How Do These Airborne Specs Look?

Vis-a-vis the price, anyway -- $1,300 for 19-lb. bikes!!

http://www.airborne.net/eready/janet...TI-special.asp

http://www.airborne.net/eready/janet...TB-special.asp


The first link is to a TITANIUM frame upright, while the second is for
the Thunderbolt with an aluminum frame. Oddly enough, the aluminum
bike weighs slightly less than the titanium one?? Components, I
suppose -- so what do y'all think of 'em?

For example...caliper brakes?? 9-speed cassette??

Which one would you get, if these were the choices?

How do they compare to your current bike -- etc.?

Actually, they're $1,200 -- hot deal?

And how's this seat?

http://pedalpusherbikeshop.com/site/...3rdcharacte r


TIA!



NYC XYZ wrote:
Vis-a-vis the price, anyway -- $1,300 for 19-lb. bikes!!

http://www.airborne.net/eready/janet...TI-special.asp

http://www.airborne.net/eready/janet...TB-special.asp


The first link is to a TITANIUM frame upright, while the second is for
the Thunderbolt with an aluminum frame. Oddly enough, the aluminum
bike weighs slightly less than the titanium one?? Components, I
suppose -- so what do y'all think of 'em?

For example...caliper brakes?? 9-speed cassette??

Which one would you get, if these were the choices?

How do they compare to your current bike -- etc.?

"NYC XYZ" wrote in message
oups.com...
Vis-a-vis the price, anyway -- $1,300 for 19-lb. bikes!!

http://www.airborne.net/eready/janet...TI-special.asp

http://www.airborne.net/eready/janet...TB-special.asp


The first link is to a TITANIUM frame upright, while the second is for
the Thunderbolt with an aluminum frame. Oddly enough, the aluminum
bike weighs slightly less than the titanium one?? Components, I
suppose -- so what do y'all think of 'em?

For example...caliper brakes?? 9-speed cassette??

Which one would you get, if these were the choices?

How do they compare to your current bike -- etc.?

One is a flat bar bike, the other is a drop bar bike. They are not
comparable. If you don't know whether you're in the market for one or the
other, you shouldn't be considering either one.

I can attest to the quality and overall wonderfulness of the Airborne Carpe
Diem I bought four years ago, FWIW. It's still my #1 bike, with somewhere
around 14k miles on it.

RichC

NYC XYZ wrote:
Actually, they're $1,200 -- hot deal?

And how's this seat?

http://pedalpusherbikeshop.com/site/...3rdcharacte r

Dude (or Dudette), you REALLY should visit a bike shop. You're all over the
map -- and unlike most who want to spend, say, $60.00, you're actually
talking about some real money. (Hint: why shop for a heavy, way-too-soft
saddle until you actually TRY the one that comes with your new bike. A bike
that OUGHT TO FIT YOU, by the way...)

Bill "get thee to an LBS-ery" S.

"NYC XYZ" wrote in message
oups.com...
Vis-a-vis the price, anyway -- $1,300 for 19-lb. bikes!!

http://www.airborne.net/eready/janet...TI-special.asp

http://www.airborne.net/eready/janet...TB-special.asp


The first link is to a TITANIUM frame upright, while the second is for
the Thunderbolt with an aluminum frame. Oddly enough, the aluminum
bike weighs slightly less than the titanium one?? Components, I
suppose -- so what do y'all think of 'em?

For example...caliper brakes?? 9-speed cassette??

Which one would you get, if these were the choices?

How do they compare to your current bike -- etc.?


why would you want a titanium hybrid?

Bill Sornson wrote:


Dude (or Dudette), you REALLY should visit a bike shop. You're all over the
map -- and unlike most who want to spend, say, $60.00, you're actually
talking about some real money. (Hint: why shop for a heavy, way-too-soft
saddle until you actually TRY the one that comes with your new bike. A bike
that OUGHT TO FIT YOU, by the way...)

Bill "get thee to an LBS-ery" S.


So how's the bike? =)

These particular models are sold exclusively through the manufacturer,
and only online, too -- at least at this price.

As for the seat, I've never known a bike seat to be "comfortable," so
anything the least bit ergonomic gets my attention.

Seriously, how do the specs look? I want my shifts to shift right
away, and I'm leery of the claiper brakes...but I'm only just
above-average when it comes to bike knowledge and know-how, so I was
hoping you could help.

=)

Rich Clark wrote:


One is a flat bar bike, the other is a drop bar bike. They are not
comparable. If you don't know whether you're in the market for one or the
other, you shouldn't be considering either one.

I prefer the more upright one (flatbar), but I'm thinking its
components may be less than desirable, since it's a titanium frame
selling for the same as the aluminum one which the same manufacturer is
claiming to be spec'ed-out nicely (which may well be true since it
actually weighs in slightly less than the ti!).

I can attest to the quality and overall wonderfulness of the Airborne Carpe
Diem I bought four years ago, FWIW. It's still my #1 bike, with somewhere
around 14k miles on it.

RichC

Yes, I know Airborne has a good reputation in general...just wondering
about these particular models.

Are titanium frames stronger than aluminum ones, typically? Lighter,
more flexible or less? Etc.

di wrote:


why would you want a titanium hybrid?


I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ******GLAD****** YOU ASKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It seems like manufacturers also think there isn't a market out there
for folks who like their uprights (or upwrongs, as the 'bent crowd
likes to crow!) comfy as well as light and speedy.

I'm not into racing, but I do do a lot of bike riding for someone who's
not into racing! So I want to be comfortable...but that also means not
dealing with that extra five to ten pounds of a non-ti or carb-fi
bike....

I CAN'T be the only one who reasons this way...!

I went to so many bike shops around NYC, and they all gave me that WTF
stare...but it makes perfect sense to me! Why is the world so
black-and-white anyway?? I like comfort, but I also like performance!

When I lean more towards comfort (actually, when I have more cash) I'll
get a recumbent bike...for now, I'm still leaning towards out-and-out
performance -- but comfort's still a main, if not *the* main, factor!

"NYC XYZ" wrote in
oups.com:


Actually, they're $1,200 -- hot deal?

And how's this seat?

http://pedalpusherbikeshop.com/site/...438&Catalog=39
&sort=3rdcharacter


TIA!



NYC XYZ wrote:
Vis-a-vis the price, anyway -- $1,300 for 19-lb. bikes!!

http://www.airborne.net/eready/janet...TI-special.asp

http://www.airborne.net/eready/janet...TB-special.asp


The first link is to a TITANIUM frame upright, while the second is
for the Thunderbolt with an aluminum frame. Oddly enough, the
aluminum bike weighs slightly less than the titanium one??
Components, I suppose -- so what do y'all think of 'em?

For example...caliper brakes?? 9-speed cassette??

Which one would you get, if these were the choices?

How do they compare to your current bike -- etc.?


You're paying attention to a 4-oz difference in weight, then
contemplating putting on a 4-lb saddle? (FWIW, my sister-in-law has that
saddle, and I guess she likes it, but it weighs more than her rear
wheel).

Low weight does not equal performance, except maybe psychologically. If
you want to shave grams, pee before you ride. That's about the
difference we're talking here. Performance is going to come from having
a good-fitting bike that you ride a whole bunch.

Like I say, fit is really the most important thing, and if you say you
want comfort and performance, you are not likely to get either from a
bike you can't test-ride first. Get yourself into a LBS and have them
find you something that is just right for you. They can swap out stems
and handlebars and seats (for a small upcharge usually, sometimes
they'll do even trades) and get it dialled in. Mail-order shops can't do
that for you.

As far as caliper brakes...why not? These aren't mountain bikes. They're
light enough and strong enough for 100% of the TDF field, and those guys
descend at 50 mph. The _only_ reason they don't use them on dirt bikes
is for tire clearance.

Sorry if you're getting dogpiled here, but you really should do some
test rides of both flat- and drop-bar bikes before you try to make your
decision based on Ti vs. Al or 18.2 vs. 18.6.

To answer your overall question, I'd go for the drop-bar bike, but
that's because I like drop bars, not because of its componentry or frame
material.

Good luck!

Hank Wirtz wrote:


You're paying attention to a 4-oz difference in weight, then
contemplating putting on a 4-lb saddle? (FWIW, my sister-in-law has that
saddle, and I guess she likes it, but it weighs more than her rear
wheel).

Holy Hell's Angels, that weighs more than my ass! Thanks for the
info...hmm...wonder if there are any ergonomic seats that are very
light?

Low weight does not equal performance, except maybe psychologically. If
you want to shave grams, pee before you ride. That's about the
difference we're talking here. Performance is going to come from having
a good-fitting bike that you ride a whole bunch.

LOL -- of course!

But the fit being equal, how do the specs read to you? I don't know
why they bother with Shimano this and Bontrager that...do even the
"pros" know what it means?? Reads like mattress advertising....

I'm a fast rider...I can keep up with my messenger friend who races on
the weekends (though we've never actually raced per se, given our very
different bikes). I say this so that you know I'm not stuck on
components like they were magic or something. In this particular case,
my natural inclination is to get the flat-bar bike, but it seems like
the componentry on the drop-bar may be substantially better.

Like I say, fit is really the most important thing, and if you say you
want comfort and performance, you are not likely to get either from a
bike you can't test-ride first. Get yourself into a LBS and have them
find you something that is just right for you. They can swap out stems
and handlebars and seats (for a small upcharge usually, sometimes
they'll do even trades) and get it dialled in. Mail-order shops can't do
that for you.

Only problem is that these particular bikes sound like real sweet deals
and aren't available except online from the manufacturer.

What's the big deal with the "fit," though? An 18" frame is an
18"...and the seat posts adjust, etc. I really wanted to know what the
components of the drop-bar are like compared to those of the flat-bar.

As far as caliper brakes...why not? These aren't mountain bikes. They're
light enough and strong enough for 100% of the TDF field, and those guys
descend at 50 mph. The _only_ reason they don't use them on dirt bikes
is for tire clearance.

I thought the V-brakes stop better? I went from cantilever brakes on a
chromoly to the old Trek 7500 (the old one, not the current one -- why
did they change the frame geometry? It seems like everyone's hybrid
line has got the angled top tube now) with aluminum and V-brakes...cool
stuff.

Sorry if you're getting dogpiled here, but you really should do some
test rides of both flat- and drop-bar bikes before you try to make your
decision based on Ti vs. Al or 18.2 vs. 18.6.

I'm sure I won't like drop-bars since I think the typical flat-bar
forces me to hunch over as it is! I always raise the headset (correct
term?) myself...upright means comfort!

To answer your overall question, I'd go for the drop-bar bike, but
that's because I like drop bars, not because of its componentry or frame
material.

I suppose I could always raise the drop-bars too?

When hunched over, my back really becomes the rear suspension!

Good luck!

Many thanks!

What's it mean that the Airborne Thunderbolt comes in 10-speed (is that
right, only ten speeds????) "double" or 10-speed "triple"????