Originally Posted by DRietz

But as far as dissing Kent Eriksen goes, you're way off base. Sure, custom fabricated, made-in-the-USA titanium frames are way more expensive than a mass-manufactured, cookie cutter Taiwanese frame. Knowing Kent personally, and having spent a few days in his shop myself, I must say that his frames are like no other. The things that the man can do with titanium are practically unheard of, and the amount of effort he personally puts into a single frame is unmatched. I've seen him spend literally hours talking to a single customer, giving up his own ride time, and often working late into the night in order to nail down geometry as well as perfectly shape, cut, miter, jig, and align frames to give one of his 175 annual customers a truly unforgettable ride. There's something that happens to a person when they step over a perfectly designed and fabricated titanium frame - the feeling isn't the same as anything else you've ever ridden because the bike itself is dialed in just for you and the ride feel is different from anything else you've ever experienced. Personally, when I rode one of Kent's personal frames (albeit a SS, fully rigid 29er), it felt as if there was nothing beneath me, as if I was one with the bike. Plus, the painstaking attention to detail is unsurpassed.