4 first's and a boatload of comfort.

[ton]

done 3 things today that i have never done before.

rode a titanium bike, rode some carbon forks and rode a tubeless tyre set up. oh, and rode a rohloff hub.

a few things i noticed.
the combo of the first 3 makes for a very comfortable ride. and i mean like smooth and kind of soft if you get what i mean.
just so smooth feeling on sub standard road surfaces.
i have ridden steel frames since the early 80's on a 531 tourer, with all kinds of steel frames along the way, up to 953.
to ME, a titanium frame feels different. maybe the flex makes is feel comfier ? i dont know. just different.

i have read all kinds of stuff about using a rohloff hub. noisy. no. draggy, no. quiet, extremely. and the ability to shift through the gears whilst not peddling is pretty cool. oh, and the weight. sorry, not noticable by ME. but i am a lump, so maybe i wont notice it.

and can i say, i am not tying this to blow my trumpet, saying my new bike is perfect. a few of you have ridden with me, and most of you have bought from me. you know i am not that kind of bloke.
if i buy something and dont like it, i say so and sell it on.
i am just making a few observations on some things that are new to mate, and will hopefully rekindle my love of cycling.

[pistonbroke]

Welcome to the club Tony, hope this one's a keeper, just like the 150 before it

[ScotRoutes]

Fantastic. Hoper it's a keeper.

(Can I just say "I told you so"?)

[BigdummySteve]

Is it a medium?

[Cheeky Monkey]

Be a sad day when an (expensive?) new bike didn't raise what sounds like a big grin

I hope you'll be very happy together

[Fat tyre kicker]

It's a beauty Ton, I hope it rekindles your mojo

[sean_iow]

....rode a tubeless tyre set up.

Have you never ridden with tubeless before Maybe it's because where I live every country lane and off toad track is lined with hawthorn and blackthorn but I can't imagine anyone with tubes anymore.

saying my new bike is perfect.

That will be the head badge I know Salsa sometimes get accused of being overpriced and people list the cheaper alternatives which are 'just' as good, but there's something about how a ti Salsa rides which is more than the geo numbers and sum of the parts.

[Bearbonesnorm]

That will be the head badge I know Salsa sometimes get accused of being overpriced and people list the cheaper alternatives which are 'just' as good, but there's something about how a ti Salsa rides which is more than the geo numbers and sum of the parts.

I hope you've sent Salsa's marketing dept a copy of your cv Sean.

[Moff]

That will be the head badge I know Salsa sometimes get accused of being overpriced and people list the cheaper alternatives which are 'just' as good, but there's something about how a ti Salsa rides which is more than the geo numbers and sum of the parts.

Maybe they'll make the Salsa I want again... El Mariachi Ti?

[pistonbroke]

there's something about how a ti Salsa rides

I put it down to the light, floating sensation brought about by having nothing left in ones wallet

[wriggles]

Ooh just seen the bike picture. Thats a stunner Tony!

[Cheeky Monkey]

but there's something about how a ti Salsa rides which is more than the geo numbers and sum of the parts.

I'll have to take your word for it as it does sound rather bobbins I'm just happy to assume all Ti frames are vaguely exciting and leave it at that

[jameso]

(and, pics?)

[ton]

(and, pics?)

Tony Ti 2.jpg

(133.01 KiB) Downloaded 233 times

[benp1]

It's a cracking looking bike

Pedant in me says that it looks like quite a lot of excess in the cables

[sean_iow]

I'm just happy to assume all Ti frames are vaguely exciting and leave it at that

That's taking is bit far given the regular tales of cracked ti frames and failures, but there's and easy test to see if a frame is vaguely exciting, have a look at the headtube and if the badge is a chilli with the world behind it your fine

[PaulB2]

I'm detecting a hint of confirmation bias

[boxelder]

oh, and the weight. sorry, not noticable by ME

It's the weight at the rear wheel that I wouldn't want to live with when I tried, but that was for a tech trail MTB. For a wheels on the ground type/tourer, I imagine it's ideal.
Lovely bike. Like you, I've had steel bikes since the 80's, along the carbon, scandium, Al, etc. Ti is deffo different to steel and for gravel type riding is well worth the spend IMO.
Also Salsa - premium(ish) for good reason.

[jameso]

That is nice ton. Keeper contender.

RE ti Vs steel, I'm not sure. Ti frames generally are very nice, yes. I sold both my custom Ti road frames to keep a 953 equivalent though. Really hard to say this with any credibility as it's so subjective or like pea-finding, but good Ti to me felt like great steel coated in a thin layer of rubber. Like the greater volume of material had some vibration dispersion beyond what I could attribute to the flex level in the bike. Or, it flexed but didn't spring in quite the same way? The 953, built with the same parts, felt about the same in terms of stiffness/flex balance (ie, really nice) but a little more pingy, like a few clicks off the micro rebound. Can't see how that can be the case, mechanically. It's probably just the sound it can make affecting my perception. Basically the 953 was every bit as nice as the better of the 2 Ti bikes.
Wonder what someone with spring manufacturing experience in both materials would say about that ^ ("it's bollocks", probably)

Anyway... Ti's easier to work or live with than 953. Takes that level of steel refinement (and cost) to equal the weight and ride feel of Ti.