Typically if I'm in a down turn area a bus has no chance of keeping up with me over any distance. In an area with infrequent stops, lights, etc...he's going to get by me and keep the lead. There aren't many stretches where we take turns like that, but there are a couple - and my answer is to ride harder/faster through that stretch to get past the inconvenient, slow bugger.
Originally Posted by
SlimRider
Hey there SurlyLaika,
I'm really about all bicycle frame materials. It's just that I'm particularly enamored by chromoly and Titanium. I'm really hopeful about the progress of carbon fiber and I'd love for aluminum to be more properly priced.
I've always been a lover of Titanium. It's just that speaking about Titanium, further alienates people more so than chromoly steel. People tend to celebrate that which they can afford and denigrate that which they can't.
Respectfully,
- Slim
On the one hand I think the "it's the builder, not the material" cliche is true...on the other, titanium is the perfect bike material. No scratches, no rust, light and with a pleasant flex when made well. I absolutely love titanium, especially for hard riding commuters.
FYI - vintage titanium bikes are, IMO, one of the best kept secrets in the cycling market - you usually get a LOT of bike for a bare bottom price and the ti stuff doesn't seem to keep its value well. It always looks good and you don't have to worry much about fatigue or how hard it was ridden.
Example - a De Rosa Titanio frame that cost $4,000 in 1996 is worth about the same on the used market as a Primato frame that cost $1,500. From a depreciation perspective, used ti is a steal and the stuff looks pretty much the same as it did new. I'm amazed that more people haven't figured out the value of used ti - but that just means more for me at a decent price point!