Climbing ride on the Douglas Ti

This bike is not light by any stretch of the imagination. It weighs about what my Basso Loto did. But today I took it on one of my difficult climbing rides. I guess I'm not so far out of shape as I thought. I really didn't have any really difficult time doing the 3 mile climb with an average of 8% and the following 2 mile climb with maybe 8 1/2%.

There were only a couple of spots that my heart rate got up to a good percentage of max and as soon as the grade eased off a bit it came right back down. Maybe this was because I had a very good sleep last night.

On the other hand something I had at a good restaurant last night most certainly did NOT agree with my stomach and it showed clearly this morning.

Coming down off of the highest peak, the Basso handled the best of all of my steel bikes but there is a hard bump as the descent flattens. This would leave the steel bike bouncing a little. Nowhere near as bad as the Pinarello which would act like the front wheel was going to lift off of the ground. The Colnago's would act like they had hit a pothole. So the Basso's just bumping up and down a little was the best.

The Douglas on the other hand just had the one sudden bump as the road went from 12% to 7% and it didn't bounce at all. I don't know how much of that was due to the Titanium and how much to the 28 mm tires. But I think that the Basso had 28 mm tires on it as well. The Pinarello most certainly had 28 mm tires for all the good it did that lead sled.

I no longer have the courage to just let if fly so my top speed today was only 32 mph and to tell you the truth I think that was on a mild descent.

I can hardly wait to get the Airborne up and riding since it is significantly lighter than the Douglas. If I were going to buy a new titanium bike now I believe that I would choose a Litespeed Tuscany or as close a model to that as `they now make. DeRosa will make you a titanium bike but they are expensive as hell. And they can't have much advantage over a Litespeed unless you're riding the Italian Alps. nd I would expect the advantage to be very small since it would be purely descending handling.

On Sunday, May 30, 2021 at 3:32:22 PM UTC-7, Tom Kunich wrote:
This bike is not light by any stretch of the imagination. It weighs about what my Basso Loto did. But today I took it on one of my difficult climbing rides. I guess I'm not so far out of shape as I thought. I really didn't have any really difficult time doing the 3 mile climb with an average of 8% and the following 2 mile climb with maybe 8 1/2%.

There were only a couple of spots that my heart rate got up to a good percentage of max and as soon as the grade eased off a bit it came right back down. Maybe this was because I had a very good sleep last night.

On the other hand something I had at a good restaurant last night most certainly did NOT agree with my stomach and it showed clearly this morning.

Coming down off of the highest peak, the Basso handled the best of all of my steel bikes but there is a hard bump as the descent flattens. This would leave the steel bike bouncing a little. Nowhere near as bad as the Pinarello which would act like the front wheel was going to lift off of the ground. The Colnago's would act like they had hit a pothole. So the Basso's just bumping up and down a little was the best.

The Douglas on the other hand just had the one sudden bump as the road went from 12% to 7% and it didn't bounce at all. I don't know how much of that was due to the Titanium and how much to the 28 mm tires. But I think that the Basso had 28 mm tires on it as well. The Pinarello most certainly had 28 mm tires for all the good it did that lead sled.

I no longer have the courage to just let if fly so my top speed today was only 32 mph and to tell you the truth I think that was on a mild descent.

I can hardly wait to get the Airborne up and riding since it is significantly lighter than the Douglas. If I were going to buy a new titanium bike now I believe that I would choose a Litespeed Tuscany or as close a model to that as `they now make. DeRosa will make you a titanium bike but they are expensive as hell. And they can't have much advantage over a Litespeed unless you're riding the Italian Alps. nd I would expect the advantage to be very small since it would be purely descending handling.
OK, I just went out and weighed the Douglas ready to ride and it was 20.77 lbs. That is two full lbs less than the Basso, so while they are comparable.. The ti bike is lighter. In that particular area I no longer descend all out. That is because there is a housing area there and I have had cars pull out without looking and then try to outrun me and pull into my lane while I'm going near 50 mph. Drivers simply don't have the ability to judge those sorts of speed of an approaching bicycle. And there is just enough opposing traffic that if you have to pass, it is suicide. A lesson learned is a life saved.