Back from my ride. It wasn't long on account of the furry creatures that have taken residence in my lungs. That, and I didn't want to ride the bike very long. We're going to put Brandon's wheels on it and he'll ride it for a bit and tell me what he thinks. The bike, however, is definitely not for me, and I have to imagine that most of our clients would be disinclined to purchase one as well.
That is not to say that it is a bad bike. Quite to the contrary. It is very good at what it does, which is withstanding flex. It would be a great bike for a big racer who has a lot of power (1300+ watts peak) and little need for a bike to feel supple or graceful beneath them. I can actually see this being a great frame for a specific purpose.
I would rate the stiffness similar to my track bike. The weight is about 100g less though. Still, the track bike feels infinitely more lively under you because of the characteristics of Titanium vs. Magnesium. The Mg frame was supposed to be very smooth. With my frame of reference, I would say that it is smoother than most aluminum and poorly designed carbon - similar to scandium - it does not even come close to Ti or Steel. Probably the reason that we choose to build with those materials...
The other issue (that may stand out in the pictures) is that this bike is not my size. It was supposed to be built with a 52 c-c seat tube and 55 c-c top tube assuming a level top tube. Putting it next to Brandon's 56-square frame, the bars are in the same spot as his, and he has spacers under his stem... Not what I would call close.
Next we'll have to see what Brandon thinks, and then if it's two thumbs down, maybe we'll toss it on eBay... Not with the LWs though, those have to go back my bike...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment