#titanium

tag

Kevin’s Bearclaw Beaux Jaxon Titanium Touring Bike

Reportage

Kevin’s Bearclaw Beaux Jaxon Titanium Touring Bike

That feller up at Bearclaw Bicycle Co is doing some really amazing things. The whole catalog is composed of some paradigm-shifting designs and a crowd favorite is the Beaux Jaxon. If you dig drop bars and chonk tires, that’s the frame for you. Throw in a titanium segmented fork and you’ve got a dream machine. Kevin Hinton is a tattoo artist here in Santa Fe. He also runs his Adventure Bikepacking Instagram account as a side project, which hosts overnighters, and tours in the area.

Originally from Los Angeles, Kevin cut his chops touring all over California, specifically in the desert, taking on the Stagecoach 400 multiple times. This particular loop goes from high pine country down through Anza Borrego and into San Diego before climbing back up to the pines. The Anza section is particularly sandy, so when Kevin built up this dream bike, he had some specific requirements and took that list to Sincere Cycles for the build…

Jonah and His Kokopelli Warthog Ti Hardtail 29er

Reportage

Jonah and His Kokopelli Warthog Ti Hardtail 29er

A bike can be a liberating tool for a youngster. I got the first bike that I could travel distances on when I was 14. Granted it was a beach cruiser but hey, we lived at the beach. I’d carry my skateboard and even a surfboard to spots after school and on the weekends. It was a vessel of adolescent liberation.

For Jonah, a local of Santa Fe, and an employee at Mellow Velo, the bicycle has helped develop his independence as well as a vehicle to meander around his homeland. His family is one of the deeply embedded heritage households and have been in the area for hundreds of years. Just north of Santa Fe is the town of Chimayo where his family has been weaving for generations under the brand Ortega.

Curtis Inglis’ Titanium Retrotec with ENVE Foundation AG25 Gravel Wheels

Reportage

Curtis Inglis’ Titanium Retrotec with ENVE Foundation AG25 Gravel Wheels

I don’t know about you all but personally, I miss seeing off-the-wall crazy custom bikes at the various tradeshows. With the pandemic canceling the 2020 and most likely 2021 dates for various open houses and NAHBS, I’ve just accepted the fact that those balleur bicycle gallery shoots will have to wait. That said, when projects like this fall into my lap, I’m more than excited to take some extra time documenting them.

ENVE launched their Foundation Gravel wheels last week and in a perfect world, a press-camp was supposed to happen in Arizona to test out those wheels. ENVE planned on pinging various builders to fabricate the chassis for their full gravel lineup. One of those builders was Retrotec and Curtis went overboard for the event, building a handful of titanium frames alongside Oscar Camarena of Simple Bike Company. When the press camp wasn’t happening, Curtis decided he’d send this bike out for me to document. He needed photos for his website and I won’t say no to content like this…

Behold the All-City Cosmic Stallion… in Titanium (Ti)!

Radar

Behold the All-City Cosmic Stallion… in Titanium (Ti)!

Everyone’s favorite pony from All-City just got a lot better. The ride quality of titanium is second to none. It’ll outlive carbon and won’t rust out like steel, plus it magically smooths out bumpy roads. Perfect for a bike like the Cosmic Stallion! This beautiful ti tubing is a new thing for All-City so they had to develop their own tubing, dubbed Oberon Titanium Tubing.

This frame also comes with the All-City Signature Details you’ve come to love with custom dropouts, reinforced bottle bosses, custom-designed Shot Collar. All-City paired this titanium chassis with a Columbus Futura Cross carbon fork, which comes with Di2 routing. The frame also has a rear rack and fender mounts.

To stick with the versatility of the steel Cosmic Stallion, All-City equipped the ti pony to fit either a 700x45mm or 650bx42mm (both with or without fenders).

Offered as a frameset only; $3,199 MSRP. Head over to All-City to see more and your local dealer for ordering.

Graphic Artist Iancu Designed a Very Special Ginko Firefly for a Japanese Friend

Radar

Graphic Artist Iancu Designed a Very Special Ginko Firefly for a Japanese Friend

As a designer, sometimes you get a commission that really jives with your hobbies. Graphic artist Iancu met a Japanese Cyclist through the Rapha Cycle Club and designed him a dream bike with Firefly Cycles.

“One of the benefits of being part of an international club, the Rapha Cycling Club, is getting to know great people from all over the world. One of them is Haj, who lives in Miami, US, but was born in Tokyo, Japan.

We’ve been talking about our cycling and Japan interests over the years, and he’s always been very kind and appreciative of my work. He really liked the Quirk bike design I had done before, so he asked if I could help design a bike for him as well. The world-renowned Firefly Bicycles team from Boston were building it. This had all the markings of a dream project, so I said yes, of course.”

Head to Iancu’s Portfolio Site to see the full bike.

Brewed in Oregon: A Long-Term Review of the Sage Titanium Powerline 29er Hardtail

Reportage

Brewed in Oregon: A Long-Term Review of the Sage Titanium Powerline 29er Hardtail

Over the past few years, I’ve noticed a lot of negative internet chatter when bike brands release hardtail trail bikes that are not overly slack, steep, or otherwise geometrically boundary-pushing in some way. My suspicion is that many of these comments come from riders that prefer lifts over pedaling uphill but nonetheless cast a shadow on mid-travel hardtails that are intended for folks that aren’t spending their days in terrain parks.

Bombtrack’s Hook EXT Ti All Road

Radar

Bombtrack’s Hook EXT Ti All Road

Here’s some fresh produce for 2021: Bombtrack’s new Hook EXT Ti all road. This titanium frame gets paired with the Bombtrack EXT V2 fork with cargo bosses and beefy construction. Like other Hook models, the Hook EXT TI can accommodate various wheel and tire sizes, multiple bags, no matter the ride, and is globally limited to 50 pieces in its first year, so expect supplies to be extremely limited.

Delivery for the Hook EXT Ti will be between February and March. Head to Bombtrack to see more.

Specs:
-Titanium 3Al-2.5V frame with T47 BB shell fender mounts and through axles.
-Full carbon tapered fork with internal light cable routing, through axles and triple cage mounts.
-Sram UDH derailleur hanger.
-Toptube bag direct mounts, triple cage mount on downtube and seattube for optimized bottle position, bottle cage mounts underneath the downtube and rear rack mounts.
-CNC yoke for maximum tire and chainring clearance.
-Ovalized toptube for supreme steering precision and comfort.
-Biaxially ovalized downtube for optimized power transfer and steering precision.
-Front derailleur compatible.
-12 mm through axles front and rear.

Twin Six: Standard Ti Rando 2.0 Pre-Order

Radar

Twin Six: Standard Ti Rando 2.0 Pre-Order

Twin Six’s ever-popular Standard Ti Rando is back! To commemorate its return, Twin Six is offering it as a complete for the low pre-order price of $3,300, or as a frame for $1,950, with delivery starting in April. The 2.0 comes with T6’s Middle Finger dropout system, flat mount brake compatibility, front and rear 12mm thru-axles, 44mm headtube, optional triple mount thru-axle carbon fork, cargo mounts, and more. Head to Twin Six to see more and check out Kevin’s review in the 2015 archives.

Specs:
-T6 Standard 3.25 titanium tubing
-Carbon flat mount, thru axle, triple mount fork
-Brass plated head badge
-Collared 44mm inner diameter headtube
-Collared 46mm x 68mm PF30 bottom bracket
-Wishbone seat stay design
-T6 Middle Finger dropout system
-Replaceable derailleur hanger
-Flat mount disc brake compatible
-Front and rear thru axles included
-12mm x 142mm rear spacing
-12mm x 100mm front spacing
-Frame clearance for up to 700c x 45mm and 27.5 x 2.25″ Tires
-Fender clearance for 700c x 35mm or 650b x 47mm slicks and 700c x 33mm or 650b x 44mm knobby tires
-T6 Standard low profile black anodized downtube cable clips
-Frame uses full length, external cable housing
-Compatible with 140mm and 160mm rotors
-31.6mm diameter seat post

Curve Cycling’s New and Improved Belgie Ultra Ti All-Road Endurance Bike

Radar

Curve Cycling’s New and Improved Belgie Ultra Ti All-Road Endurance Bike

Australia’s Curve Cycles have been pursuing an expansive catalog of titanium bikes since the brands inception. The latest model is the Belgie Ultra, a titanium all road endurance bike. After their sponsored rider Jesse Carlsson’s winning ride during the 2015 Trans Am Bike Race, Curve wanted to take the Belgie name further and capture the spirit of Australian endurance cycling, so they designed the Belgie Spirit to take on the 5,545km Indian Pacific Wheel Race and celebrate the rich history of the Australian Overlanders from the 1890s. The Belgie Ultra is a lighter and sleeker sibling to the original Belgie Spirit.

Head on over to Curve Cycling to see all the updates, pricing, and availability. Lookin’ good, mates!

The Moots Womble 29er: Long-Term Bike and Frame Review

Reportage

The Moots Womble 29er: Long-Term Bike and Frame Review

Let’s just say I didn’t expect any less than greatness from Moots when it came to the Womble, the latest creation from their shop in Steamboat Springs. From previous experiences, I knew how well Moots’ titanium bikes rode and was looking forward to trying out their take on a modern 29er.

A few years back, I put the Baxter 29er through the wringer on the Steamboat to Fort Collins Ramble Ride, and during my project with SRAM in the Inyo Mountains, I pedaled it high up in the Mojave Desert and through Death Valley, across miles of washboard roads.

If I learned anything from those experiences it’s that titanium is the greatest frame material, especially when it’s wielded by the Masters of Metal. I’ve had the Womble 29er for a few months now, throughout the dusty ‘n’ dry end of summer, well into the snow-filled fall, and am finally ready to make my thoughts official, so read on below.

Viral Bikes Update Skeptic Geometry and Increase Dérive’s Reach

Radar

Viral Bikes Update Skeptic Geometry and Increase Dérive’s Reach

Skeptic frame

Viral’s Pinion-powered gearbox bikes made quite the splash when they launched a few years back. New for 2021, the Skeptic got a full geometry overhaul, with a more compact triangle design for increased standover, 440/460/480/500mm reaches across the size run, and is designed for a 150-160mm fork.

Dérive complete

While the Skeptic frame got smaller, the Dérive, Viral’s excursion-ready frame, kept its geometry, while the reach numbers were increased like the Skeptic’s. The Dérive is built around a 120mm fork, like a Lauf or a rigid fork with bosses. Both frames also come in a raw, polished titanium finish now as well.

See more at Viral Bikes.

The Bearclaw Bicycle Co TŌWMAK is a Drop Bar Fat Bike

Radar

The Bearclaw Bicycle Co TŌWMAK is a Drop Bar Fat Bike

“Finally, a bicycle I can ride to the North Pole and back in a reasonable amount of time”
-Chet Bearclaw

Chet is onto something. Or on something rather! Whatever it is, it’s gotta be good though. The TŌWMAK has got to be the craziest looking bike of the year, yet I can assure you it’s not a photoshop composite. It’s a drop bar fat bike and an early production run of 20 are being made currently, so head to Bearclaw Bicycle Co to put a deposit down if you’re into this.

Specs:
-197x12mm thru-axle frame
-150x15mm Blitzen 468 Axle to Crown carbon or Ti fork (coming soon)
-Fits up to 27.5 x 4.5 or 26 x 5 tires
-3 triple boss mounts on the frame
-Rack Mounts
-Flat mount brake
-Ultradistance Gravel Friendly Geometry. (UGFG)
-100mm BSA Standard Bottom Bracket
-Internal cable routing
-3AL-2.5V double-butted titanium frame
-6AL-4V billet head tube, bb, dropouts, derailleur hanger, and chainstay plate

Dangle Supply Reinvents the Titanium Dangle Mug

Radar

Dangle Supply Reinvents the Titanium Dangle Mug

Dangle Supply, makers of the almighty DangleBong™️, recently revisited their roots and re-designed the titanium camp mug. You know, those camp mugs everyone dangles off their rear saddle packs? These newly-designed titanium cups are 400ml 420ml in volume, 85mm in outside diameter, and 90mm high (get it?). These are priced at $49.69 and are in stock now at Dangle Supply.

Have You Seen the 2021 Bombtrack Hook EXT Ti?

Radar

Have You Seen the 2021 Bombtrack Hook EXT Ti?

Titanium is the greatest material for a bicycle and Bombtrack clearly knows that which is why they took their Hook EXT and made it from titanium for 2021. The Hook can take 650b or 700 wheels, has plenty of bosses for cargo attachments, and is only available as a frameset.

Specs:
-Titanium 3Al-2.5V frame with T47 BB shell fender mounts and through axles.
-Full carbon tapered fork with internal light cable routing, through axles and triple cage mounts.
-Sram UDH derailleur hanger.
-Toptube bag direct mounts, triple cage mount on downtube and seattube for optimized bottle position, bottle cage mounts underneath the downtube and rear rack mounts.
-CNC yoke for maximum tire and chainring clearance.
-Ovalized toptube for supreme steering precision and comfort.
-Biaxially ovalized downtube for optimized power transfer and steering precision.
-Front derailleur compatible.
-12 mm through axles front and rear.