There is another brand...Quintana Roo. Labeled as a Tri bike it is a relaxed seat tube compared to today's bikes. I rode my QR Tiphoon yesterday in fact. Super smooth over bumps. When I get rid of my P3/current race bike, I will sell that and still keep my previous race bike (the Ti one). You may be able to find one online used and build it up and save some money with all the closeout or end of year groupo sales. Components are often on sale if you keep your eyes open!

You may as well go custom if budget allows. Take a look at Enigma, a UK-based builder, in addition to some of the other brands already mentioned here.

I just checked the clearance bikes on Litespeed's page, and came across a 2017 T5 frameset in a size 59 (XL) for about $2000 that will fit if you are between 6'2" to 6'7" (187cm-200cm). According to my chat with Jack, Litespeed frames have no weight limits set on them, but rims do. According to the rims advertised for a build (DT SWISS E1800 Disc) you are looking at about 120kg weight limit. The bike will accept up to 30mm wide tires. The full build with Ultegra is $4000 provided you use the DT SWISS E1800 rims.

https://litespeed.com/...?variant=42048376271

---

The more people I encounter the more I love my cats.

I had a Lynsky frame develop several cracks in less then 10 years of riding (and at 120-130 pounds, I'm not exactly a heavy rider). The company did repair the frame under the warranty, but I was without the bike for several months during the repair and since then I have stopped thinking of my titanium frames as "lifetime" bikes. I also have a custom Serotta and Moots, and haven't yet had a problem with either of those frames cracking but I have started inspecting them more closely since the Lynsky developed cracks. My boyfriend just bought a custom No. 22 and he loves it so far, though he's only had it for about six months. He also has been happy with the Litespeed titanium bike he bought 10+ years ago.

Having owned Moots (VaMoots), IF (Crown Jewel, steel), Merlin (Agilis), Litespeed (Ultimate and one other I don't remember), the Moots is BY FAR is best riding and finishing bike for me. It's got the perfect geometry (it's an off the shelf 56cm from 2014) and stiff enough at the right places. In general, you will feel the frame flex more than a carbon bike, and at times even feel noodly, but it more than makes up by being super comfy when cruising.

Personally, I would have no problem buying used ti bikes if you can find one that fits you.

Hear, hear! I have a 2001 Ultimate and a '07 Saber (although the latter doesn't see much action anymore). Can't even begin to guess how many miles are on the Ultimate and damn if she doesn't still put a smile on my face. Stripped it to the frame a while back, buffed it up with some fine steel wool, replaced most of the decals and rebuilt it with DA 10-speed - voila, brand new bike. The only original parts remaining are the fork, brake calipers and the "Ultimate" decals on the top tube.

Ti rules!

---

_________________________________________________
"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare" - Juma Ikangaa

http://www.litespeed.com

Huh, I guess my flawless ~7 year experience with a Motobecane TI road frame I use as a rain bike in terrible conditions was a lie. It's a great riding bike, but I must be wrong. Because Motobecane is a bunch of crap.

I'm going to bet, like most who bash Bikes Direct online, you've never ridden and possibly never seen a Motobecane Ti bike.

One name that has not been brought up is Brad Bingham - Bingham Built Bikes. Brad has welded for Kent Eriksen for around 20 years and has taken over Kent's shop in Steamboat. And in case you did'nt know, Kent started Moots.

Brad has won one of the awards at NAHBS for last 'forever'. He is probably the best TI welder in the World.

I've got two Eriksen Bikes, both welded by Brad, and they will be forever bikes. That is why if you are considering TI, make it custom, because you cannot wear it out.

I didn't want to respond to anyone in particular and start an argument. But I'm a little skeptical about some of the claims about ride quality for different materials. It makes more sense to me that any of the bike frame materials could be built in ways that result in more or less compliance or stiffness. Especially carbon fiber, surely a bike designer has more ways of tweaking the variables of a cf frame than any metal frame? Also that tires, wheels and contact points have more of an influence on comfort anyway.

Regarding the OPs decision I'd be looking for a titanium frame that allows a range of tire widths, brake type choice, fit and other practical aspects like that, rather than the kudos of the manufacturer.

I second the motion.

I always wonder about the same thing. It seems to me that tire size (volume), tube, and PSI will do more for ride quality than any single frame material would.

It would be fun to see a blind ride study to see if anyone can really tell the difference.

See logella comment. I have seen that bike and it really is beautifully built. Definitely on my list when I upgrade.

---

I miss you "Sports Night"

Check out Darren Crisp. All custom to your spec - expensive and a long waiting list - but like everything in life you get what you pay for. These bad boys are stunners.

https://www.flickr.com/...os/16933657@N08/sets

---

He who understands the WHY, will understand the HOW.

I have a Litespeed T3 and the weight difference is small but noticeable compared to a CF bike of the same specs. Ride quality seems less harsh but I don't know if I'd pass a blind test on bikes that I've never ridden before.

Ti, much like aluminum, is a little easier on maintenance. It cleans up nice, and you don't need to worry about a torque wrench for every little thing.

I’ve been intrigued with titanium as my next road bike, a forever bike sounds awesome. I do race road bikes somewhat regularly...anyone have any experience or thoughts about racing titanium?

Ya, that looks perfect to be honest. Unfortunately, $4000 is about $4000 more than I have. When I'm able to buy, I'll be poking around for deals like that.

I figure when the time comes I'll look into wheels that can handle the weight. By then I'll hopefully be under my current 120 kg, but 100 kg is about as low as I can go without losing lots of muscle, so I'm always going to be a heavy cyclist.

I've had an Independent Fabrication Ti Crown Jewel and now a moots vamoots CR. I've owned a lot of carbon bikes and several aluminum, still having a few of each. To me, the touch points, tires and psi make much more of a difference than frame material. I have a trek emonda aluminum bike that is lighter and rides just as good as the moots...Titanium is good, but to me, it is not as magical as other find it to be.

You and a few others bring up a good point. It might be a bit of placebo effect. New bike, new material, hype, the need for more bikes...etc. With all of the different tire heights, widths and materials, frame shapes and designs, bar tape thickness, types and thickness of seats, hell, even the design and thickness of the rubber on the hoods, designers have a ton of ways to affect the ride. The best and only way to really know is to get on a titanium bike. That will either confirm it or prove you were right all along.

I loved my relatively cheap Tarmac. It was a great bike, and probably even better than what TDF riders were riding about 15 years ago. I dare to say it was probably faster than my T1SL. 1 thing I do know is that the road buzz 3 years ago on the Tarmac was affecting me more than the it is on my T1SL with the same wheels and seat, both on the same course and distance. So there has to be something to it. The only other difference is the switch of hoods from Shimano to Campagnolo.

I don't know. Maybe I'm just telling myself that so I don't feel like a tool for spending so much frigging money on a bike hahaha.

---

The more people I encounter the more I love my cats.

Search around a bit online. I sometimes see large bikes show up on Craigslist in the 5 large cities of my home state, so a good deal on a titanium bike in your size just might turn up. Due to that, you probably aren't going to have much competition in buyers, which might give you a bit more negotiating room. At your size and weight, steel is still a good material.

---

The more people I encounter the more I love my cats.

The downside of Ti is that you are paying a lot for things that won't clearly benefit you in a race. There are very few if any titanium builds that come close in terms of weight or aerodynamics to the likes of a Trek Emonda ALR5 Disc/Specialised Allez Sprint Disc/Cannondale CAAD13. From a theoretical materials standpoint there is no reason to believe the Ti frames will be more robust than the alloy under cycling stress loads and this holds up to real world experience. Both alloy and Ti frames can and do fail but that has a lot to do with the quality of the initial build rather than material. (I saw three 'budget' Ti bikes in a span of 2 months which all cracked between bottle bosses on the down tube. This is a known issue with cheaper builds and demonstrates the way Ti fails when not build properly). I bring this up because the alloy options listed above are budget relative to Ti bikes. You can afford to build them with premium components and replace them as tech moves on. They may not have the 'feel' attributed to Ti but its questionable how much this matters in a race.

It may sound like heresy on this thread but I think a lot of the praise heaped on Ti over the years is not longer that relevant. It harkens back to comparisons with carbon and aluminium bikes from 20-30 years ago not the modern equivalences. I have no doubt Moots makes fantastic frames and I would love one but its a decision of the heart not the head. I saw a recent interview with the guys at head and they said they build out of Ti because it allows them to build they best possible bikes within the constraints of their US facilities. The reality is that custom carbon and alloy builds just aren't viable for Moots so they build from Ti its not that they believe Ti is a wonder material compared to other materials.

Seems to me the best way to get a wide range of tire width options is to go with a disc-brake set-up. It requires a dedicated wheelset, most likely.

My Lynskey with ENVE fork, disc brakes and HED Ardennes wheels can fit 23-38mm tires and go almost anywhere all day comfortably.