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Planet X Titanium Road Bike for $1,900 plus $215 shipping to US ($2,115 total) $2115

$2,115.00
$2,279.98
+9 Deal Score
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Planet X is a British bike company that sells inexpensive bikes (like bikesdirect.com) with a decent reputation.

They have a deal that ends today (8/1) for 300 GBP (approx $475) off their titanium 'London Road' model road bike - cost is $1,899 plus $215 for shipping to me in soCal:
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBP...val-1-bike

Seems like a pretty decent deal for a TI bike in today's crazy bike world. TI is heavier than carbon (this bike is 22 lbs) so not for racers, but typically more comfortable for long rides and should last forever.

Bikeradar review of the aluminium frame version of this bike:
https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews...ad-review/
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Joined Sep 2009
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Dr_jitsu
08-01-2021 at 07:00 PM.

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08-01-2021 at 07:00 PM.
This bike looks well sorted and interestingly 32 cm tires (a bit wider than normal road tires). Does not look like a lot of corners were cut. For those unfamiliar with SRAM Rival, the rival was directed at Shimano 105, although the SRAM is 1X. I have been very pleased with my 105 gear.

It comes down to if you like Titanium. I have fantasized about titanium...for decades starting as a child. However my road bike is carbon. Carbon tech has caught up and gotten so good that carbon is lighter and just as strong and vibration absorbing. Titanium would be my choice for off road.

In any event, having a titanium bike would be cool as hell. In todays crazy market this price is pretty good.

Edit: After reading the review, this bike also does light gravel duty. It is kind of between a pure road bike and a gravel bike, a pretty cool concept. I know I run into some dirt and light gravel, but I stay away with 25 cm dedicated road tires.

For those not familiar with the SRAM 1x, I have an APEX on my sons bike. The simplicity (and small weight loss) is awesome, but I found off road that there were some extreme hills (like going up an embankment) where I would have liked the lower gearing of a 2X (like on my road bike). Also, I you are a speed freak who likes to bomb down hills at 45 plus miles an hour, you will spin out.

Now me, I am just a fitness rider. I don't do any hard hills, mostly flat. This bike would be perfect for someone me. It will be a bit slower than me road bike, but so what? It will also be more comfortable. If you are a bit older and don't want to take the pounding of 25 cm tires, check his bike out. This is, of course, assuming that fit is perfect, always a challenge on bikes you buy off the internet.

But yeah, this is a real nice bike that would be a delight to ride. Those fulcrum rims are better than you normally get at this price.
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Last edited by Dr_jitsu August 1, 2021 at 07:22 PM.
Joined Feb 2009
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Ditch
08-01-2021 at 07:11 PM.
08-01-2021 at 07:11 PM.
One thing to note on this one is that the brakes are backwards. Most bikes have the rear brake on the right lever. No idea how difficult it would be to reverse that.
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sychan
08-01-2021 at 07:17 PM.
08-01-2021 at 07:17 PM.
Reading more reviews on the AL London bike model and this is more of a commuter/gravel bike (vs. road bike), which is reason for 32mm tires. You could probably go up to 35mm if preferred.

RE: brakes - when you order, you can have them switch it to our US style (front on left side of handlebar) at a cost of $75 I believe.
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Joined May 2006
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UltraLazer
08-01-2021 at 08:32 PM.
08-01-2021 at 08:32 PM.
The difference between a carbon frame and a "good" steel frame (not Walmart bikes) is about 2.5 lbs. Like taking 2 shits in a day could be 2.5 lbs for some people. The stuff you carry daily in your pockets is probably more than 2.5 lbs. And shaving a few pounds on a bike won't make you lance Armstrong. Drugs and genetics made him that way. Just buy and ride a bike because you like it. But I probably wouldn't buy anything below a 105 or rival, because that's when you get half shifts that go, tink tink tink tink....
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BeautifulPocket452
08-01-2021 at 11:02 PM.
08-01-2021 at 11:02 PM.
I have a Titanium Litespeed bike and love the ride. I never tried this model but it should have a smoother ride than the aluminum or carbon bikes. The 32cm tires is probably meant for this bike to be like a gravel bike.
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flatlight
08-01-2021 at 11:07 PM.
08-01-2021 at 11:07 PM.
Don't forget 10-20% customs fees if they use DHL/UPS/Fedex
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webdoctors
08-01-2021 at 11:11 PM.
08-01-2021 at 11:11 PM.
Quote from UltraLazer :
The difference between a carbon frame and a "good" steel frame (not Walmart bikes) is about 2.5 lbs. Like taking 2 shits in a day could be 2.5 lbs for some people. The stuff you carry daily in your pockets is probably more than 2.5 lbs. And shaving a few pounds on a bike won't make you lance Armstrong. Drugs and genetics made him that way. Just buy and ride a bike because you like it. But I probably wouldn't buy anything below a 105 or rival, because that's when you get half shifts that go, tink tink tink tink....
Thanks for pointing out the weight differences, when I was bike shopping I went with an Aluminum frame bike cause I have a fear of carbon fiber randomly shattering and folks thing it must be a terrible bike when the same GIANT carbon frame version only makes a 200-400g total difference in the whole bike from the datasheet (forget the exact number). Equivalent of removing the bike stand or water bottle. crazy
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Joined Dec 2006
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sychan
08-02-2021 at 12:22 AM.
08-02-2021 at 12:22 AM.
Deal is dead.

Strangely, on 8/1, bike was marked down to 1250 GBP (about $1900) from 1499 GBP regular price. Currently it is 'on sale' for 1499 GBP marked down from 1799 GBP. Never shopped with this company before so not sure if the 1250 GBP price was an error (and they may cancel my order) or if they just play 'Amazon' like price changes.

Read some US buyers of UK bikes (Ribble, Wiggle, Chain Reaction, etc) didn't pay the duty, though some do, so we'll just have to see if I get hit with it but with the cheap price of this bike, I'll take the chance. Turns out I paid for the bike in GBP (vs USD) and used a card with no foreign transaction fee, so bike might actually be quite a bit cheaper depending on Chase Bank's conversation - currently my account shows its $1,944 with shipping (vs $2115 as listed on the site in USD)
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Last edited by sychan August 2, 2021 at 12:28 AM.
Joined Nov 2015
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sdpoker
08-02-2021 at 01:52 AM.
08-02-2021 at 01:52 AM.
Quote from UltraLazer :
The difference between a carbon frame and a "good" steel frame (not Walmart bikes) is about 2.5 lbs. Like taking 2 shits in a day could be 2.5 lbs for some people. The stuff you carry daily in your pockets is probably more than 2.5 lbs. And shaving a few pounds on a bike won't make you lance Armstrong. Drugs and genetics made him that way. Just buy and ride a bike because you like it. But I probably wouldn't buy anything below a 105 or rival, because that's when you get half shifts that go, tink tink tink tink....
I have a Walmart bike. Looks like I need to take about 20 shits per day and voila I'm Lance Freakin' Armstrong.
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nova_gts
08-02-2021 at 04:51 AM.
08-02-2021 at 04:51 AM.
That thing is extremely heavy at 22lbs, I have an Ultimate Ti Litespeed and it is on the heavier side at 17.5lbs, the ultra light T1SL is ~16, and 6lbs is a big difference
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jeff34270
08-02-2021 at 06:21 AM.
08-02-2021 at 06:21 AM.
Titanium is nice, but only if it is good titanium - and you can make your own guesses about whether or not this mail order budget brand is good titanium.

Bike weight does matter. It matters more than rider weight in terms of ride feel, handling, and acceleration (especially in the wheels).

Take all the dumps you want, but if you're riding a dog, it'll still be a dog.
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rockyboy499
08-02-2021 at 06:53 AM.
08-02-2021 at 06:53 AM.
Quote from Ditch :
One thing to note on this one is that the brakes are backwards. Most bikes have the rear brake on the right lever. No idea how difficult it would be to reverse that.

I rode on backwards the whole time and it was pretty simple to make the switch
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Joined Nov 2011
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PiawN
08-02-2021 at 07:12 AM.
08-02-2021 at 07:12 AM.
It's got a gravel bike geometry rather than road bike geometry. Don't expect it to ride like a nice road bike. 71 degree head tube angle and a 70mm drop will make it feel sluggish even with narrower tires. Having said that if you're a beginner, gravel bike geometry feels more stable especially at low speeds.
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SuperLlamaS7
08-02-2021 at 07:35 AM.
08-02-2021 at 07:35 AM.
Quote from jeff34270 :
Titanium is nice, but only if it is good titanium - and you can make your own guesses about whether or not this mail order budget brand is good titanium.

Bike weight does matter. It matters more than rider weight in terms of ride feel, handling, and acceleration (especially in the wheels).

Take all the dumps you want, but if you're riding a dog, it'll still be a dog.
I do not know anything about this brand in particular, but just want to throw it out there that the titanium itself is likely the exact same quality 3Al/2.5V titanium that most other titanium bikes are made from. Bike frame titanium usually comes in two flavors: 3Al/2.5V or 6Al/4V titanium. The latter is higher strength allowing thinner tubes and lowering weight at a higher cost--usually $5,000 or more.

While frame construction and geometry will affect ride characteristics, I'm not sure this bike will inevitably ride like a dog. The frame for this bike was likely outsourced, like with carbon fiber, as not many manufacturers make their own frames. There are a few big shops in China that make titanium frames and they have a pretty good reputation generally. There are three big factories that I am aware of, and they do OEM frame work. As with all welded bikes, inspect the welds and make sure everything looks good. This brand should do some QC and reject bad frames saving you the hassle, but better safe than sorry.

Agree with others about the geometry. Make sure that fits what you are looking for.
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Last edited by SuperLlamaS7 August 2, 2021 at 07:55 PM.
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