Hi,

I have a Titanflex that I rode exclusively from 2004 - 2007. In that time, I usually had it set up as a tri bike, but for a few hilly/curvy races, I swapped out the bars to drops. I put a lot of miles on the bike and I love the way it felt. I live in Florida, so most of my riding is flat and straight. In those conditions, the TF is a great bike. Aero and comfy. I had some concerns about the way it felt on hills and around curves, as I felt some lateral sway. However, subesquent riding on a more standard tri bike has simply confirmed that I suck at bike handling.

In terms of fit points, I found the bike to be very adjustable. The only point that doesn't move is the crank. The seat can move fore and aft and up and down, and the stem is highly adjustable. I have lent my bike to 2 other triathletes who have ridden it for a season +/-. My brother rode it and he generally rides a 54cm Specialized. I rode it and I ride a 58cm Felt. My friend is currently riding it in prep for IM Coz, and he usually rides a 61cm Cervelo, so go figure.

Last point: The owner of TF, Tom Piszkin, is a great guy. Just talk to him with whatever questions you have and he will give you the straight scoop.

Good luck.

I'm a long-time TF customer, and have a few comments:

1) I would definitely purchase from Tom again -- he has a unique product and gives outstanding service.

2) Titanflexes are highly adjustable, but as you've mentioned, in most sizes their front-center dimension is that of a road bike. This can lead to having one's weight far forward if you configure it for a steep position. My particular bike is the prototype for their V700-ST size which Tom custom fabricated for me at the time. It features a longer front-center dimension through stretching the "top tube" and allows me to ride with a seat tube angle in excess of 80 degrees and still maintain reasonable weight balance.

3) The rear-center dimension has been a non-issue for me. The fact that it is longer than some tri-geometry bikes has, IMO, only improved the shifting by creating a straighter chain line.

4) The ride comfort of the TF is far better than any double-diamond frame.

5) The suspension design claims to reduce rolling resistance and improve cornering grip. Critics claim that the suspension wastes power. I have not seen data to support or refute either claim.

6) Riding a Titanflex will change your pedal stroke. Beginners often bob up and down. After 500 miles or so, you learn to pedal "smoothly" and the bobbing goes completely away. There is fierce debate here on Slowtwitch as to whether or not pedaling style affects efficiency at all.

7) The only persistent mechanical issue I've had in over 10,000 miles is a squeaky "boom". I need to keep it cleaned and greased regularly to eliminate the noise. TF recommends a dry moly lube on the boom, but I have not had success with this technique.

8) Your TF will turn heads. It definitely stands out in the sea of Cervelos in the transition area.

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"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."

SimplyStevie - In your post, you mentioned that you swapped your TT bars and your drops bars. Do you have any clever tricks for doing this quickly or does it involve removing the handlebar tape, disconnecting the cables, putting the other set of bars, connecting cables and putting tape? I would love to be able to swap TT and road bars via some sort of cable splitter... But everyone tells me it is tricky thing to do, at best!

I will second the great service by Tom. He will gladly and promptly respond to any questions that you may have. I've had my Transition for 4 years and love it. I have it set up more as a road bike with clip-ons right now due to the type of riding I do but have set it up steep in the past.

You can search my previous posts regarding my experiences with TitanFlex. I've made plenty over the years.

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Formerly DrD

The procedure is quite simple:

1. Take bike to shop, along with parts to be swapped in
2. Return to shop 1 day later, along with credit card
3. Take bike home, along with receipt for 1 hour shop labor

Repeat as necessary!

Tom does great with the bikes and is outstanding to work with. He put up with my questions, and requests; and my satisfaction was just over the top. I have had my fastest splits in many years, and have not put in a significant increase in milage (my yearly training average is slightly over 1.5 hours per week for everything...including biking). I had to go with the stretch geometry to get a long enough 'top tube' for the seat tube angle that I wanted to ride at. The ONLY thing that I think I might change is the steerer tube length...I might wind up taking 1cm off of the top, ream/face, and reinstall headset; as it is just a hair to tall for where I want to get to (I already took out spacers in headset and 3t elbow rest risers; and want to keep the king headset)...but I am still up in the air about that. Cable routing is all internal, and the rear brake goes to a modified trp925 rear brake that just works as a center pull with the cable exiting through the 'seat tube'. It is pretty slick. I also got the 'midnight' paint job (which is actually powder coat) which color shifts in the light.

To address your question... there are two 'lengths' available in the size large...the standard and the stretch. You might be able to work with tom to get what you want in a different size; but I would leave that one up for Tom to answer. He really is a great guy. I was able to test ride one on a business trip and was hooked after that.

Hope this helps. I can answer any other questions that you might have; just let me know. I cant say enough about how much I like this bike. Way better than the softride I had over 10 years ago.

Stephen J

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I believe my local reality has been violated.
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Happiness = Results / (Expectations)^2

Thanks. Much appreciated.

Dr D - I have read your posts on the TTflex - thanks... How do you find the handling of the bike when you are riding the aerobars?

Simple Stevie - THanks for the clever response. ;)

Stephen J - How does the bike climb when you are running a very steep top tube? I have tried some 14degree climbs on my TT bike and it is hard work (harder than my roadie)

I have the STA at about 75-76 and it tracks nicely. I've done more road riding this summer and really like it set up the way it is.

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Formerly DrD

I have one, love it. Very comfortable.

Stephen J - How does the bike climb when you are running a very steep top tube? I have tried some 14degree climbs on my TT bike and it is hard work (harder than my roadie)
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Hi,
I cant really comment on this particular bike, but I can comment on a steep softride which I used to ride about 10 years ago. I never had any problem riding up the steeps; which I always stayed seated with grades up to 23% (some said more that that, but Im not so sure about that) in VT. I cant say that I did not slow down, but I can say that I never noticed a huge difference between road geometry and tri geometry bikes (I do almost all of my 'training' on a road bike right now). One question I might ask is if you have a really large drop to your bars? Are your base bars flat or do they drop as well? The reason that I ask is that if you are reaching a little too low to grab on to the drops to climb, then you are of course changing your hip angle to something that may not be ideal...and this would be a difference between a TT bike and a road bike.

With this said, I still love this bike more than any other that I have ridden; and if you put an adjustable stem on it, you could change the seat tube angle while maintaining your reach.

Stephen J

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I believe my local reality has been violated.
____________________________________________
Happiness = Results / (Expectations)^2

Thanks everybody. Appreciate it.