I’ve had a few over the years – an early 2000’s Litespeed road frame was my first and I like it a lot but that got swapped out for a number of carbon road frames in the ensuing years. I had a Rock Lobster Ti mountain bike frame that I never really did justice around the same time, then apart from really wanting an early Ti456, never gave Ti much more thought.
Roll on a fair few years… loving my alloy Tripster, it was an easy choice to put my name down for one of the first Ti versions last summer and it’s been a hoot ever since. Just done 50 odd miles on it today, roads, lanes, tracks, bridleways – an absolute blast.
I had a Mk1 Ti456 for a while; the steel ones were one of my favourite hardtails and the ti version was very nice indeed, though not 6x as special if I’m honest.
I have no yearnings for another carbon roadbike at the moment, I’d happily stick a steel hardtail in the garage (alongside the alloy full suss that gets used from time to time) if we’re talking about choosing frame materials, but the Tripster ATR for me is the ultimate bike. It’s like bikes were when we were kids – you didn’t go to your dad’s garage and choose from a quiver of bikes, you just got your bike out and went for a ride. And you rode the same bike in the woods, down the BMX track, round the roads, on the beach…
The Tripster’s like that and the fact that it’s titanium means it rides like a dream, it’s lightweight, comfy, fast, looks purdy… A proper bicycle (and a bloody site nicer than the one I had when I was about ten too!) 🙂