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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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.
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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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)
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 rode on backwards the whole time and it was pretty simple to make the switch
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.
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.