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Average Rating
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4.67/5
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# of Reviews
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55
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MSRP
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$ 3500.00
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Weight
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Description:
- Fork: Float 100RLT, 05
- Handlebar: Easton Monkey Lite lo rise carbon
- Stem: Thomson, 120x5
- Shifters: X9 Triggers
- Brakes: Magura Marta
- Seat: WTB Laser V Stealth Ti
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Submitted by
770nbp
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta
Date Reviewed: September 3, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Pinhotti | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Purchased At: | MTBR Classifieds | | Strengths: | stiff, incredible acceleration possible when at speed, durrable, great handling characteristics in almost any condition, decent frame weight | | Weaknesses: | slow speed square hits on the rear stop this bike dead. not a big deal after you learn to work around it. BB seems a little low because I'm prone to smack my crank arm on rocks and roots. | | Similar Products Used: | Epic, Saltamontes, Blurs, MLII | | Bike Setup: | F120RLC, XTR 960 crank, X-9 shifters/Rear derailuers, Thomson post and stem, Carbon riser bar. | | Bottom Line: | This is my ride of choice right now. The bike is super fast. Its like it has a magic speed. If you ride below that speed, it doesnt really perform especially fantastic. Get it up over the 12 MPH range and it begins to show its best qualities. It accelerates faster than any other bike I've ridden. It climbs tight twisty trails effortlessly. I feel very stable and balanced at all times. If you want to go fast and are a good rider in decent shape, this bike will not let you down. I must say that I really do prefer my 120MM fork over the 100MM that was recomended. I ride an XL frame so the extra 20MM seems not to be a huge differnce in handling but it has helped with pedal slap. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brett Kitcher
a Cross Country Rider
from Walnut Creek, CA USA
Date Reviewed: March 28, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Any Singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$4000.00 | | Purchased At: | Speedgoat | | Strengths: | Fast, responsive, forgiving, climbs like a hardtail, descends with confidence, dependable | | Weaknesses: | Paint wears easily near cables. | | Similar Products Used: | 853 steel hardtails | | Bike Setup: | Avid mechanicals, SRAM XO (with a little XTR).., Fox X100, Fox RP3, Thompson, Mavic 717, WTB Weirwolves, Garmin GPS, WTB seat. | | Bottom Line: | I've owned this bike for nearly 3 years now, and it has been exactly what I was looking for! I had only ridden and raced hardtails before, and as I'm getting older, I wanted something as close to a hardtail as possible, but with a more forgiving.
I've used this bike in the Northwest, Colorado, Utah, and now Northern California (Bay area). It has been flawless! Small to medium drops, epic long rides in the rain, dust, desert and mountains. Keep it tuned and lubed, and it will never let you down. Just drop it in granny gear and climb until your legs and lungs beg for forgiveness. Reach the summit, drop it on the large chainring, point it downhill, and trust he bike; it will go where you point it....amazing!
This bike makes me smile EVERY time I ride it! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
CALIXTO VIRAY JR
a Racer
from LA, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: December 4, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | ROCKY PEAK LOOP | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$5400.00 | | Purchased At: | NEWBURY PARK BICYCLES | | Strengths: | QUICK, LIGHT, CLIMB, DESCEND, CORNER | | Weaknesses: | I NEED TO CHANGE THE FR TIRE | | Similar Products Used: | ANTHEM 0, SPECIALIZE EPIC, INTENSE SPIDER, ELLSWORTH TRUTH, TURNER NITRO | | Bike Setup: | ALUMINUM FRAME, RP23, FOX RLC 100 '08, I9 WHEELSET, XTR, XO, THOMPSON MASTERPIECE, GOBI, MAGURA SL, OURY, EASTON, REVOLT, NEVAGAL, NOKON, SALSA, CATEYE | | Bottom Line: | AT 1ST I WAS AFRAID THAT THIS BIKE WILL NOT WORK FOR ME NEVERTHELESS I WAS WRONG. SO FAR THIS BIKE GIVE TEARS ON MY EYES(JOY). I CAN DO MANY THINGS AND MORE THAN MY OTHER BIKE (STOLEN)!@#$. THIS IS AN AWESOME BIKE IF YOU EVENTUALLY RACE OR DECIDED TO JUST USE IT ALL DAY. THE GUYS FROM THE NP BICYCLE SHOP - SHANE K, KNOW THEIR STUFF AND WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU AS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. I WILL POST ANOTHER ONE AFTER I DO SOME MORE ADJUSTMENT TO MY LIKINGS. ITS AN EXPENSIVE BIKE BUT IF $ IS NO OBJECT THEN DEFINITELY CHECK THIS BIKE OUT. I WILL GIVE THREE CHILIS BECAUSE OF THE BLING PART AND 4 CHILIS FOR RATING UNTIL NEXT TIME. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Roger Ramjet
a Cross Country Rider
from Canberra
Date Reviewed: November 28, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | currently - the powerlines trail between majura and ainslie | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1395.00 | | Purchased At: | Competitive Cyclist | | Strengths: | You can ride it fast or you can ride it really fast and you never feel like its holding you back. Anodized grey finish is hard wearing and stealth. They are fairly uncommon in these parts and it impresses the punters. | | Weaknesses: | I got used to the vast improvement in performance too quickly, now I will never be satisfied with cheap imitations. This just might be the pinnacle of mtb performance so how will I upgrade? | | Similar Products Used: | cheap imitations that now seem neither plush, not fast. | | Bike Setup: | marzocchi mx pros, XT/XTR, XT shadow rear der, goodridge hyrdo brake lines, thomson, mavic, roox bars. | | Bottom Line: | Encourages you to go fast, never holds you back. It glides over rocks and tracks true and always feels nicely balanced, even when drifting.
It aint a cross-country race weenie it aint a hucking bike, but for real world riding its the bike for getting from A to B fast.
I hope other brands offer similar performance, otherwise there is legion of mtbers who dont know what they are missing. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Grant
a
from Mountain Home
Date Reviewed: November 23, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Any | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Raleigh NC | | Strengths: | Simple, light (not super-light), strong, reliable, balanced, climbs well, rolling terrain is always a blast and downhill is a pleasure. Single track is where this bike excels. I ride my standard training loop on my hard tail in about the same time, but it beats the crap out of me and I am regularly on the edge of being in/out of control on my hardtail to be as quick as this bike. It is a marathon racers ultimate weapon. | | Weaknesses: | Long head tube. The main pivot bolt (next to BB) removes from the drive side. That means I have to pull my cranks off to service this pivot. Not a big deal, but could be swapped to the non-drive side easily. | | Similar Products Used: | Litespeed, Norco, Cannondale F900, Proflex, Specialized... | | Bike Setup: | Reliable.Light. Marz Marathons. Marta SLs. SRAM drive train. Tubless King/Mavic wheels. Thompson bits and Raceface carbon bars | | Bottom Line: | I have ridden this bike hard for 2 years now. It is still my magic carpet. Marta SLs are awesome. Fox RP3 still does the business. Marathons are plush as ever. In summary, this bike is always very well balanced. The front and rear suspension are always working together, never opposing each other like some other FS rigs I've ridden. The pivots, the welds and overall quality of the frame are outstanding. Not a sub 25 lb bike unless you go outrageous with the parts mix. A solid 26 lb, 4" travel rocket-ship is definitely possible. Fingers crossed mine doesn't snap. I inspect it regularly and there are no signs of cracking. Buy this bike if you want to go faster than you can on just about any other bike in nearly all regimes of mountain biking. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Roger Ramjet
a Cross Country Rider
from Canberra
Date Reviewed: November 1, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1395.00 | | Purchased At: | Competitive Cyclist | | Strengths: | Nice welds, great attention to detail, proven design, super stiff, absorbs bumps and maintains momentum, no pedal kickback, feels active under brakes, not made in Taiwan and hence I am the first kid on my street to own one. | | Weaknesses: | Not cheap, stories about frames breaking, you need a SRAM or shimano shadow rear derailleur, otherwise it bangs against the frame. Doesnt have the funky fluid formed tubes like the new giants. | | Similar Products Used: | Giant NRS, KHS Soft-tail, steel hardtails. | | Bike Setup: | XT/XTR, Marzocchi MX Pro ETA forks, mavic crossmarks. | | Bottom Line: | I had big expectations and so far my expectations have been exceeded. The name says it all - racer X. Its not super plush, its not a trail bike, and if you are into just tootling around then you could save a lot of money by buying a big brand name bike.
However, if you wanna go fast, its the schizzle. The suspension is active all the time, the rear end is super stiff, it goes exactly where you point it and all the energy you put into the cranks is transferred into forward momentum. Now I understand why riders spend big bucks on frames made in the good 'ole US of A. I've only had it a week and will reserve the superlatives until i have ridden it for a few months. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael
a
from Phila, PA
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2691.00 | | Purchased At: | Abington Wheel Wright | | Strengths: | General feel and layout, handling, suspension, weight | | Weaknesses: | deralieur slap | | Similar Products Used: | Yeti ASR | | Bike Setup: | Fox F100 RLC, xt components through out, avid juicy 7 disc brakes, chris king headset, thompson seat post and stem, easton monkey lite bars, xtr rear hub, american classic front hub, velocity rims, hutchenson python lite tires | | Bottom Line: | Buy from a great shop like Abington Wheel Wright who knows their customers, Miko and Tray recommended this as a upgrade to my YETI, which I thought would be impossible to best, and they were right! The bike beats the YETI in all catagories! The bike turns nicer, handles the rough sections easier and has a much stiffer feeling frame. The YETI was and is a great bike but the Titus is better. For those who complain about the light front end, well its a cross country bike and you want it light, stop pulling up on the handle bars when you climb and the front end will stay planted. The YETI also was light up front and if you pulled up on the handle bars while climbing the wheel lifts. This does have its advantages, easy to change lines quickly and to loft the wheel over obstacles. The bike does handle very quickly and you have to be careful how you turn the handle bars at speed. Much better just to lean the bike over to turn and not turn with the bars at speed. No bike I have ridden to date, and I have tried many, has handled the tight technical sections as easily and effortlessly as this bike. This bike is also less tiring to ride than the YETI and I attribute this to the general layout. Any great bike will seems horrible if it doesn't fit well. I recommend this bike to anyone who loves tight technical trails, racing, and all day rides. I suggest a moto-lite or a 575 to anyone who craves rocky downhills as their main staple. All I can say is that I am a convert now and thanks Wheel Wright for the great recommendation, set-up and attention to your customers. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dennis
a Racer
from Lake Orion, Mi
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$3200.00 | | Purchased At: | Paint Creek Bicycles | | Strengths: | Stability, Tracking, Decending, Smoking your riding buddies, Bling! | | Weaknesses: | Had some issues American Classic Wheel set rubbing but was resolved with hub spacers. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Epic Comp | | Bike Setup: | Reba Race 100 fork, Ameican Classic disc Wheel Set, Thomson Elite Seatpost, Sram X9 components, Ritchy Stems and Carbon handlebars, American Classic Headset, Juicy 7 Hydraulic Disks. | | Bottom Line: | After riding an Epic for 5 years (I loved it!) this was quite a different ride. I raced it one week after assembly and was over steering and over breaking everything. After several months I finnaly learned how to drive this sports car. YOnce dialed in you become one with the bike and just point your eyes. It tracks great, I climb in my saddle more often and climbs faster then the Epic, It is super fast in the single track and down hill. It took me ahile to get dialed in but now I am in love. No buyers remorse here. I have read other review complaining about components but this bike is about the frame. Last but not least this bike looks fantastic. Real eye candy! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lars Hansen
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Fe, NM, USA
Date Reviewed: July 24, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Atalaya | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$4000.00 | | Purchased At: | Bine-n-Sports | | Strengths: | I love the way this bike handles. It is true. You become one with it! | | Weaknesses: | Frame snapped in half after 2 1/2 years. It broke in the lower seam up front. Titus refused to replace it. Apparently, the frame only came with 2 years of warranty. They let me buy a new front triangle for $600. I would have to cover the shipping and installation cost. Bye bye Titus! Good luck without me. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized FRS. | | Bike Setup: | Race X-Lite wheels. XT components. Fox F100X front shock. Manitou 3-way swinger rear. | | Bottom Line: | Super nice frame. Too bad it does not hold up. My local bike shop has seen one other frame snap in half. This forum mentions one. They clearly have a serious quality problem! Do not get this if you ride hard. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
steve schwarz
a Cross Country Rider
from Hailey, Idaho, USA
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Richards Bicycles | | Strengths: | Handling, Weight & easy to ride | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | This is first full suspension: other bike is Merlin Full XTR, great bike and still going after 9 years! | | Bike Setup: | Racer X Full 2007 XTR, Fox RP23 rear and Fox Float 100 RLC front. | | Bottom Line: | Awesome handling bike, if you stay on the front end of the seat while climbing, no problem (for those who complain about front wheel poping up), climbs as well as my Merlin Hardtail. Rides like it is on rails - no lie and is extremely fast. Unlike anything I have ever ridden.
You will most likely have fewer then 10 bikes in your lifetime, buy the best, it is an investment in your health! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alan
a Weekend Warrior
from Huntsville, AL USA
Date Reviewed: February 26, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything in Crested Butte, CO | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$3499.00 | | Purchased At: | Competitive Cyclist | | Strengths: | Main strength is the handling in tight, twisty single track, good climber, pretty good descender | | Weaknesses: | Front end will come off the ground on steep climbs if you yank on the handle bars too much while sitting. | | Similar Products Used: | '94 Litespeed Obed, ~95 GT Avalanche, Orbea Alma 29er (demoed) | | Bike Setup: | Fox F100 RLC, XT rapid fire shifters, XT rear derailleur, LX front derailleur, LX cassette, Truvativ Stylo 3.3 cranks, Avid Juicy 7 brakes, Mavic Crosstrail wheelset, Thompson Elite seatpost, Maxm Ti rail saddle, Continental Explorer tires | | Bottom Line: | Though I cannot compare this bike to other higher end bikes on the market today (with the exception of the Alma 29er), I love this bike. For cross country riding this bike excels. It handles superbly in tight rolling twisty singletrack which is the first thing that I really noticed on my first ride. It feels like you're on rails when navigating tight corners. I'm used to a hardtail and I find that I prefer the pro pedal setting on the fox rp23 rear shock for most of my riding. With this setting the bike feelings very quick and responsive. I switch to open only on rough decents as there is a noticably more sluggish feel to pedaling with the rear shock open; but the open setting is nice in the rock gardens.
She climbs well too, though the other reviewers are correct who have pointed out that the front has a tendency to come off the ground while torquing in granny gear. This is easily solved by relaxing your arms while climbing the steeps in a seated position. But with the pro pedal setting it feels like you're climbing on a hardtail.
On descents, all I can say is that I'm able to go way faster on the racer-x than I ever was able to go before on a hardtail. I'm sure she doesn't descend as well as a 5 or 6 inch travel bike but that's not what she's for. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from Atl
Date Reviewed: February 14, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Fruita - Mary's & Shuttes | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1750.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | quick, nimble, well built, fast fast fast, stiff rear, flickable, light weight | | Weaknesses: | pedal slap with 175mm crank/lower BB. 1 bottle holder. CS doesnt return emails. | | Similar Products Used: | El Saltamontes, Blur, Epic, NRS | | Bike Setup: | 2005 XL RX100 frame, RP3 shock, F100RLT, SD SL V-Brakes, King Hubs laced to 719 rims. XT shifters, crank and derailures. | | Bottom Line: | This is a great RACE BIKE. Allthough its a 100mm travel bike, it is still a pure a sports car, not a SUV. The bike is at its best when at speed, in the flats and rollers as well as tight twisty single track. Its not the best donwhiller or steep climber but it does these things very well. It takes a few hours in the saddle to dial in and master the pros and cons of a race rig like this. Like a fighter plane, it has to be unstable in certain aspects to excell in others. There are a million different adjustments one can make to a bike. To give it a bad rap on a demo only ride or because of the parts someone picked for a demo bike is somewhat unfair. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a
from El Dorado Hills, CA
Date Reviewed: January 22, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Mr. Toad's | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$3700.00 | | Strengths: | Fast and Light | | Weaknesses: | Frame snapped in half at 2.5 Years and Titus won't replace it. | | Similar Products Used: | Santa Cruz Blur, Ellsworth Truth, Specialized S-Works Epic | | Bike Setup: | All XTR, incl 960 disc, Marzocchi Marathon Sl, Thompson, Chris King, Mavic 717, | | Bottom Line: | I loved this bike for the 2.5 years I had it UNTIL it snapped in half during a simple ride. NOW, Titus wants to charge me $1,000 to replace the frame (not even the shock), and can't deliver a new one for three months. My local bike shop has a great reputation, and Titus won't extend any olive branch whatsoever. GOOD BYE, Titus! | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dylan
a Weekend Warrior
from Cleveland, TN USA
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | Nice build quality, clean welds, great part spec. Fantastic ride on rolling single track. | | Weaknesses: | This bike is horrible for steep climbs. DT Swiss wheelset provides more rolling resistance than I prefer, rear deraileur clanking against the chainstay. The Magura brakes were possibly the worst disk brakes I've ever used. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuel, Trek FuelEX 9.0, Gary Fisher Race Day Procaliber, various hardtails | | Bike Setup: | Fox 100 fork and shock w/ propedal, DT Swiss wheelset w/ Onyx hubs and Bontrager XR tires, Shimano XT drivetrain w. TruVativ Firex crank, eggbeater pedals, 100 mm stem @5 degree rise, low rise handlebar, Cane Creek S3 headset, Magura Louise disks | | Bottom Line: | I've wanted to ride one of these bikes for a few years now after hearing all the hype. Finally one made it into my local shop and I was able to do a complete review. I'm quite disappointed in this bike.
For rolling singletrack, without sharp or steep climbs, this bike is a fantastic ride. If you live and or ride in an area with those kind of trails, this may very well be one of the best bikes for you. I however, live where you will often encounter steep climbs that you cannot ride on this bike. Any time I attempted to ride a steep grade, the front wheel would come off the ground. I could not find any position that worked to keep the front end weighted down with enough weight on the rear wheel for traction. I watched as my buddies rode up these grades that I had to walk the bike.
For a $3500 bike, one would be lead to believe that something as simple as deraileur slap would not be an issue. The first time it slapped, I came off the bike thinking I had broken the frame from how loud it was. Even my ride buddies were asking me what I had done. I dont consider that to be an acceptable trait of a bike this expensive.
Midway into the ride, the rear brake simply quit working. No obvious sign of leakage anywhere on the brakelines or fittings were found, they just quit working. By the end of the ride, the front brake was going soft as well with the lever nearly touching the bar grip like the rear brake already was. This was my first and last ride on Magura Louise brakes.
Ride quality was great, but the geometrical climbing drawbacks, deraileur mechanics, and brake issues do not make this bike worthy of the hype nor price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix
Date Reviewed: December 31, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Any | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Bottom Line: | Bling, Bling, Bling, Bling! Fast!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
J
a Cross Country Rider
from San Francisco
Date Reviewed: November 29, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$4500.00 | | Purchased At: | Roaring Mouse Cycles, SF | | Strengths: | light, fast, stiff with a great suspension feel. | | Weaknesses: | Cant tell yet | | Similar Products Used: | Turner Flux - got to test ride for a day, great bike but it aint a Racer x! | | Bike Setup: | F100RLC fork, King headset, FSA xc115 stem,Alpha Q carbon riser bar, Thomson seatpst, Hope Disc brakes 180fr/160rr, SRAM XO rear der. shifters & chain, XT front der., Salsa flip-offs, Race Face crankset, Ti eggbeater pedals, Easton XC One wheelset, Fox RP23, Tioga extreme XC tires, Lock on Rogue grips... | | Bottom Line: | 2007 Titus RacerX 100 This bike rapes the trail! I mean, it rails corners and hammers out of them like a raped ape with a fire in his arse! gone! Handling is nimble and quick and the pedal platform works great on climbs and stays planted. Descents are smooth and confidence inspiring, a well balanced bike that screams. The Fox F100 is the best fork Ive ever ridden - not saying much... And the Easton wheelset is amazing. This bike has improved my riding and openned up so much more terrain to me than my old 96 GT Zaskar LE ( loved that bike!!) The racer x leaps and lands like a big cat, very solid and smooth when suspension is dialed in. I cant say enough good about this frame, buy it! its all they say it is. Perfect for the advanced xc racer, 24 hr racer. great transition bike coming from hardtail to full suspension. I built the bike myself to save a few bucks. Not a begginer bike, as riding technique should be first learned on a hardtail. Peace! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
al
a Cross Country Rider
from dfw, TX
Date Reviewed: November 28, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$2900.00 | | Purchased At: | e-bay | | Strengths: | AWESOME BIKE | | Weaknesses: | could use better tire clearance, but i believe it's better for 2006+ frames | | Similar Products Used: | various.... | | Bike Setup: | usual goodies. | | Bottom Line: | This is in the "racer-x" category too....
What can I say that has not been said before? I bought this based on the reviews of those who came before me.
This must be one of the select few best full-suspension XC bikes out there.
Low-speed handling, while twisting around trees or untangling switchbacks, is fluid and smooth. The mid-speed ride, 8-15 mph, where most of the time is spent, is pure magic. Twisting through the flora, over and around whoops, floating over rock gardens, the bike completely disappears beneath you. It turns, flicks, dances, and skips as you wish, with barely a thought. Too wide mid-turn? Not the bikes fault…but pop the front with a slight yank on the bars and a pedal burst to lift and put that front wheel back on line with unerring precision. In midturn, at speed! I am no expert, but this bike makes it instinctive. Going too slow around a switchback and cut in too close to the apex? Pop the rear wheel up with a little front brake & weight transfer and put it back down where you want it. Completely wrong line? Compress the bike and bunnyhop to the one you wanted!! Telepathically! Keep your momentum, choose a smooth line up, over, and through obstacles, and the Titus will get you there.
Concentrate not on the rock or root in front of you, but on the line you wish to carve 20-40 ft down the trail. High speed descents, while not the bike’s forte or intent, are dispatched without trepidation. No hucking machine is this, but you knew that... That said, 30mph down the fireroad is easily attainable, and 2-3ft jumps (the limit of my comfort factor & suspension setup) are liquid smooth.
I have actually cleared scary things that came up too fast to hesitate, then stopped and walked back to it, wondering how the heck I just went through that... on 2 wheels...
The most effort comes with simply trying to keep up with the furious pace at which the bike unwinds the trail. You CANNOT ride this bike slow, it can’t be done. I have gone on a few rides, feeling tired at the start, thinking “I’ll take it easy”... and 10 minutes later I’m pounding on the middle ring through the trees, sliding through turns, grin, bugs, and spiderwebs across the face. This is NOT a sit-back-and-enjoy-the-scenery bike! THIS IS A RACER-X!
I keep my suspension pretty soft, ~25% sag and little or no “stable platform”. Personal choice, but to me the bike feels like it’s working best, getting best traction, and is quite cushy in that range.
Two things deserve special mention: Stiffness and Fit. This bike is STIFF! It is light, one of the lightest 4” bikes out there, but is seriously stiff. Much credit goes to the massively shaped down tube & uncompromising rear triangle design. There is zero detectable frame flex from me (190lb 75”), feels more laterally rigid than my hardtail.
Fit: Like any bike, Experiment to properly fit the bike. I’m a bit odd-sized, shortish legs & longish torso for my height, and ended up needing a negative-rise stem to get the bars where it felt best. Any higher and the bike lost a lot of the telepathic sense. Included in Fit: experiment with your suspension & tire pressure to get the ride feeling best. But you knew that.
Last thing: get brakes with excellent modulation. On this bike, brakes are not stoppers, they are speed-adjusters. This bike despises absolute power, it NEEDS precision to adjust corner entry speed.
Price: well most folks can’t understand spending big $ on a complete bike, let alone a frame. If you do understand, you will appreciate and love this bike. I got mine 9mo old, paid $2900 for a ride that cost $5500 new. If you’re wavering, troll mtbr classifieds and Ebay for a nice (depreciated) used one, in the winter, when a lot of racers replace their bike, and disenchantented suburbanites bail out. I give it 5 stars because nothing else gives me more giggles per minute.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rick Pierce
a Racer
from Okla City
Date Reviewed: November 17, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Roman Nose State Park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$750.00 | | Purchased At: | VERY Generous good buddy | | Strengths: | Reasonably light for 100mm full suspension frame, very efficient with FOX pro-pedal, Very stiff and Accurate steering response | | Weaknesses: | None of any significance, Other than annoying contact between derailer and dropout in certain gear combos. | | Similar Products Used: | Numerous hardtails back to 1990, early Pro-Flex and K2 F/S'ers, 2002 Scalpel 4000, 2004 AZONIC Propulsion | | Bike Setup: | 2005 TITUS Racer-X 100 with FOX pro-pedal, FOX Float100RLC
Chris King headset, Easton Carbon bars/stem/seatpost, WTB Rocket V saddle, MAVIC SL disc wheelset, AVID mech/disk brakes, MAXXIS CrossMark tubeless tires, SRAM 971 chain,
Full Shimano 952 series XTR Group, Sports instrument 90
wireless computer | | Bottom Line: | I had the great fortune of having a good buddy that bought a Racer-X 100 new in 2005, and decided recently he wished to get a 2007 model. Being a very generous pal, he sold me his pristine 2005 medium RX100 with FOX float RLC for $750.00! I feel like I won the lottery!! I built the bike up as fast as I could get it together and have been riding it like I stole it {I guess I practically did!} for 3 weeks or so now.
WOW!! I have raced and ridden numerous full suspension bikes since the mid-1990's, and this bike is the best of everything!. Its definitely a RACE bike, quick, agile, accelerates well and is very accurate! Pick your line and the bike goes exactly where you want to go.
While it is clearly intended to be a racer, it is still an excellent all-day trailbike! long epic afternoon's are a breeze on this rig.
I would'nt recommend it to huckster's or anyone looking for plush beach-cruiser comfort, but if you want a race bike that can play, and a play bike that you can race...
This is a great partner!! I believe this might be the fastest, most well rounded bike I have ever ridden!!.
My only minor complaint, and I gotta be really looking hard for somthing to complain about... Would be the derailer/dropout contact which makes an annoying knock in certain gear combos. Other than that, this is about as perfect as it gets!
If my buddy's 2007 Racer-X is "Better" than the 2005 Racer-x {that he practically gave to me}...
It MUST be "UN-WORLDLY", because this "Old" 2005 is a magic carpet ride!!
Hear me now, believe me later...If your a racer that likes to spend loads of time on your bike,
Go Get yourself a Racer-X! You won't regret it!!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Great climber, awesone descender. Gorgeous looking frame. Excellent rear tire clearance. | | Weaknesses: | Frame is a little heavy. | | Similar Products Used: | SC Superlight | | Bike Setup: | XC oriented. Ti bolt kit. | | Bottom Line: | This is a really nice bike. My XL frame weighed in a 6.0 lbs. on a digital scale, I wasn't too impressed by that. However that is my only grip and it really isn't that big of a deal. Coming from a single pivot designed frame the suspension on this frame is amazing. It can climb rough trails with ease. It is also incredibly plush on the way down and it corners like you the bike is part of you. The suspension bob while sitting down is unnoticable. If you are standing up and hammering, then you can see it bob ever so slightly, however it is hard to feel. I would definetely recommend this bike. It really is a nice ride. You can tell that Titus put some serious workmanship into this frame, with the shape of the tubing and the stiffness of the rear triangle. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
gary thacker
a Racer
from boulder,co.usa
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | grandsports, winter park, co. | | Strengths: | As a x-country racer I find this bike does everything a race bike is supposed to do better than any other bike I've ridden. It's climbing capabilities make it a better climber than my hardtail which I'd never believed possible and the only thing that limits it's descending speeds is my ability. It has a steep, nimble steering platform which seems to make some reviewers uncomfortable in the rocks but seems completely stable to me. This bike makes me a faster racer. Can't say enough about how well the Magura brakes work. | | Weaknesses: | No Throttle? | | Similar Products Used: | I've raced Ritchies, Litespeed Obed, and have a Moots Smoothie. Can't really count the hardtails as similar except that the racer-x steers like my old race bikes. Fast! | | Bike Setup: | Fox F100 RLT-Fox RP3-FSA stem, seat post, and riser bar-Magura Marta SL-SRAM XO-XTR cranks-Swiss DT hubs and rims with Stans tubeless setup. | | Bottom Line: | If you want to be a faster x-country racer buy this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mc
a Weekend Warrior
from hungary
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | many | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$5200.00 | | Purchased At: | bob's bicykles | | Strengths: | Looks good, stiff, reliable construction. | | Weaknesses: | Frame much heavier than advertised
Very long frame, rear-heavy, quick sharp turns are difficult. | | Similar Products Used: | it's my first full susser. | | Bike Setup: | Fox RLT 100, RP3, XTR, X0, Marta SL, Mavic 717, Nokon, Chris King, WTB Ti, Eggbeater 2Ti,MonkeyLite Sl, Thompson. | | Bottom Line: | Nice bike, bobbing indeed not an issue, especially when siting.
Really fast downhill, with Michelin Comp S tires it behaved as if powered by an engine. Stable.
Frame is incredibly long for an L-size, looks huge. That, and the fact that regardless of twitching the seat position the rider is positioned fairly at the back, makes it dificult to manouver on tight singletrack. My stem is only 90mm and I'm 190 cm tall, with long hands.
The bike bottoms out very easily (could be a common problem with full suspension and low bottom frame). When leaning harder in the corner I have to stop pedalling, afraid of catching the ground with the pedal. My heals ocasionaly skim the ground driving straight on bumpy terrain. Pumping up the fork and shock would help, but then would make it too uncomfortable and less compliant on hard terrain.
The valve of Fox shock constantly switches to neutral from the pro-pedal position, even though I dont touch it with my knee.
My biggest problem is that frame's actual weight is 600 g (over a pound) more, than advertised (it also looks differently than on pictures with some additional heavy reinforcement tubing - just like MotoLite). There is a lot of hype about the low weight of their frames on Titus site, but no actual information. However, one of their main on-line dealers Competitive Cyclist provides a weight data for a RacerX frame in their bike calculator, which is 600 g less than actual (this is not due to shock, which is included in that calculation). This led me to believe I would be buying a feather weight CC racer. Otherwise I would have probably went for carbon frame Scott. All in all, was a major disappointment, although the bike as such is indeed great. Hence 3 flamin' chilis as value rating.
(Bob's Bike were really great in delivering on time and complying with my somewhat complicated requests (even though I got the wheels assembled and not disassembled which made it difficult to ship around). I can recommend them to anyone) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kiel Marley
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, Az.
Date Reviewed: August 20, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | I love them all | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Titus | | Strengths: | Unmatched XC performance - Great climber, great downhill, great technical ability. This Bike is awesome!!! I wouldn't trade it for anything... except a Ti Exogrid. | | Weaknesses: | Easy to spend $4,000 or more. Well worth it though! | | Bike Setup: | Shimano XT, Fox RLT 100 fork, Fox Float rear, X7, X9, Maguro loise disc brakes, Race x-Lite Tubless Wheels, Kenda tires, | | Bottom Line: | Good job Titus!!! If you have the need for harcore XC bike This is the bike for you. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ricksom
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Chain Reaction, Toronto | | Strengths: | - Excellent climber
- Tracks straight and holds line
- Nimble and "flickable" | | Weaknesses: | - Need more colour choices | | Similar Products Used: | Rocky Mountain Instinct, Rocky Mountain Vertex | | Bike Setup: | Fox Float 100 RLT
Fox RP3
Race Face Deus handlebar, stem, seatpost, and crankset
Avid Juicy 7 Carbon disk brakes
DT Swiss disc wheelset
SRAM X.0 deraileurs and shifters
Chris King headset (red)
Hutchison Python tires
| | Bottom Line: | I have been riding hard core cross country for the past 10 years now, and enjoy all the advanced single-track trails Southern Ontario has to offer. I also do several races a year including 24 hour formats and adventure races. Most of my time has been spent on a top end Rocky Mountain hardtail (Vertex) or Rocky full suspension bike (Instinct), and I still love to ride the hardtail. I haven't ridden the Racer X for very long, and I don't want to get too subjective and poetic, but there are some obvious traits that stand out when you first ride the Racer X.
It loves to climb, and climbs very well. Riders that I used to follow on group rides up technical climbs now follow me. I don't drop to the granny gear much any more. The front end will rise if you torque too much in the granny gear.
It tracks straight and holds a line. I no longer have to make constant adjustments with the handlebar over tricky technical sections.
It is nimble and "flickable", meaning I can easily move the front and back end around in the air to clean tricky stuff.
I love the blue ano finish, and it looks sharp as a backdrop to the red highlights of my selected components (Race Face, SRAM, Avid, Chris King, Fox, and DT.....not to mention the red presta valve covers).
This is the last bike I will buy for the next 1/2 decade.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
XCRJR
a Cross Country Rider
from The badlands of NM
Date Reviewed: July 18, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | KOM | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2300.00 | | Strengths: | Excellent quality,looks, and mostly the performance. The rear end is solid, yet provides excellent terrain compliance. LIGHT! | | Weaknesses: | It's not cheap, but quality comes at a price | | Similar Products Used: | Superlight (pretty nice as well), Switchblade (still have), Ti hardtails, S-Works | | Bike Setup: | 2005 RX, Sram, Marzocchi, King wheels. (I like the aluminum rear triangle, and would be concerned how the new carbon fiber rear will handle the rigors of the inevitable wrecks in mtb) | | Bottom Line: | This bike lives up to all the hype. I was amazed at how snappy it is on the climbs. My buddy even commented that I was a lot faster. The back end holds the line nicely and rear tire tracking is perfect. My SC superlight would flex laterally a bit in the back. The first wheel lift I did I nearly came over the top because the thing is so light! On singletrack it carves nicely and feels stable at speed. I did not notice any twitchiness in the corners or on moderate descents. On more technical descents, I noticed the steeper head angle (compared to my Switchblade), but part of this may have been related to the fork pressure settings.
I was able to build it up at a lower price with some left over items and some Ebay browsing, so 5 chilis for both! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Barry
a
from Tustin, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | The Bike Company | | Strengths: | Light, snappy, efficient, tight (no flex) | | Weaknesses: | You feel like a cheater when you're climbing! | | Similar Products Used: | Santa Cruz Blur, Turner Five Spot | | Bike Setup: | Fox Talas, SRAM X.0 shifters & rear derailleaur, Mavic 819s. | | Bottom Line: | This is by far the best bike I've ever owned. Climbs like a billy goat, and descends very well. I expected the Racer-X 100 to ride a bit stiff, compared to my Five Spot, but I think the Racer-X is every bit as plush (RP3 on my Five Spot). Great all-around, epic-ride bike...and even raceable.
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Submitted by
PB
a Racer
from Plainsboro, NJ
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: | |
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