https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBTILMGX/titus-loco-moto-sram-gx-titanium-mountain-bike

Looks broken. It might ride great but the top tube to seat stays look like something heavy fell on it and bent it in the middle.

I have to admit, I kinda agree with SamuelR on the aesthetic, but at the same time…….

I think it would look cool if they re-jigged the original On-One Fatty frame with the twin top tubes for it. The straight top tube/seat stay layout really worked on that bike.

Looks rank. Why so many spacers?

I wish there was something a bit more aggressive than the Big Dog/Scandal but not quite as much as the Hello Dave. I know it sold well but I think the geometry is too extreme for most people and would do even better if it was toned down a little.

Why so many spacers?

Well that’s a two minute fix! As I’m tight I always cut my steerer long just in case I get a frame one day with a longer head.

I wish there was something a bit more aggressive than the Big Dog/Scandal but not quite as much as the Hello Dave. I know it sold well but I think the geometry is too extreme for most people and would do even better if it was toned down a little.

Is there a niche there? The Scandal is long/slack enough for the masses as a trail bike, and the Hello Dave is the DH hardtail. I’m not sure what niche you’d aim an in-between bike at. Being hardtails they already climb on fire roads about as well as they’re ever going to, and on trails I’m not sure I’d want anything sacker?

I’m not saying I wouldn’t like my scandal just a smidgen longer (10-15mm) and lower (I think the BB could be lower and I really liked the ridiculously low TT of my Fatty even if it did add ~300g). But they’ve already now got 5 bikes based on 2 geometries, does it need another 3 (or 4 if they make an ‘alooo Dave)

That looks great.

They must have an awful lot of those Panaracers to get through before they offer some decent tyres.

Why so many spacers?

Dunno but if the bikes come like that all the better.  I don’t want the steerer pre cut to the minimum I want some spare

That mismatch of angles between top tube and seat stays just ruins the looks. It’s otherwise very tempting.

Yup, looks like it’s been dropped from a large building with an even larger person upon it. Nope.

Having checked the geometry that is not for me.  At 5’8” I’d be a medium maybe small and I know those lengthy chain stays at 458mm paired with the reach will suck a good chunk of the fun out of riding.

samuelr
Full Member

Looks broken. It might ride great but the top tube to seat stays look like something heavy fell on it and bent it in the middle.

I just don’t get it tbh, it’s so nearly straight, and straight usually looks fantastic. Literally moving the seatstays up a cm or so would do it from the looks of it. Or give it a slightly shorter head tube and lower the front of the toptube a bit. The curves in the seatstays are presumably there for a reason but it could all be worked around.

I’d be curious to try it, still, a lot of it makes sense to me. Is the weight really right, 13.9kg without pedals? Hefty wheels but the rest doesn’t look that weighty… I thought maybe it was those pound shop Panaracers they’ve inflicted on it but according to Panaracer they’re under a kilo.

I do like that they tell you important stuff like who made the seatclamp, but not how much travel the Reverb has.

Frame spec is listing it takes a 3” 29er tyre. Triple butted titanium…they’re spoiling us.

Bigger frame sizes I assume wouldn’t have the dip? Is that a small in the photos?

Is that a small in the photos?

Medium apparently.

I’d love to swap my hello Dave frame for that!

I’m not quite sure if I’d gain anything by it?

My current frames not light, some might say it’s full boat anchor weight! If a medium is 30lb without pedals, that in xl won’t be much lighter?

@dc1998 isn’t the tick tick geometry in the middle of the hello Dave and the big dog?

Looks rank. Why so many spacers?

Short head tube and ready for people with a high bar? Either for your mega steep enduro trails/ your bad back? Delete according to who actually buys these bikes. I guess I’m in both catergories

samuelr
Full Member

Looks broken. It might ride great but the top tube to seat stays look like something heavy fell on it and bent it in the middle.

My frame hasn’t won many beauty contests despite having a straight seat tube to chainstay.

I don’t think there’s middle ground, I think the reach on the XL models go from 480(Scandal) to 530(HD) which is conservative to radical IMO. Chainstays are also huge and very slack(I think 3° slacker than the Big Dog/Scandal). One seems like a trail hardtail and the other is a DH monster, I still think this should have been a bit less extreme.

Having checked the geometry that is not for me. At 5’8” I’d be a medium maybe small and I know those lengthy chain stays at 458mm paired with the reach will suck a good chunk of the fun out of riding.

Move and/or ride steeper stuff 🙂

I wish there was something a bit more aggressive than the Big Dog/Scandal but not quite as much as the Hello Dave.

This one?

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBTIFLGX/titus-fireline-sram-gx-titanium-mountain-bike

It does indeed look squashed but as someone with a Gen 1 Ti456, I’m in no position to judge.

The geometry is hilariously extreme! It’s basically a Doctahawk with much longer chainstays and a size larger on the reach. HUGE bike!

Northwind

I just don’t get it tbh, it’s so nearly straight, and straight usually looks fantastic. Literally moving the seatstays up a cm or so would do it from the looks of it.

That’s just it – a minor tweak, and we’d all be sat here thinking how bloody great it looked. I’d probably have ordered it.

I will say though, I’m not convinced that such long chainstays are a good idea on a hardtail made for steep descents – on a full-sus you have rear suspension which keeps the rear tyre gripping even when most of your weight is on the front. On a hardtail I think you need that tyre closer to your feet.

On the other hand, I’d like longer chainstays on my hardtail for drifting flat slippery turns.

Is there room to fit a bottle on it ?!!

Does look like its been in a freak accident, if you got hit by a car and somehow got away unscathed they’d still think they owe you a new frame, does a hardtail really need a 62° head angle.

Move and/or ride steeper stuff

It is just my opinion based on owning a titanium Sick! hardtail with not dissimilar numbers.    I have not found any benefit to chain stays that long only downsides.  Maybe on the bigger sizes for taller people but not for me

The long stays are the same as the Hello Dave – in fact all the geo is almost identical. I have an XL Dave. It’s grip and stability descending is phenomenal. It also climbs super well. But, you really need to give it some beans to jump / get the front end up – due I think to the chainstay length. Now I’m used to it I can overcome it. When I get on other bikes the lack of grip scares the life out of me and I nearly fall of the back when I lift the front end having over-egged it!

Is there room to fit a bottle on it ?!!

The XL Dave (close relative) would have space for two bottles end to end if you were happy to drill some extra holes!

Maybe on the bigger sizes for taller people but not for me

I suspect this could be true.

Chainstay length will in part be due to trying to squeeze in the large tyre sizes.

Think I’d prefer a Ti Scandal… but I’m not a particularly aggro rider

Dunno but if the bikes come like that all the better. I don’t want the steerer pre cut to the minimum I want some spare

I meant why do promo shots with so many as it looks terrible? All for long steer tubes, keep them long myself just in case but promoting them like this just reminds me of when they made Inbred’s with stupidly short head tubes because thy gave the factory the wrong spec.

big_n_daft

Chainstay length will in part be due to trying to squeeze in the large tyre sizes.

I think it’s the opposite – they went so extreme with geo that a 29×3.0 will fit

endomick
Free Member

does a hardtail really need a 62° head angle.

WEll… True to form On One don’t say if that’s sagged or static, but, my solarismax is 65.7 sagged. (my old Ragley Ti was 66 sagged IIRC which at the time was HeReSy!). And they’re both totally sensible allrounders.

62 if it’s unsagged on a 150mm fork will put it not far off either of those. If it’s 62 sagged then that’s a bit more extreme.

I meant why do promo shots with so many as it looks terrible?

because we’d all think “great, nice long steerer so I’m not painted into a corner”?

Northwind
FULL MEMBER
Its 62 deg unsagged, less than 2 deg more at 25 percent sag I think, though could be wrong, 62 sagged would be half way to grim donut ridiculousness.

Shit, I really don’t need that at all, but by-eck they’ve got that bang on for big fellas.

Decent chain stay length for tall guys to balance long reach on climbs? check!
Decent HT and stack? check!
Nice reach? check!
Proper steep seat actual tube suitable for tall folks that doesn’t leave us hanging over the back wheel? check!

Lush! Want. arses.

Wish they’d just update the Fireline instead. That thing looks odd, long yet squashed and sort of too thin. I dunno, just can’t put my finger on what makes it look strange.

Update the Fireline Planet X!

to balance long reach on climbs

is reach actually relevent on climbs? I figure that for weight distribution ett is more important (more weight on my arse than on my feet when I’m climbing), which isn’t that long due to the upright seat tube..