For those who might be interested, I came across this article, which gives you the latest update of who's running Merlin (I'm not sure when Competitive Cyclist/Backcountry got rid of them). Same ownership as Dean bikes, as well as the same company that imports Challenge tires fyi. At least Merlin seems to be back to ownership that has history of building bikes.

5 questions with Dean Bikes founder John Siegrist - Longmont Times-Call

https://www.januscyclegroup.com/

Hopefully, I can post my new Titanium Pics gravel bike here soon. After much talking to friends and cyclist, research, reading reviews, and mental torture, I think I have made my decision. It came down to Moots, Mosaic, No. 22, and T-Lab. I then narrowed it down to Mosaic and T-Lab because they seem to be among the few manufacturers that focus on gravel bikes that are stiffer than typical Ti bikes and feel more like responsive cross bikes, with steeper head tube angles, short chainstays, and stiffer BB/seattube features. I choose T-Lab. I like the shapes of the tubes and features, and I'm going to place an order soon. I just need to decide on a few things:

Partial paint or unpainted (prefer the partial paint and will likely go with flat black or satin black if I go with paint)
3rd water bottle (could be handy on hot summer gravel rides where water is not available)
Rack eyelets (undecided on this but also could be nice on long rides)

My Ti
 

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8d6c199b1f.jpg

Less than a $1,000 invested.
Not sure of the year, I believe 2004/06, Airborne Zeppelin. I bought this off of Ebay and it is in great shape. All Ultegra 9 speed and came with Rigida carbide wheels. I switched out the wheels/tires, handlebar and stem, saddle, new chain, chainrings and cassette. Love riding this bike, approximately 4,000 miles since end of June 2018.

Sorry, that should have read since June of 2017 not 2018

Great looking ride, great price.
Thanks for posting.

And thank you. I have been to Austin numerous times. Great place to visit, really good food scene. Franklin's BBQ is all it is built up to be. A sushi restaurant, whose name escapes me, has the best sushi I have ever eaten. A close friend lived in Austin for 11 years before he passed, due to cancer, this past January. I now have his cat, which he adopted from the streets of Austin. I am in south coastal Delaware. Squeeks, the cat, has made herself home here.

New to me titanium Kish. Was custom built for its original owner, who relinquished it to me yesterday.

I've gone over it, cleaned and adjusted it a bit, and ridden it around the block a few times.

Hoping to do a ride on it tomorrow.

Initial impressions are highly favorable. I am pretty stoked.

It's ostensibly a cross bike or perhaps a gravel bike, but it has geometry more typical of a road bike.

A 32mm tire fits generously and that a 35mm would probably fit just fine too. I think I can get a 32mm with fender in there.

So it's really a road bike. Or a smooth dirt road bike. Not so much a gravel bike, as our gravel roads are pretty damn rough.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4806/...c46f9058_c.jpg
20181229_114117 by Kett-Man, on Flickr
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20181229_114011 by Kett-Man, on Flickr
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20181229_113744 by Kett-Man, on Flickr
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20181229_113720 by Kett-Man, on Flickr

?
 

I have a few road bikes. A Rossin Record, all campy super record bought new in the 80s. A 90s Casati Elisse , with the EL-OS Columbus. They ride beautifully. Just been thinking about titanium . Hiw would u compare them to good steel bikes? Wish I could ride one to see? Not racing these days , actually thinking about touring.

My Airborne Zeppelin, bought used last year, is very light, stiff and fast and comfortable. I have an older steel frame road bike and the Zeppelin is stiffer but has a very similar feel to the ride. I have looked at new titanium bikes but just could not justify the price. I am very happy with the used Zeppelin and have about a third of the cost, including the changes I made, invested in it compared to entry level new titanium. See above pix.

I am a Ti newb, as I have exactly one ride under my belt. But everything I have read from those with more experience, weeding out the hyperbole you occasionally come across, is that premium steel and Ti don't necessarily ride very differently, and factors such as fit, tires, handling,etc. matter more than material. Any any material can be used to result in either a flexible or rigid frame given various possible manipulations of tubing diameter, thickness, etc.

My first ride supports this overall theory.

My sense is that there is a difference, but it's tough to be sure since there are a number of other variables at work (other than frame material). It could also be the placebo of having a new bike.

On my first ride, the bike felt like I had been riding it for years. Like an old friend. Normally I struggle for a little while to feel at home on a new bike. Not this one. This has to be a good sign.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4827/...9638a47d_c.jpg20181230_154841 by Kett-Man, on Flickr

Titanium frames are likely going to ride very similar to Columbus SL or SLX tubing (with less weight). OL-OS is simply overkill for most amateur/touring type of riding.
If you're not above 190 lb. and putting out 500-600 watts regularly, likely your would enjoy a nice titanium frame.

Best thing about titanium frames is that they don't have paint to chip, scratch or damage.
It doesn't rust or corrode, ride in the rain/mud, put it away wet and repeat the next day without wash and the frame will likely still last longer than you can pedal over your lifetime.
I've been riding different titanium frames since 1996, ridden my current titanium frame since 2004 and over 26k miles on it.
Before 96 I was riding Basso SLX, Cannondale, Trek OCLV, Kestrel EMS, among many others.. they all came and went.. but a titanium frame seems to remain in my stable.

Some additional impressions from my first ride:

The bike rides much more smoothly than either of my steel road bikes (Reynolds 531c tubing on one and Ishiwata 022 on the other, in traditional diameters), but that is mostly about the tire difference, I am sure. I had 32mm wide Vittoria Rando Hypers on the Kish, and I am used to 25 to 28mm tires on the other bikes (Vittoria Pave tubulars on one, Veloflex Corsa clinchers on the other).

Also distorting things in terms of ride quality are the carbon handlebars and super thick bar tape on the Kish, compared to Benotto and Nittos on the steel bikes.

Hard to say if the frame and fork are substantially contributing to the smoothness or not. My unscientific, placebo effect riddled impression is that the Ti frame is a more lively to ride under lighter pedalling efforts, despite it feeling stiffer under hard pedaling. Laterally rigid yet vertically compliant, don'tcha know (just joking).

I liked the slower, but not too slow, handling. Both the steel bikes essentially have criterium geometry, which I like actually, but the contrast is nice. Whats the point of having a couple bikes if they all ride the same?

One thing that attracted me to this bike, beyond the Ti frame and decent tire clearances, is the Campy drivetrain and the triple crank. I really liked the ergopower on my now departed Moulton. It's nice to have that back. Rings are 52-42-30, and the cassette is 13-25T, 10 speed. This gearing works really well for me. The only complaint is that low gear is slightly too high, so I may get a 13-27T or 13-29T cassette at some point. But the need isn't too urgent.

The bike climbs very well. Definitely faster than the steel bikes. Dunno if thats the lightness (about 6 to 7 lbs lighter) or if its the stiffness of the frame, stem, and bars, etc.

The bike has terrible brake pads, so I have some replacements on order.

One of the only other things that I don't like, which can't be easily resolved, is the fact that the Edge/Enve carbon fork can't take a traditional fender. No eyelets, and a completely solid crown. So I will have to use a 'raceblade' type of mounting up front.

All in all, I am really happy.

Did you placed your order? I ordered my T-Lab X3 back in November and should receive it soon! Can't wait to see and ride it...

Any suggestions on which model has no toe overlap. ? Looking into titanium. Once again is it that much better than a Columbus frame bike? Sure would be nice if you could test drive one fir a couple days to see... 🤓

Toe overlap can be addressed few different ways, frame specific ways are longer toptube/downtube, more fork rake or steeper seat angle.
Depending on your preference of how you want the bike to handle, one or combination of the three frame solutions can be addressed.
But often times, shorter crankarms, moving your cleat position on your shoes can easily solve the top overlap problem, instead of a new frame.

Do you know if that's paint or Cerakote?

Casati
 

I have a Casati Ellisse that has a tiny bit of toe over lap. It is Columbus EL-OS tubing . I tried to put my cleat position as far as it will go , still bumps a bit, My old Rossin Record from the 1980s has no toe over lap cleared by about 1/2 inch. so not used to the over lap. Just wondering if all the rave about titanium would make a better ride and acceleration on the the bike

I think it's powder coat. Too thick to be wet paint. Cerakote is very thin, almost a little like anodizing, isn't it?

It's a ceramic glaze. I think it is relatively thin, but it has held up well.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...51c9569d3e.jpg

IME, titanium frame is not going to be as stiff, as EL-OS, likely a titanium frame will be a softer ride in comparison.

Have you tried shorter crankarms to solve the toe-overlap issue? EL-OS frames are usually build for heavyweight sprinters, shorter wheelbase, quick handling; I believe Casati Ellise is one such frame.

Depending on your budget and the ride characters that you're looking for in your next replacement titanium frame, if you're looking for more comfortable frame, just about any titanium frame would do in comparison to EL-OS.
If you're looking to avoid top-overlap completely, look for something with longer toptube, less racing oriented frame.

you forgot to mention elective amputation

Thanks
 

Thanks for info
I am not heavy , 170. And I was looking for a good light weight , fast, yet comfortable. I bought it used and find it comfortable ( has a sella anatomica)and faster than my vintage Rossin , But the toe overlap is not to my liking for the road. My cranks arms are 175mm. But I dont think a 2.5 mm. Difference will make a difference? It seems like I need about 1/2 to clear.

I think there is a special method for getting paint to stick to ti. its the same as getting glue to stick to it (the "boeing" method)
I think you have to first sand and degrease, then etch with a specific etchant for Ti, then when porous enough and quickly enough. prime it with epoxy primer. then color, then clear. wet on wet pretty much.

Maybe so, but that's not paint. You spray on Cerakote and bake it in a kiln. Enve allows it without voiding the fork warranty. My frame was cleaned by a 4 hr. hydroponic bath that removes impurities before it was sent out for coating.

My new T6.
Couldn’t pass up on the deal on a leftover 2017 discontinued model.
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