Titus Switchblade 2002 Full Suspension

4.78/5 (18 Reviews)
MSRP : $2648.00


Product Description



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Reviews 1 - 15 (18 Reviews Total) | Next 15

User Reviews

Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by strom a Cross Country Rider from Santa Cruz Hills, CA

Date Reviewed: July 15, 2009

Strengths:    Build Quality. Main Bearings. Horst Link. Stiff Rear End. Handling.

Weaknesses:    Interupted Seat Post.

Bottom Line:   
I have been riding this bike for around five years now and figured I should provide a bit of feedback. I keep looking for a new bike and have done test rides on a few of the 09 models. Just hard to pull the trigger on a new bike when the Switchblade does so well.

I have done countless 2 foot drops a few 4 footers. The four foot drops to a flat landing are a bit much for this bike in 4" mode but it will take it.

The main bearings design could not be better. I rebuilt my rear shock last year and figured that I would redo the bearings at the same time. However, the movement of the rear triangle felt fine. I have ridden this bike in the rain and ridden it fairly hard. I bought the bike used in 2004 so I figure these are probably the original bearings. No problems yet!

Went for a 20 miler yesterday and the ride reminded me why replacing this bike is such a difficult task. If it did not have an interupted seat post I probably would never get rid of it. How knows, maybe I won't.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Coe, Skeggs

Duration Product Used:   More than 3 years

Price Paid:    $500.00

Purchased At:   Just a random lucky

Similar Products Used:   Stumpy, RacerX, Turner, CanOAle. Multiple test rides of carbon blt.

Bike Setup:   Sram, RaceFace, Formula, Shimano. About 27.5 pounds. Not a light build but not heavy. If I wanted to build it lighter I easily could. With a heavier build it would handle more aggressive riding.


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Chris Brown a Cross Country Rider from Boise, ID

Date Reviewed: January 24, 2007

Strengths:    I bought the frame and fork on ebay (it had some bogus parts that I quickly pitched). Frame is very strong and stiff. I always wondered if there was a discernible difference from the cheaper frames and these more expensive ones. There is. It pulls me out of trouble, stays stable in rock gardens, pulls me through gnarly switchbacks, holds true on drops, I'm very happy to say you don't just get what you paid for, you get more.

Weaknesses:    Some have complained about rear tire clearance on the 04/05 Talas frame that I have, but I run the 2.35 Kendas and they're as big as I ever want to go, and they fit fine. It's discontinued, which is a bummer, and when my talas shock wears out, I'll either have to get it rebuilt, or buy the rockers to allow this frame to accept a standard shock. One other thing. It doesn't climb like my hardtail race bike, but when I dial the travel down front and back, it does pretty well. It saves my hiney on the technical and dh stuff, that more than makes up for it being a slightly lumbering pig on the climbs.

Bottom Line:   
This bike does everything I want from an aggressive xc/light freeride bike. It's a joy to take out, and doesn't leave me beat up at the end of a 2 or 3 hour ride. It is comfortable on all day rides, and handles the tough stuff without balking. I've taken several 3 to 4 drops at speed and it never made me nervous, it just does what it's spozed to do. It also tells your peers that you're serious about a good ride, and it commands respect. Has really increased my confidence, it looks cool, and rides even better. I might "upgrade" to a Motolite one of these years, but since I haven't found the limits of this bike yet, why bother? It's about as light as the Intense 5.5 similarly specced, and actually handles better in my opinion. Similar in handling to the Yeti 575, and better than the Tracer.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Fisher/Williams in the Whiteclouds

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Price Paid:    $900.00

Purchased At:   ebay

Similar Products Used:   I've ridden the Mtn Cycles Fury, Zen, the Kona Coiler, and a few other cookie cutter double boingers.

Bike Setup:   I've got this baby dialed in.
X9 derr's & shifters
Manitou Minute Fork
Talas Adjustable shock
Avid Mechanical brakes and Avid S/D Levers
FSA wide bar
Thomson Stem
Titec Scoper Post
RF crankset
Mavic Crosslink Wheelset
SRAM cassette and chain
Terry saddle
Ritchey pedals


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:4
Submitted by Joe a Cross Country Rider from OH

Date Reviewed: December 19, 2004

Strengths:    One sweet ride.

Weaknesses:    Hard to think of one other than my face muscles were tired from smiling too much.

Bottom Line:   
I bought the frame for 600 on MTBR classifieds at the end of the riding season. I put the bike together in time to get a couple of rides on it and it's amazing. You can ride down the middle of the trail over roots without even feeling them. The rear suspension with the fox is smooth as butter. I had built a NRS air up over last winter and rode it this summer and it was nice, but I felt like there was something missing. The NRS felt like riding a hard tail, even when I set the suspension up with some sag to soften it. Well, when I took the SB out this fall, WOW. I felt like I was a kid again. I was trying to hit every root or jump I could find. It was like riding a magic carpet. I have it set up at 4.5 in the rear travel. I have to admit that the top tube seems a little shorter than the NRS wich makes going up hills a little bit slower but who cares when you can bomb down the hills and through the trails. The bike is extremely rigid in its design too because I can run a 2.3 rear tire without it rubbing. The NRS would rub the 2.3 tire when I pedalled hard because the rear triangle flexes (probably because its lighter).
I feel like I have so much more control with the Titus, I would definitely buy it again. Heck, I'd probably pay full price had I known what a great bike it is. I'd recommend it for the rider who is wants the all purpose type of bike.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Vultures knob

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Purchased At:   MTBR classifieds

Similar Products Used:   K2 Zed team HT, Giant NRS air

Bike Setup:   Titus switchblade, RF next cranks, Marz forks, Mavic 3.1rims on Sh XT hubs, RF stem, Thomson seatpost, candy pedals, WTB saddle, Cane creek headset, Hutch spyder ust tires, Avid discs, Rogue lock on grips and some other stuff.


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Jeremy a Cross Country Rider from Kent, Ohio, USA

Date Reviewed: July 2, 2004

Strengths:    Extremely strong, light, beautiful welds, excellent customer service.

Weaknesses:    Kind of pricey, but you get what you pay for.

Bottom Line:   
If you are in the market for a trail bike that will last a long time and cost is not a concern, get a Titus. I have been extremely happy with this bike. My old KHS went through two frames in 6 months. I don't think I could break the Titus.

The SB performs with the best bikes available now. With stable platform, it can beat any of the VPP bikes out there. Titus stands 100% behind their products. They even make new rockers so you can retrofit the new 5th Element on the 2002 frame.

The SB climbs with the best bikes out there. I rarely flip the lockout lever b/c it climbs better fully active. Forget about downhills. I have yet to reach the performance limit of the SB. It seems to always want to go a little faster.

The Fox TALAS fork is a great compliment to the Float RL rear. I wouldn't get the TALAS rear though b/c you are locked into that shock. Pulling out an allen wrench and switching one bolt isn't that big a deal. I usually don't change travel anyway (I use the 4.5" setting).

I would reccommend the Titus to anyone looking for a trail bike. The quality is worlds better than the FSR it is derived from. Buy a SB and you won't regret it.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Vultures Knob

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Price Paid:    $1150.00

Purchased At:   bikerbob.com

Similar Products Used:   KHS XC904R

Bike Setup:   Fox TALAS fork
Fox Float RL shock
XT/XTR drivetrain
XTR/Mavic 517 wheels
Easton carbon bars and post
Truvativ Stylo cranks
Avid SD Ti rim brakes
Panaracer Trailblaster tires


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:4
Submitted by Ken a Weekend Warrior from Chandler, Az

Date Reviewed: August 11, 2003

Strengths:    Head angle give alot of confidence on decents, short chainstay gives climbing prowess. Very strong and lightweight frame. When you hold the frame w/o components it feels like a weapon. Bike is very clean with respect to welds and machining. FSR as always is a great rear suspension choice. Frame allignment and tolerances are so good its obviously made by master welders right here in Tempe, Az, instead of Taiwan by a guy named Sum Yun Guy (like Specialized)

Weaknesses:    Difficult to get the one sweet spot fit on this bike, the geometery makes it good feeling all over. The bottom bracket is low on the standard travel linkage. I used to smash my big gear and pedals all the time. A bash ring is a great choice on this bike for technical applications. The slack head angle means you'll probably be raising your handlebars a bit to make up for the lost height.

Bottom Line:   
I flipped the linkage on the FSR around to raise my BB height to 13.25" (at the bottom) compared to the standared 12.5". If your going to do it the two holes in the rocker link go closest to the rear tire. This essentially just takes out the sag factor. I'm sure it also adds some travel, but I don't know how to calculate exactly how much, If i had to guess I'd say about The bike honestly takes time to get used to, as well as to get everything adjusted just right on. I highly suggest doing everything through your LBS so they can switch out stems and adjust things for you as you discover what you really want as far as your position in the cockpit goes. I find that its neccesary to weight the front tire when climbing to keep the front end from coming up, but you also have a great deal of directional control when climbing as well. I've never been a big decender but this bike really gives confidence, and I'm only using a 100mm travel fork. I'm giving 4 chilis for value cause its so expensive, but 5 overall cause its worth it.

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $1400.00

Purchased At:   frame only

Similar Products Used:   Fisher Sugar 3+Disc (1 year) demoed Titus Racer X, Trek Fuel, Titus Talas, misc others.

Bike Setup:   Kens Bike
Frameset - 2002 Titus Swichblade Stnd Travel kit
Tires - Panaracer FireXC pro 127 tpi/Blue
Tubes - Stans NoTubes conversion kit. (32 psi)
Rims - Sun Rhyno Lite
Hubs - Chris King IsoDisc
Brakes - Hayes Disc Hydraulic Comp
Fork - Manitou Black Elite 80/100
Headset - Chris King, Black
Handlebars - Race Face Air Alloy Riser
Stem - Thomson Elite
Shifter Pods - Shimano Deore XT
Grips - Salsa PepperJacks
Bar Ends - Specialized
Seatpost - Thomson Elite
Saddle - Wilderness Trail Bike Laser V
Rear Shock - Fox Float R
Crankset - Shimano Deore XT
BB - Shimano XT splined
Pedals - Shimano 959
Chain - Sram PC-99
Frnt derailer - Shimano Deore XT
Rear derailer- Shimano Deore XTR
Cassette - Shimano Deore XT
Skewers - Salsa Suspension (Ti/Steel)
Total Weight- 29.9lbs


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by fonseca a Cross Country Rider from Virginia

Date Reviewed: July 31, 2003

Strengths:    -Attention to details: every weld is perfect, the finish is flawless, IS tab perfectly aligned, the HT and BB shell all perfect out of the box. It's a work of art that performs as great as it looks.

-Adjustability: with different linkages you can use this for a wide variety of riding. The long travel linkage makes a great trailbike that you can fly down the trails on, soaking up roots while seated that you have to get off the saddle for when on shorter travel bikes.

-Derailleur hanger is very tough, thicker than other hangers and a better, integrated design.

-Titus has great customer service. Every time I've called they have been extremely helpful in answering all my questions.


Weaknesses:    -Limited shock options.

-Limited front derailleur choices with long travel linkage, and difficulty eliminating rub when in the granny ring.

-Bushing wear on Fox Float.

-For best performance the Fox Float has to be adjusted for high speed riding or low, can't really have both. Along that line, the BB is a little high with the long travel linkage for slow speed technical riding, and the shock slightly too plush. Platform damping would help. The HT angle is also a little slack in the above situation.

-Brake cable stops, not guides. You have to drill them out if you want to run full housing or hydraulic lines (zip ties and clamp-on guides don't cut it).

-I had to file part of the derailleur hanger bolt or else it rubbed the Sram cassette lockring.

-only 2" of seatpost adjustability unless you run a telescopic post. This hasn't really been a problem for me. This isn't a "true" freeride frame after all, especially considering its light weight, and you can only run single crown forks. A lot of people dislike interrupted ST designs for this reason, but for me, it's a product strength, giving loads of standover clearance.


Bottom Line:   
This frame was far from cheap, but it's definitely been worth every penny. It's been about as close to a perfect, problem-free experience as I think you can get (or I can get in any case).

Initially, I wanted to use a sram 9.0 front derailleur, which I run on 3 other bikes and definitely prefer over anything else. I finally tracked one down in 34.9, and it didn't fit. It would if the FD cable stop was an inch higher. So I bought an '02 XTR M952 with the parallel linkage. The pinned hinge inside the outer plate gets in the way, and the derailleur can't get low enough for optimum location because of the super tall inner plate, or else it will hit the chainstay when the suspension is compressed. Under sag, is does okay, but without Sram shifters to trim the derailleur, there would be major rubbing in the granny and several smallest cogs. They wouldn't be useable. This derailleur design is very flexy and doesn't work any better than standard models, glad to see Shimano got rid of it. Anyway...

I have 13 months and 800 miles on my SB now, and I've had to replace the fox bushings several times and the reducers once. I have a one-piece reducer for the lower bushing on the way though, that should extend the replacement interval (Anyone who uses Igus nylon/polymer bushings instead of the standard DU, please email me). The frame's bearings/bushings are fine though.

I also have a stainless steel derailleur hanger on the way, as I recently bent my al one (the derailleur is cracked too), and my LBS charged $35 to straighten it, instead of the usual $10 they had in the past. Considering a new al hanger is only $20 from Titus, I figured the steel was worth the added cost (and weight).

Hmm, what else. I drilled all the stops on my frame--except for the one above the FD of course--to run full housing to everything. Titus will do this for you if you ask, but I didn't know that at the time. Shifting is amazing with full housing.

The only time I suffer with the long travel setup is when navigating very tight, slow singletrack, at a few mph. Then you really feel the 5" front and rear, and the high BB. Platform damping would help, and I plan to get an '04 sherman firefly with SPV and new platform shock when they are available, but for now I add some air to the shock ahead of time if I will be on such trails.

Take the SB above 10mph though, and everything comes together. The faster you go the better it rides. Rock gardens that would be bouncy and difficult to navigate at 5mph disappear at 15mph, and I love all that travel. And I can remain seated over large roots, rocks, and small logs that I can't on my Dakar Expert. Hit it right and you can pedal over them on a climb. I definitely don't suffer on climbs with the 5.7" linkage, unless I stand up, and I get slight bob (more in the fork than shock), which an SPV setup would fix. But it's worth it for me. The slack 69 degree HT angle may contribute to the slow handling, but I absolutely love the angle otherwise.

In all I'm happier with my SB than any other bike I have owned, and I would buy it again, something I don't often say. It's not perfect, but no bike is. It's definitely worth the added cost over, say, a Specialized FSR. There's nothing I'd rather be riding. I give it the highest rating at this time despite the few minor problems I have had, because it truly is an outstanding frame from an outstanding company.



Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Similar Products Used:   2001 Jamis Dakar Expert, demoed many other bikes.

Bike Setup:   -'02 ano blue medium SB
-Long travel linkage
-Lots of good stuff


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Drew Lee a Cross Country Rider from West Hartford, CT

Date Reviewed: June 9, 2003

Strengths:    Quality hand built frame. Great suspension design.

Weaknesses:    I break everything. Ask me in 6 months what I break on this.

Bottom Line:   
Straight Butter.
I was concerned being a larger rider (230 give or take) that this bike would not be able to hold up. Not so. A nimble climber, and great going down. This bike does it all, and does it all very well. And it is oh so fun to ride!

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Nepaug S.F.

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Similar Products Used:   Specialized Rockhopper, Fisher Paragon, Kona King Kahuna Titanium (still love this bike)

Bike Setup:   ’02 Switchblade Large, 4.5” mode, Fox Float RC, ‘03 Marzocchi MX Pro w/Eta, Hayes Mag brakes w/8” rotor up front and 6” rear, XTR crank, XTR 960 front Der, Sram X0 rear & shifters, Xt cassette, King DiscoTeks on Mavic 317 disk rims, Thomson stem / seatpost, Monkeylite Sl riser bar, Specialized Roll X tires with Stan’s Notubes.


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Chris C. a Cross Country Rider from Salt Lake City, Utah

Date Reviewed: January 28, 2003

Strengths:    Very Plush Travel, Anodized Finish, Stiff Frame, Great Climber, Better Descender, Low Standover Height, Durability (this bike was a two-year-old demo bike that has no doubt been thrashed, and still rode like it was brand new)

Weaknesses:    For its intended purpose (trail riding), the Switchblade had no weaknesses.

Bottom Line:   
I demo-ed this bike in Moab for a full day, and put it through the paces on the Amasa Back and Slickrock Trails. I can say without doubt, that the Switchblade is the best riding trail bike that I've ever ridden. Considering the heavier components that were used to build this demo bike, it still climed the ~1200 vertical foot ascent to the top of Amasa Back like a 23lb. race bike. The great rear suspension design really kept the rear wheel hooked up on even the most technical sections of the climb. Even though this bike is a great climber, it is a far better descender. The 4.5in. of fully-active travel smoothed out even the rockiest sections of the trail, and the biggest drop-offs. Better yet, the super-plush suspension is complemented by very quick, tight-handling steering. This bike really does it all to perfection. The frame fit me to perfection, and it was very easy to shift weight or riding position. The Switchblade has to be one of the alltime greatest trailbikes. For me the bottom line is that I was so impressed with this bike that I ordered one. What more can I say? I'm getting the new adjustable-travel TALAS version, so look for a review soon.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Moab Slickrock

Duration Product Used:   Tested or demo'ed only

Purchased At:   Demo from Poison Spider Bicycles, Moab

Similar Products Used:   Ellsworth ID, Diamondback V8, Trek Fuel, Klein Palomino, Specialized FSR XC, many others

Bike Setup:   This was a large-size demo bike. It was speced with a good, solid, durable component mix. XT drivetrain, Avid V-brakes, Rock Shox Duke SL fork. Rear travel was set at 4.5in.


Overall Rating:1
Value Rating:3
Submitted by Tom Bjelic a Cross Country Rider from Milton, Ontario

Date Reviewed: January 13, 2003

Strengths:    Efficient design, Low Weight

Weaknesses:    Questionable durability

Bottom Line:   
I've been on the switchblade for 2 full seasons so this
review comes backed with alot of experience on this bike. I ride 3-4 times a week and would consider myself a very aggressive trail rider, not a freerider. I rarely do any drops more than 3 1/2 feet. The bike is set up with the long travel linkage and a 4 inch travel fork. There is no question that this bike can fly. a frame this light with this much travel is a thing of beauty to ride. However, I have come to conclude that the durability of this frame is questionable. The first problem to develop was bushing wear in the Fox Shock. I was having to replace
the bushing ring around the reducers every two months. Titus sent me a one piece reducer used by their downhill guys and this prolonged bushing life but didn't solve the problem. I have never had to do this with any other fs bike I've owned. I had the alignment checked by a shop and it seemed fine.Minus 1 chili.
The next problem was the main pivot bolt coming loose. Repeated loctite applications would solve this but I kept having to re-apply it. Minus one Chili.
The next issue was breaking the swinglink. There is a cutaway on the shock air valve side of the swinglink that
allows for access to the valve. The swinglink broke at this cutaway, Which is a problem I forsee happening again due to the design of this frame member. I ordered a spare. So should you. Minus one Chilli. The next problem was breaking the swingarm. My Shop found a crack running along the portion directly behind the main pivot area. It was certainly a result of being so heavily machined out to save weight. The new one titus sent out has a welded plate over this area so I'm guessing this problem won't happen again. Minus one Chili. The guys at titus are helpful and service is very good, But it takes a long time for parts to get to Canada. And You need to send the broken stuff to them before they send you the replacement. This translates to major down time and riding my old hardtail. Minus one chili. So in conclusion, This is a great riding bike with some serious issues with the rear triangle. It's a small fortune
to buy this bike, almost 3000.00 Canadian for the frame alone. I take my riding very seriously and am fanatical about maintenece. I thought I was buying the best, but I was just buying light. My next bike won't be a Titus. Think Heckler.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Hilton Falls

Duration Product Used:   2 Years

Price Paid:    $1850.00

Purchased At:   direct from titus

Similar Products Used:   Many

Bike Setup:   XTR bits and pieces, White brothers AT-3, Cane Creek wheels. 5.7 linkage


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by WYGD a Weekend Warrior from Phila

Date Reviewed: January 10, 2003

Strengths:    Everything,build quality- Very stiff, traction is amazing the faster you go the better the bike feels. Flawless true 4 bar design

Weaknesses:    There are no weeknesses...c'mon it's a titus

Bottom Line:   
I got this frame,fork, & head set for a very good price. I was very close to getting a Blur but this was less $ than the blur frame. I went for the SB because i kinda new what I was getting [ coming from the FSR design] & NOT knowing about the hype of the blur - which im sure is great, but it is to new & to much money , not to be sure. I was concerned a little about the climbing ability of this bike cause of the amount of travel,, I was wrong, it does everything great. I feel i made a good choice

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Purchased At:   Private

Similar Products Used:   Specialized FSR [owned & loved], Santa Cruz, Turner[Very, very nice], Giant ac [also nice bike]

Bike Setup:   I have the long travel with a fox 125 RLC, sun rhino lite with xt disc, hayes disc,hollow tech cranks, king head set,med black ano frame


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:4
Submitted by Rich a Weekend Warrior from Yomitan, Okinawa, Japan

Date Reviewed: January 9, 2003

Strengths:    Stiffness, build quality and four-bar rear end. Med frame was 6.0lbs on a digital scale in front of my eyes.

Weaknesses:    Price, but it's worth it after the MasterCard bill is paid.

Bottom Line:   
Originally looking for a Tracer, but after looking at both bikes, the small details, the Titus comes away looking like a higher quality product. I was used to my Fuel flexing under power, but the Titus is stiffer than I thought possible, stiffer than the Airborne road bike I used to have. The suspension flat out works, I could feel the difference with the fully active suspension right away, this 30 lb bike climbs better than my 26lb Fuel ever dreamed of, and forget about descendiing, it's a different world. I've had the feeling that I was at the Fuel's limit on downhills, but the Switchblade has me disovering new things on every ride. The Fox fork is a perfect match with all of it's stiffness and the way it swallows every little imperfection on the trail with what feels like bottomless silky smooth travel. After the VPP fad dies away (and it will) the four-bar linkage will still be there, and this is by far the creme of the crop of bikes with the FSR rear end. Forget about that "Made in Taiwan" Specialized stuff, and the Tracer while you're at it, this bike is the best, look at one in detail, then ride one, you'll see. Now the only bike I lust after is the one I own.

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Favorite Trail:   Spider Loop

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $1695.00

Purchased At:   Fat Tire Cycles, Albaquerque, NM

Similar Products Used:   Trek Fuel

Bike Setup:   4.5 in. rear travel, Fox Vanilla 125RLC fork, XT throughout, Thompson at both ends, Easton carbon FLAT bar, XT disks, Mavic F219 rims, Maxxis or Michelin tires.


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Joel a Cross Country Rider from Tucson, AZ US of A

Date Reviewed: December 14, 2002

Strengths:    Versatility
Build quality
Handling


Weaknesses:    Price Tag

Bottom Line:   
Having ridden this bike for 6 months now I can say it is by far the best trail bike I have ridden. It handles like a cross country racer but with 3.75, 4.5, or almost 6 inches of travel in the back it has the ability to bomb the big downhills too. I rode this baby every day for a week, 8 hours a day and never once did I want a lighter setup or find the bike wanting. Having experimented with the adjustable travel I find that I just leave it in the 4.5 setting most of the time. If I raced more I might drop it down to 3.75, but why?

As far as the new 2003 model the on the fly adjustment is going to be the big new thing and I think it will only make this bike that much better.

The only draw back to the Switch is the price. All together I plunked down about 5k for this baby, but I don't see it being replaced any time soon, except maybe with the newer model. It isn't going to be as light as a Racer-X, but if you aren't a gunner expert/elite XC racer, I think this one is the best in the Titus line-up. The guys and gals at Titus are also the coolest folks around and will go the extra mile to get what you need. Call Allan up and chat, I'm sure he'll help you spec out the perfect kit for your Switch!

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Oracle Ridge

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $1600.00

Purchased At:   Tucson Bicycles

Similar Products Used:   Specialized FSR, Trek Fuel, Locomoto, Sugar 1

Bike Setup:   XTr, King, Psylo, etc


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Jed a Cross Country Rider from Menlo Park

Date Reviewed: December 5, 2002

Strengths:    Great smooth ride: climbing or decending; light, stiff and fast; takes my 205 pounds of abuse, even in Downieville;

Weaknesses:    A few creakes from pivots after the first year?

Bottom Line:   
A relatively unknown gem. THE all-around ride! I've ridden it in Molokai, Tahoe, Marin, Santa Cruz, all day treks or gravity bombing runs. Call Dave at 123bikes.com for a great deal.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Resolution at Skeggs

Duration Product Used:   2 Years

Price Paid:    $3400.00

Purchased At:   123Bikes.com

Similar Products Used:   Specialized FSR

Bike Setup:   X-Vert Air, XT/XTR, Mavic rims, Hope Minis and hubs, Race Face, Thompson post/stem, Easton MonkeyLite, Max Flite Trans Am, Time ATACs,


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:4
Submitted by Jerry a Weekend Warrior from Phoenix AZ, USA

Date Reviewed: November 22, 2002

Strengths:    It is rock solid, stiffer than most hardtail bikes. The feel of this bike uphill, down hill or over the big rocks is solid and responsive.

Weaknesses:    I have not found one yet. The air shock is very iffy for the over 200 crowd. You need to run 280 to 290 PSI all the time.

Bottom Line:   
It makes the ride faster and easier, going off line in the rocks and cactus are just part of the trail with this frame. I have to say it just makes the ride more fun, you go faster and still feel like you are in control. So far so Great! PS SpeedGoat was great, thanks to Beth and the gang for a great build.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   National (South Mountain

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $3990.00

Purchased At:   SpeedGoat

Similar Products Used:   GT I-Drive 2.0, Sepcialized Rock Hopper (hardtail)

Bike Setup:   Marrizoci X-Fly 130mm, Chris King hubs & headset, Mavic 321 with Mechanical hayes disc, XT/XTR De, Race Face Crank


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Scott Smith a Cross Country Rider from Seattle, Wa. USA

Date Reviewed: November 6, 2002

Strengths:    Active 4-bar FSR suspension is the best! Light, Stiff, plush with great geometry, durability and craftsmanship. Enables me to ride stuff I couldn't on a single-pivot bike. Love the shorter chainstays, hard to find on a 4.5" travel frame these days.

Weaknesses:    Rear derailuer clanks on chainstay- easily fixed by zip-tying a section of innertube to the derailuer knuckle. No more noise.

Bottom Line:   
This bike rocks! I'm clearing stuff on every ride that I couldn't with my santa cruz superlight, which was built up with the same parts. And durability shouldn't be a problem, as it has been in the past with other FS bikes I have owned.

The biggest surprise to me was how well this bike climbs. Since it is heavier, more active, and has slacker angles and a longer TT than my previous bikes, I expected it to be a dog uphill. BUT NO!!! It is actually the best technical climbing bike I've ever had. I can simply roll up&over things that had stopped me dead on my previous bikes. The weight diffrence is negligable- less than a pound heavier than my superlight frame, barely noticable on fire roads only, and a small price to pay for an active design, more travel, no flex, and lots more durability.

ALso, none of the shifting weirdness I experienced with single-pivot designs!

This bike does everything extremely well, if you are looking for the ultimate EPIC bike that is light enough to bag alpine climbs and strong&plush enough to be ridden hard back down and in technical conditions year round, you will not be disssapointed!

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Noble Knob

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $1.00

Purchased At:   Century Cycles, Bend or.

Similar Products Used:   Santa Cruz Superlights, Dekerf Steel Hardtail, Davidson Steel Hardtail, Gary Fisher Pronmetheus Ti, Cannondale

Bike Setup:   medium frame set to 4.5",Marzocchi MXR-100, king hubs&headset, XT with XT disc brakes, Raceface cranks&stem (110), easton ML bars, etc.



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