Douglas Ti

I rapidly put the Ti together Tuesday so that I could take a 50 miles ride on Wednesday with some friends. If I had any idea that a titanium bike rode like that I would never have turned to top end carbon fiber. While there was the occasional bump that could kick you around, these absolutely awful roads here were almost smooth feeling.

I would recommend this to anyone that likes the ride of steel but the weight of carbon fiber. I am now convinced that all I will need is the two bikes - the Eddy Merckx aluminum bike and the titanium bike and the normal rider..

Everything else will go. The Douglas Vector is a good handling bike but it is really designed for 23 mm tires. Though perhaps if you use Shimano 11 speed there would be enough clearance under the brake for 25's.

On the ride yesterday I ended up walking up hills in two places. The wind was VERY strong and gusting terribly. In one spot the telephone company put in a detour which turned out to be up a 20% grade. I could have done that but I had to stay to the far right to let traffic by and a strong gust almost blew me into a parked car and I had to stop and there was no starting again on the grade. In another very mild grade leaving Sausalito, the damned quick release allowed the rear wheel to pull over against the chain stay stopping me. I corrected that and it was only about 100 feet to the top of that rise so I was walking up it and a F-ing gust of wind blew my bike completely out from under me with me landing in a pile on top of it. People passing stopped to ask me if I was OK. That's the way people are here in California now. Surprisingly, especially in San Francisco were people stiff drive like assholes but they are polite to cyclists.

After doing 20-25 mile rides all year, there was no problems doing 50 miles except for 25 mph winds with 40 mph gusts. In several places I would not pass people, such as on the Golden Gate Bridge, since handling was so compromised by the gusts. The hardest parts of the 4300 foot climb ride were into 25 mph winds with the gusting in the most inappropriate places.

But like I said, the Ti bike was fully up to it. Now I have to repair the slightly twisted handlebar and the tape was destroyed by that flopover. How embarrassing.

On Thursday, May 13, 2021 at 7:30:39 AM UTC-7, Tom Kunich wrote:
I rapidly put the Ti together Tuesday so that I could take a 50 miles ride on Wednesday with some friends. If I had any idea that a titanium bike rode like that I would never have turned to top end carbon fiber. While there was the occasional bump that could kick you around, these absolutely awful roads here were almost smooth feeling.

I would recommend this to anyone that likes the ride of steel but the weight of carbon fiber. I am now convinced that all I will need is the two bikes - the Eddy Merckx aluminum bike and the titanium bike and the normal rider.

Everything else will go. The Douglas Vector is a good handling bike but it is really designed for 23 mm tires. Though perhaps if you use Shimano 11 speed there would be enough clearance under the brake for 25's.

On the ride yesterday I ended up walking up hills in two places. The wind was VERY strong and gusting terribly. In one spot the telephone company put in a detour which turned out to be up a 20% grade. I could have done that but I had to stay to the far right to let traffic by and a strong gust almost blew me into a parked car and I had to stop and there was no starting again on the grade. In another very mild grade leaving Sausalito, the damned quick release allowed the rear wheel to pull over against the chain stay stopping me. I corrected that and it was only about 100 feet to the top of that rise so I was walking up it and a F-ing gust of wind blew my bike completely out from under me with me landing in a pile on top of it. People passing stopped to ask me if I was OK. That's the way people are here in California now. Surprisingly, especially in San Francisco were people stiff drive like assholes but they are polite to cyclists.

After doing 20-25 mile rides all year, there was no problems doing 50 miles except for 25 mph winds with 40 mph gusts. In several places I would not pass people, such as on the Golden Gate Bridge, since handling was so compromised by the gusts. The hardest parts of the 4300 foot climb ride were into 25 mph winds with the gusting in the most inappropriate places.

But like I said, the Ti bike was fully up to it. Now I have to repair the slightly twisted handlebar and the tape was destroyed by that flopover. How embarrassing.
I didn't have any other saddles available so I used an old Selle Bassano Vuelta saddle. The other day I switched that ton of saddle out with a light Selle San Marco light saddle. Well the ride on that bike was due to the Vuelta Saddle so I bought a new Vuelta and to hell with the weight. Better comfort than discomfort.