This is my first post to Slowtwitch. First let me very briefly describe myself. I’m 45 and just starting to train for triathlons. Since I’m a bonafide newbie, I wouldn’t be posting here except for the fact that Tom Pishkin references the Slowtwitch forum on the TitanFlex website and I just had publically provide feedback (you know, similar to that eBay thing...)
I bought a medium 650c TitanFlex from Tom last May. For sure, his customer service is absolutely the best I’ve dealt with. He’s obviously an expert about bikes. He’s patient, responsive and bends over backwards to help you get what you want. I don’t think you will get better component prices when you buy your bike through him. This is not new information, so I won’t dwell on this.
What I'd like to do is focus on performance characteristics. I just completed the Hotter ‘n Hell 100 on my TitanFlex which should serve as a basis of comparison. Course is mostly flat with some rolling terrain. The conditions were slightly hotter and windier than last year. We had some thunderstorms and lightning rolling in, with stiff headwinds developing later during the ride. Despite this, I was a few minutes faster this year than last year. Last year I rode a Cannondale CAAD5 multisport with Velocity Spartacus Pros, so a few minutes improvement is not impressive. right? Well last year, I drafted whenever I could, which was about 50-60% of the time (I would have drafted 100% of the time but a lot of pacelines I hooked up with often stopped at the break areas). This year, I deliberately avoided drafting just to see how I might do. I passed a lot of pacelines and begrudgingly pulled a lot of pacelines. My computer showed an average speed of 21.9 mph but even though I measured the wheel, I think the speed was more like 21.5 mph based on actual time and purported distance. I honestly don’t think the motor is that much better than last year. Comfort-wise, the TitanFlex was outstanding. During the first part of the ride, I heard people complaining about the roughness of the road and it struck me as funny at the time because I didn’t know what they were talking about.
As far as aesthetics, my bike certainly got a lot of amazed looks and comments (photo is a bit dark because hurricane Katrina is affecting our weather). I don't think most roadies (which I started as) know about TitanFlex, heck I didn't know about them until April of this year.
I have some small criticisms of the TitanFlex and XLab wheelset. The upper frame mounted bottle cage doesn’t work for me. I ride with my knees closer in and I constantly kept brushing against the cage (I removed the cage for the photo). Extremely irritating! I haven’t tried the lower mounting points, so I may try that. The XLab wheelset turned out to be almost a full pound heavier than advertised, so hill climbing is not great with these wheels (the TitanFlex frame is very stiff in this regard). Also I don’t think the manufacturing tolerances are as good as the Hed H3; the wheels have a more complex shape and are not a high production item (it took 6 months for me to get my wheels through a local dealer, but that may have to do with the fact that I wanted 650c which are not as popular) so I can accept the tradeoffs. Despite these shortcomings, aesthetically I like how the wheels match up with the TitanFlex. Their high speed performance (i.e., less drag) is far and away better than the Spartacus Pros. I haven’t used Hed H3 so not sure which has better aero performance, but even if H3 (or any other wheels for that matter) was better, I’d accept the tradeoffs and still chose the XLabs. The XLabs also seem plenty strong, though I’ll only use them for serious rides.
As far as the other components on the bike, suffice it to say that my choices were often based on tradeoffs with what's currently out there.
Regards,
AeroEgg
P.S. I did the graphics if you were wondering, maybe Tom will offer something similar, or you can have it done for you – if that’s your thing.
Thanks everyone for your comments! I usually cut the grass after my home owner’s association issues a citation.
With regard to the fork, I don’t know if there is a significant aero advantage between that and the Reynolds ProAero fork I was considering. The Oval Concepts fork is a bit heavier but I consider it to have more “bling” and I was able to get a good price for it. These forks were designed by John Cobb, so I have faith that they are pretty aero. The fork seems solid enough (1" steerer tube).
Actually, Docfuel is right, the middle section is recessed. I’ve never seen a TitanFlex in person before and I thought it would be flat also. I had a different paint scheme in mind until the frame arrived.
Maybe Tom’s approach was to get around patent infringement? Trek used to make a beam bike (Y-Foil) which looks similar to the TitanFlex, but with a smooth airfoil-like surface. So maybe to get around infringement he used a different structural approach. Generally, aircraft formers and panels have thicker material around the circumference while the middle section is thinner web material to reduce unecessary weight. Anyway just a theory. Still, it looks like there’s a finite element structural model depicted on his website, so you know Tom did his homework.
I didn’t know what you meant until I read the Jan article. What a blunder!
I’m pretty sure I have it right. The cassette carrier on the rear wheel is on the right, so no choice there, and the spokes are the same for front and rear so they should face the same direction. Also, at a bike show Airointernational had the the wheels on their XLab frame:
The main downtube is concave. I say it is for one obvious reason: Added Strength. My son, the engineer, agrees. The only way to know for sure is to ask Tom himself.
NICE paint, Aeroegg! You can see mine on the TitanFlex site, it’s the black and red one with a Zip front and Renn rear disc. Consider cutting the bottom of the seatpost shorter and at an angle to match the lines of the boom?
Oh, and VERY nice speed on your ride. That’s simply great, especially for someone calling themself a “newbie”. You’d beat this Oldie on that ride.
I sure love my TitanFlex. We had a group that did a 50 miler last week, and we went over some really bad filling-shaker roads…I was the only one that didn’t complain about those sections. It really makes that much difference. After a year on my TitanFlex, I am finding that I can begin to ride my double diamond frame for 30-40 miles without having serious lower back pain issues, although my ishial tuberocities sure do hurt after riding a DD frame! Maybe the TF has allowed me to train through the injuries that I developed over time riding a DD frame? If anyone wants to buy a Kestrel Talon from me, I’d use the money to buy another TitanFlex and set it up as a road bike…probably even use a stiffer boom in a road configuration, because my weight would be shifted back some.
1 tip for you, make sure you have some kind of lube on the boom where it is in the frame. Since Ti and Al may “freeze” up, it’s important to have some kind of barrier. Mine is kinda stuck right now, but Tom, as always, has promised full support and will help me get it squared away.
Personally, I’d cut off the bottom of the seat post.
The main downtube is concave. I say it is for one obvious reason: Added Strength. My son, the engineer, agrees. The only way to know for sure is to ask Tom himself.
I seems like the weight penalty for putting an additional piece across the recess would be minimal. Might be even stronger.
I seems like the weight penalty for putting an additional piece across the recess would be minimal. Might be even stronger.
I don’t know. I do know that it is common structural engineering technique to add indentions to flatter sections of metal to make them less prone to bending. Additionally, by using this technique, it avoids the probability of producing a stress riser at the points of contact should you instead choose to brace across the recess.
Again, I’m not the engineer. Just ask Tom if you want the real reason(s). With his background in aerospace as well as automotive engineering, I can bet it wasn’t by accident that the concave shape was his choice, and that it was chosen by virtue it’s function following some proven engineering principle(s).
I’m a newbie to triathlons. I suck at swimming but I’m trying to improve.
Yeah, I’ve noticed the red and black TitanFlex – pretty sharp!
I’ve been pretty fortunate with all the Cannondale bikes I have, I’ve never developed any problems. I even have a carbon fiber shell saddle which I find pretty bearable. The comfort of the TitanFlex is a bonus.
I am a little concerned about that area as well. I believe Tom uses a dry graphite powder there. I think the area is O.K. as long as moisture doesn’t get in, but it’s likely to happen. Because of all the dissimilar metals, a corrosion cell can develop when moisture gets entrapped between the surfaces. I’m thinking a molybdenum disulfide grease might be better but not sure if would make the boom too slick and cause it to rotate out of position with a load.
Yeah, I want to do something about the excess seatpost. I’ve been toying with other ideas about that area. Most likely I’ll end up cutting it.
I had Tom send me the TitanFlex powdercoated but with no clearcoat. I pretty much used a Craig Frasier airbrush technique and his stencil. The graphics are automotive basecoat paints. The lettering is Auto-Air automotive water based detail paint. I also sprayed on a blue violet Auto-Air transparent fade at the tips of the graphics. Finally I shot four layers of clearcoat after that. Adhesion promoter was used prior to applying paint and clearoat.
