fdpiton
new member
Reged: 02/15/04
Posts: 11
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I have been riding about 2yrs now on my Cannondale Cadd 7 R1000, and I love it. I thinking about getting an additional bike that wil be a bit smoother over the long haul, but not too soft. I am interested in the Ti Crown Jewel, Look 481 SL and the Colnago CT2.
I was wondering if anybody could help explain the primary ride differnece between Carbon and Ti.
I understand that it ultimately comes down to personal preference and each has it's own style, but any objective input would be appreciated.
I will be demoing a Look next week, and hopefully a Ti Crown Jewel in a few weeks.
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Sexykingjake
new member
Reged: 01/26/04
Posts: 13
Loc: Huntsville, UT
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Well you've come to a cross-roads. I will give you a few of my thoughts on what you asked. I have a Ti CJ just got it about a month ago. I bought it because I bought a ti deluxe which is absolutely phenomenal. I really find it hard to compare the three companies. First things first Ti will never die it has no natural predators. Carbon on the other hand, not the case. The biggest thing that made me look at IF is that they are custom. Custom doesn't mean rare either, they will build the bike you have always dreamed of they don't just customize the size, but they customize ride, they will use different tube diameters and butting for each bike they build. So you tell them what you want and you'll get it. These guys are the original ti builders that were once at merlin. The look and Colnago are no doubt very nice and spendy bikes, but geometry and ride quality may leave something to desire. I don't know, but I would call the guys up at IF and talk to them before you make a decision. They are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. It basically comes down to either spending 3000 grand on a stock bike or 3000 on a custom. If you want to know more just ask.
Check out the pics of my IF's on the custom foto gallery
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fdpiton
new member
Reged: 02/15/04
Posts: 11
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Your advice is very timely!
I placed my order last Tuesday with my local bike shop:)
I did a bit (alot) more research and spoke with some friends have both carbon and ti bikes and some prefer the carbon and some don't...so I did call IF and spoke with Matt. We spoke at length about carbon, Ti and aluminum, he was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. He even knew the guys by name at my local bike shop. So after speaking with him and my local bike shop, they took my measurments and discussed riding preferences,etc...
As you stated, I thought about the custom aspects of the bike as well as the durability of Ti.
Now comes the hard part. Picking out a color scheme and waiting for the bike to be built:)
Thanks for your input.
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Dave_Thompson
prophet
Reged: 12/19/03
Posts: 717
Loc: Spokane, Washington
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... of a custom bike is picking the color. The second hardest part is the wait. Waiting is such sweet agony!
--------------------
Steel lover, but then I like Ti with carbon too.
Licensed bike geek.
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fdpiton
new member
Reged: 02/15/04
Posts: 11
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Just got word. My frame is being "shot peened".
Should be just another couple of weeks!
Must hang on just a little bit longer!:)
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fdpiton
new member
Reged: 02/15/04
Posts: 11
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I stopped by the bike shop on Wednesday to say hello and they asked me to give them a hand opening a box and there it was! My IF TiCJ Frame, I got to take it out of the box and unwrap it...:)
I watched the trusty ace mechanic start assembly with TLC, so I had to leave (for my sake I was drooling all over) and come back to pick it up on Friday (again it was done sooner but do to work could not get there).
OK, I had a few short rides in (had to race on Sunday so I was taking it easy).
So far all I can say is WOW! To steal a quote I saw from another IF owner, "it rides like it's on rails". It tracks like a laser; it feels solid without feeling heavy (total weight 17.4 lb's). The Dura Ace wheels seem to be very happy at speed. The shifting is so precise, awesome.
I have also noticed that riding in the hoods or the drops just feels so natural and easy (as well as on the tops). I guess that’s where the "custom" portion comes in. It also climbs great and with a slightly lower BB it feels fantastic on the descents. Although these were only two rides they involved some good hills:) The bike just soaks up the road/bumps like a dream!!
Sorry to go on but I am so happy I decided on this bike and it was worth the price and the wait!
I will post a picture soon:)
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JackL
new member
Reged: 03/10/04
Posts: 16
Loc: Seattle
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Congratulations on your new bike...you sound like a happy guy! You are obviously pleased with the handling, so please let us know how you deviated from IF's 'standard' geometry.
JackL
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fdpiton
new member
Reged: 02/15/04
Posts: 11
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Sorry things were crazy yesterday.
To your question: I don't know how much I deviated from an IF Build, if any, since they custom build everything.
There were just a few things I had done to achieve the end result for the ride characteristics I wanted. Which were stiffness for acceleration, stability at high speed and a great climbing bike.
They lowered the BB I believe by approx 3mm, the reason for this was to give the bike a lower center of gravity. The good news is you feel the difference when descending, the bike feels very stable at high speeds. The bad news is it reduces your pedaling clearance through corners, but I have the Speedplay pedals so this buys back a little room.
I had the bike built with a mild compact geometry. The top tube is sloping by approx 5 degrees, if that. This also affects the tube seat height, shortened due to the shortened TT. They also used the over size tubing to add to the stiffness.
The end-result was nothing short of excellence. The bike handles like a dream. It descends like a rocket, climbs like a goat and responds instantly to a stomp on the pedals and soaks up the road making the ride very smooth.
While not the most technical answer and I may be missing a few explanations, I hope this helps.
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