roubaix-ron

Ok. I am 5'9" and weigh 180. down from 188 but I do not plan on losing any more weight. I am considering getting a Ti frame to build up but am concerned that there will be too much flex in the BB for me. I am not racing but I ride regularly and aggressively with my club and I hate the flex I feel when I get out of my saddle in my carbon roubaix comp. It just doesn't feel like I am getting good power transfer to the wheels. I know that to get a really stiff BB I should go with a higher quality carbon frame. But I already have a carbon bike and am interested in a Ti bike. The knock on Ti I seem to hear most frequently is the flex in the BB especially for heavier riders. I know 180 isn't that heavy in the real world but it seems to be borderline obese in the world of road cycling. So I'd like to hear from anyone 180 or above who either rides Ti or has ridden Ti to hear there experiences.

PS i am looking at either Lanskey or Everti if that helps.

Thanks

timmyquest

Do you know what TI stands for?

roubaix-ron

indeed i do.

do you know what....you are a tool means?

johnny99

A good Ti frame builder can give you the option of using thicker/stiffer tubing around the BB.

p0cket penguins

I weight 227.7 as of this morning.... i ride a carbon frame ... dosnt seem to flex much

patentcad

That's your first problem.

As to whether Ti will be 'too flexy', that varies enormously from bike to bike and builder to builder. You have a lot of homework to do.

Lynskey are the bicycles. Lanskey was a mobster.

botto 

you're going to fit right in here.



btw - looking forward to timmy's reply.

radshark

Hi,

I was 210 when I bought my ti bike (litespeed) and I'm currently 190. I have no issues with respect to flex at all. In fact, when I was test riding bikes at 210 I percieved more flex in the CF bikes I tested then the ti bike.

I can't speak to the carbon - aluminum bikes now available. They were not available when I tested.

The best thing to do is take several bikes out for a ride and assess the flex.

I hope that helps.

-R.

bsyptak

First, 180 is not heavy. You might give the Habanero guys a call. Their motto is "frame flex stops here". I have their cross frame and while I weigh 35# less than you do I feel nothing of frame flex. The road frame looks like it is even stouter than the cross frame. The down tube and seat stays are huge. They have a 14 day money back guarantee too so build fast and try to prove them wrong.

patentcad

In the NFL.

On BF that makes you a fat fat fatty. You're all fat fat fatties.

botto 

it is when you're 5'9". trust me on this one.

roubaix-ron

I should have prefaced my post with "PCAD i am not going to lose anymore weight". And yes Lynskey, sorry typo. I didn't think Meyer's offspring had gotten into the Ti framebuilding business.

Trouble with the "test ride" approach is I don't think I can test either bike I am looking at. As far as custom goes, I could do that but run the risk of paying higher and still not getting what I am looking for.

The Habs seem like a great deal but I like compact geometry. If the Hab came in a compact I would seriously consider them.

bsyptak

True, but bikes don't know how tall you are. They just know how much weight is perched atop them. And 180 isn't a whole lot unless you're riding a Ghisallo (isn't that the one which gets complaints of flex?).

Matt Gaunt

+1. I am 180 and 6'0'' and I plan on losing 10lbs or so - even then I won't be light for my height.

Losing weight will improve your cycling. Guaranteed.

Stallionforce

Well I would get in touch with Kurt at Everti. Have you tried contacting him? He'll build up the frame the way you'd like. Quite a few Everti's around here because he's a local builder and I see a lot of guys on them, skinny, not so skinny, etc. My buddy's got an Everti; he's a smaller guy but really strong (a sprinter) and he never complains of flex. I've got an Eagle on the way and am pretty excited about it.

roubaix-ron

I absolutely 100% agree that losing weight will improve my cycling. But I have an extremely high metabolisim and very little body fat. My natural weight is 150 and if I stop working out at the gym my weight would naturally drift down to 150 (even without riding my bike). I'd rather not lose 30lbs of muscle. I don't like the way I look or feel. If it ever becomes an issue where it is keeping me from winning a race instead of coming in second.....I'll drop some more lbs. But the chances of that happening are slimmer than PCAD or botto beefing up to be as vain as I am.

patentcad

Oh don't worry, I think my lawyer and I have you trumped in the vanity dept. pal.

roubaix-ron

I did in fact call and talk to Kurt. Great guy. I thought about getting a Falcon with a reinforced BB/downtube. Unfortunately they are a victim of their own success. They are so busy now that they have stopped taking orders for custom bikes.

Dubbayoo

Your frame would be stressed less with a 200 lb guy tooling along the flats at 15mph than a 160 lb guy thrashing his ass off in a sprint or 10% climb. It all depends how you ride.

big john

My friend is 190# and very powerful and he loves his Moots. (#111)

timmyquest

Living in the South getting boring to ya botto?

CyLowe97

Well... Aren't you just up with the times?

How's Iowa City?

bigmasher

I weigh more than you and ride a Litespeed Sienna and it is very stiff. Much stiffer than my old CF Kestrel-- no perceived flex in the BB (and in fact I find the ride a bit harsh). I also rode an older Merlin, and it felt less stiff (though more comfortable) out of the saddle. I wanted a frame that sprinted better, and I got it.

I have to agree with the other posters-- stiffness depends more on frame spec/design than material. You can find a stiff CF frame or a stiff Ti frame.

bigmasher

grahny

I'm a little heavier than you and ride a Lynskey... they make a fantastic frame. Talk to them about the riding you do and your build and they'll set you up just fine.

Generally speaking, due to the differences in ride quality of Ti vs. Carbon, I think people think they're flexing something when they're not.... and if they are, I'm betting that it's not holding them back as much as they think it is.

H1449-6

Frame design is more important than frame material in determining ride quality, including BB stiffness.

I'm 210 or so and my custom Ti Spectrum is rock solid. Then again, it's got Cannondale-sized top and down tubes.