Submitted by
Andrew
a Cross Country Rider
from La Mirada
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2002
Strengths: Low cost for Ti. Very well made. Rides like a dream. Perfect size for me.
Weaknesses: Very minor - rears stays are flexy - needed to install a brake booster.
Bottom Line:
Plushest ride I have ever experienced on a "hardtail". I am selling my old full suspension frame since I like this so much better.
Acceleration is fantastic, very smooth ride, climbs great. I mostly ride smooth dirt roads and semi-paved bike trails now. I have backed off of the freeride stuff - just getting too old and beat up to do the hardcore riding anymore.
I always wanted a Ti bike, but could never justify $1000+ for just a frame. At only $425 for the frame, it was too good a deal to pass up.
Similar Products Used: Just about every type of bike ever made. Have been riding off road for about 25 years now, and on road for about 40. I build my own bikes. I'm not sure how many frames I have been through. This is probably about frame number 38, give or take - I've lost count. I often re-use many of the components.
Bike Setup: 16" frame. Manatou SXR 80mm fork, Cane creek C2 headset, vintage specialized stem and 11 degree bend bar, vintage Shimano XT thumb shifters, Older style Truvative cold forged crank with 42,32,20 rings, Time ATAC pedles, XT deraileurs, XTR 12x28 8spd cassette, XT hubs w/butted spokes and Bontrager Maveric rims, Ritchey Tom Slick 1.4 road tires at 100psi (2.1 Enduroraptors for off road), XT V Brakes w/ Koolstop pads. Many items are favorites that I have collected over the past few decades.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Daneil
a Cross Country Rider
from New York
Date Reviewed: February 7, 2002
Strengths: Sweet ti frame for $850. Rides like a dream. Plus Supergo made an error and sent me a LX/222 wheelset instead of a Deore/221 set. XT rear der. and LX crankset are the best performance/value componants out there.
Weaknesses: Deore front der., brakes and shifters. Tioga headset.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the best buys around. Hands down. The frame is wonderful. I will never ride another Al frame again after riding this bike. Quality parts on an outstanding frame with an msrp under $2000 is perfect for serious riders and sport racers. Upgrade the components and this bike can be a full time race rocket.
Bike Setup: Upgrades: Full XT (minus the cranks) Future upgrades: Dolomites, Avid SD Mag brakes, WTB greaseguard headset
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Tom Crook
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas,TX
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2001
Strengths: Titanium frame, very durable, excellent ride, much more supple than my aluminum Kona. I have hit numerous trees, rocks and embankments and had other unfortunate dismounts with absolutely no damage to the bike.
Weaknesses: Grips, IRC Notos front tire is hopeless in sand. Frame squeaks but this may be part of its gooseness! Handlebars are not as comfortable as those on my Kona, there is less rise but my arms ache after an hour of riding whch does not happenwith the Kona.
Bottom Line:
I couldn't be happier with the Goose. Lighter than a suspension bike and more forgiving than most hardtails. I will definitely change the handlebars and tires.
Similar Products Used: Previously rode an old Haro escape also have a Kona Kaboom which handles better but is not as nice a ride.
Bike Setup: Stock, replacing only grips and putting Sun Ringle platforms in place of the ATACS.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Doug
a Cross Country Rider
from Flagstaff, AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2001
Strengths: complete titanium bike for a grand frame that will last a lifetime
Weaknesses: mid-range components
Bottom Line:
Obvious draw was getting good Ti frame for low price. This deal gave me the rest of the bike as well. Component package not the greatest but I am content to replace parts with better materials as they wear out. I always heard about the climbing properties of titanium (which seem to be true) but I am surprised with the good tracking of this bike on downhills. This particular frame is advertised as handmade in USA :) and the construction and welds are very good. XT rear derailleur is good and dependable, but I can already feel some decline in the performance of the Deore front derailleur. On the other hand, the Deore hubs and brakes still work fine. Titec components and IRC tires are doing the job. Bottom line - I will have the frame for a very, very long time and the bike will only get sweeter as the components are replaced with XTR. Good bike as is for anyone, great bike for XC racers/die-hards once components are upgraded.
Bike Setup: Still have original components on it - mix of Deore and XT; Titec seatpost, stem, and bars; IRC Notos tires; Judy Race fork
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Pedals Alot
a Cross Country Rider
from Central New Jersey
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2001
Strengths: Cheap, good frame, good fork
Weaknesses: Components
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike at SuperGo. The frame size is listed as a 16 inch frame. This can be deceiving; it is 14 inches from center of BB to center of top tube where it intersects the seat tube. It is 16 inches to the top of the seat tube. If you get it from SuperGo you better get a torque wrench. Every bolt was loose when I got it. I turned the crank bolt three times before it registered any torque on my wrench. The bottom bracket (Shimano ES-70)was installed with locktite and creaks horribly on every climb. I re-installed it using anti-seize on the bottom bracket shell and Teflon tape on the threads of the bottom bracket. It still creaks like crazy. Anybody have any suggestions?
I bought this bike for the frame and the fork, not the components. I switched most of the components from my Klein: brakes, brake levers, rear Der., wheels, handlebar, and seat. The frame: The geometry is standard cross-country. The welds look as good as any high end ti bike that I have seen. The rear end is stiff enough and handles well. I haven’t felt any lateral flex like a lot of people said a Ti bike would have. The bi-ovalized down tube looks pretty beefy. Although, I did add a Salsa carbon fiber brake booster because the seat stays flex a lot during braking, this improved braking dramatically. The HellBent handlebars are heavy and bend too far back, making them feel awkward. The Deore shifters work well, but feel a little sloppy compared to XT’s, the covers are made of flimsy plastic and it cracked on the rear shifter. The Judy Race works well, it soaks up the little stuff and handles the big stuff without bottoming out. The LX crankset works as well as my XT. It did not come with the self extracting bolts, so I have to buy aftermarket versions or a new BB tool that works with a hollow spindle. My LBS loaned me a “plug” from Shimano that allowed me to use a standard BB tool. The Titec seat post has a slight bend in it. I don’t know if it came that way because I didn’t notice it until today. I tossed the seat, it looked like a piece of junk. I replaced the tires with Velociraptors, I need more nobs than the NOTOS offer. I can’t really comment on the headset yet, it works so far. Little stuff: The decal on the down tube looks like a big ugly bumper sticker, so I peeled it off. The Badge on the head tube is plastic and glued on, it will fall off soon enough. The bike should come with a longer seat post.
I ride mostly tight single track and the bike handles well in the turns and on the descents. The ti takes some of the harshness out of the ride without sacraficing responsivness. A good value over all, try to find another well made ti frame for the price of this complete bike. The components are the weak link, but for the price it is a great deal on a well made ti frame with a good fork and you can always upgrade components as they wear out. My only concern is getting rid of the creaking in the bottom bracket.
