes are usually expensive. You'll probably have a hard time
getting a frame alone that will fit in that price range, unless you go
with Habanero or Airborne or something. And then there are the
components...

My question is, why do you think you need Ti or carbon? Why not go
with a really nice, lightweight steel bike for thousands less? As
others have said, frame materials matter less than other factors.

You say you don't like your current Al bike, but much of that is
probably fitting issues, as others have commented. Psychologically, you
want a change in frame materials, of course. Plus, you secretly want
the "statusfaction" of having a high-quality bike. Fine. Let that push
you towards high-quality steel. Just start saying things to your self
like "steel is real", "steel is the classic material", etc. Soon you'll
become insufferable. 😉

I testrode a DeRosa Neo Primato (steel) and it was as nice as any Ti
bike I rode, plus very light. And yes, I did end up buying a high-end
Ti/carbon bike, out of all the motivations sketched above (I, like you,
had a mid/low-range Al Trek - the 1220). It's OK - considering what I
spent. But I had to replace it, I might just go with the DeRosa .

Food for thought.

Dave

Bob Terrwilliger said:

Hello there.

I am in the market for a new bike. My current bike is almost 20 years
old . I am interested in carbon or ti. and there seems to be a lot of
info on carbon bikes. But I am having a difficult time finding
recommendations of Ti bikes. Itc ould be because of my price range, I
dont know. I want to spend 1500 to 2300 or so. the less the better. I
dont need the best out there, I only ride for pleasure, about 100-200
miles a week, and I do a century or two each year.

Anyone out there have good or bad things to say about a particular Ti
bike they have or know about? any info would be helpful.

Check out this one:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/habanero.html

For anyone looking to spend this kind of money on a new road bike, this is what
I'd point them to. I like Ti because of its elegant and indestructible finish.
The light weight is nice too. With this package you also get "real" wheels and
hill friendly gearing, a big plus IMO. Personally I'd toss the Brooks but some
people really love them.

Matt O.

I too am 6'2 and weigh 205 lbs. My frame is a 60 cm. I can also ride a 58,
but a 56 is way too small.
So make sure you get the right size. You should test ride some
different-sized bikes to make sure.

"> Well. I guess I didnt give enough detail. My current bike is a trek

Quoted message said:

1000 aluminum. It is a 56cm. I am 6'2" and 205 lbs. I guess at the
time I got it, I liked it. I dont know if I grew ( I do know my belly
has) but the bike just doesnt seem to fit. It seems small. And it
beats me to death. I want something that will fit. and something that
will help smooth out the rodes just a tad. And something that will
last me another 15-20 years.

Hi,
I am of similar height and build. I wiegh about 195 at the same
height as you. I got back into biking this past year and had the same
issues. After deciding what price range I started riding different
bikes. I must tell you I was impressed by the steel frames out there
but I tried all but the TI. I ended up with a Specialized Roubaix 58cm
combo aluminum and carbon frame. The model I bought has the 105 package
and I am very happy with it. I have upgraded the saddle to a firmer
Body Geometry with the cutout. The stock seat had too much flex and I
was bouncing a bit too much. If price was no object I would opt for the
all carbon version of the Roubaix. I test road one and it was so stiff
but compliant over the bumps. I hope this helps and if you check your
local bike shop you should be able to find a leftover carbon in your
price range. I spent $1400 for the one I bought.

Bob Terrwilliger said:

Hello there.

I am in the market for a new bike. My current bike is almost 20 years
old . I am interested in carbon or ti. and there seems to be a lot of
info on carbon bikes. But I am having a difficult time finding
recommendations of Ti bikes. Itc ould be because of my price range, I
dont know. I want to spend 1500 to 2300 or so. the less the better. I
dont need the best out there, I only ride for pleasure, about 100-200
miles a week, and I do a century or two each year.

Anyone out there have good or bad things to say about a particular Ti
bike they have or know about? any info would be helpful.

If nobody's introduced you to Mark ....

You probably won't find a better buy in a titanium frame that his Habanero.
http://www.habcycles.com/road.html

Build it with Mirage or something and you'll be in your target range nicely.

Ron

"Bob Terrwilliger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 10:53:43 -0500, "Arthur Harris" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Ti won't rust and an unpainted Ti bike won't scratch. Other than that,

what

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

will a Ti bike do that your current bike won't? Not much. For a lot less
money, you could upgrade the drivetrain on your current bike and have the
best of both worlds. I happen to like the geometry, clearance, and look

of

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the '80s bikes much better than current models.

Art Harris

Well. I guess I didnt give enough detail. My current bike is a trek
1000 aluminum. It is a 56cm. I am 6'2" and 205 lbs. I guess at the
time I got it, I liked it. I dont know if I grew ( I do know my belly
has) but the bike just doesnt seem to fit. It seems small. And it
beats me to death. I want something that will fit. and something that
will help smooth out the rodes just a tad. And something that will
last me another 15-20 years.

It doesn't really seem like you have a material problem. You have a bike
design problem. You're riding a bike which is designed for a racer(even
though it's 20 years old). You probably have skinny high pressure tires on
it, and the bars are probably set way lower than the saddle. A nice
Cannondale touring bike would do you very nicely---provided you can get the
bars even with the saddle height. A touring bike would also give you the
ability to run a fatter tire, which you can use at lower pressure to improve
your comfort. Lightspeed makes a touring bike called the Blue Ridge, I
think, but it's gonna be expensive. You can get into a Trek 520 touring bike
for a grand, but it's steel, and you didn't mention steel as a material of
choice.