Nev
captain
Reged: 05/03/04
Posts: 375
Loc: Never where I want to be
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Or am I about to get flamed for asking?
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OldEd
contributor
Reged: 02/05/04
Posts: 117
Loc: The Great South
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Out of Fort Campbell, Ky? Not sure. I'm pretty sure they're in favor. It's a toss-up, tho.
What's your question?
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Nev
captain
Reged: 05/03/04
Posts: 375
Loc: Never where I want to be
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Quote:
OldEd wrote:
Out of Fort Campbell, Ky? Not sure. I'm pretty sure they're in favor. It's a toss-up, tho.
What's your question?
Good...bad...experience...etc.
Check my original query here:
http://www.bikefanclub.com/forum/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/2764/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1
Course you might ask, "How to leap from Tuscany/Vortex to Airborne?"
It's fair.
Seconds, minutes, hours, days go by...and what does my mind do?
My new S-works mtb will arrive tomorrow by UPS to my house. An Epic disc. Nice. During the wait period I'm thinking, "Gee, maybe I still need a squishy for rougher stuff." So I think more and maybe I can get a new frame replacement for my existing mtb frame (documented paint issues), then pull all the good parts I've added and put them on a good new squishy frame(Yeti?), put back all the original parts on the new trade-in frame, sell that...and maybe...maybe...take a step or two back from originall road intentions to afford all this. Like maybe Ultegra, not the DA.
Horrible. Horrible.
What to do?
Edited by Nev (05/08/04 02:51 AM)
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Dave_Thompson
prophet
Reged: 12/19/03
Posts: 717
Loc: Spokane, Washington
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I don't think it does. I consider the Airborne line (flamesuit ON) to be more like a junior Litespeed. They're probably good and capable, but not as good as Litespeed, and you know my view on them. So Airborne is for a small budget rider(nothing wrong with that), or entry-level into the world to titanium.
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Steel lover, but then I like Ti with carbon too.
Licensed bike geek.
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Nev
captain
Reged: 05/03/04
Posts: 375
Loc: Never where I want to be
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Well bad news. Or actually better good.
Just back from the trails and a nice and easy maiden ride on my new s-works epic disc mtb bike. Arrived in my driveway this morning. OH MY! Nothing like direct experience to let you know what best of the best feels like. D*AMN SWEET!
Thought I'd ask about Airborne since I get their promo emails. After my ride just now it's back to the top of the food chain for me. But first to the garage and streets to get this new ride dailed in and put another bike back together. From here on out I'll be on the trails mornings with lights during the week, the weekends are for the road test rides. I'll let ya know.
Nev
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Dave_Thompson
prophet
Reged: 12/19/03
Posts: 717
Loc: Spokane, Washington
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Me? I have a Moots frameset on the way, and hopefully two Serottas.
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Steel lover, but then I like Ti with carbon too.
Licensed bike geek.
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Lon
sage
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 595
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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Dave aren't you out of work? Did I confuse your situation with someone else in the forum?
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dbrk
contributor
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 201
Loc: Finger Lakes, New York
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My experience riding an Airborne was entirely positive. The welds are not in league with Moots or IF; the tubes not as fancy as Serotta by far and neither is the price in any respect comparable. Yet the ride was all titanium: felt as nice as any titanium bike I've tried (that's a few...). Sure, it's welded in China and made of tubes that don't compare to the Haynes or Ancotech stuff made in the US but that higher grade and quality may have little effect on the ride. And if it's aesthetics, the welds on the Airborne were about a million times niicer than those I've seen on at least three Colnago Oval Titaniums (the welds worse than the ones I saw on that Pinarello Dogma...just sloppy, messy, yucky.) Airborne is a great value and a good choice for the cost conscious. Still, I'd buy a Litespeed first. Litespeeds are way, way better than they were six or eight years back, I mean in quality control. I saw early ones break but that doesn't happen much anymore. It's the geometries of most models that lead me to look elseswhere.
dbrk
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Dave_Thompson
prophet
Reged: 12/19/03
Posts: 717
Loc: Spokane, Washington
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Lon: You must have me confused with someone else, I'm not out of work. I keep trying to be, or to retire either one, but it doesn't seem to work out.
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Steel lover, but then I like Ti with carbon too.
Licensed bike geek.
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Lon
sage
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 595
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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I figured with that stable of bikes in the works maybe I'd quit my job and join you!
Take care.
Loln
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flythebike
captain
Reged: 08/26/04
Posts: 272
Loc: N. Virginia, USA
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I have had a Manhattan Project for the last two years. It is Ti with Carbon Seatstays. I rode a buddy's Merlin years ago and that is the only other Ti bike I've tried. It was a bit smoother. Oh, and I tested a Litespeed (classic), and it was quicker but not as comfortable. The MP has been a good bike for me to get back into riding with after more or less quitting for a few years. It is not too heavy, about 18 pounds with mostly Ultegra stuff and Velomax wheels. However, I just bought a Calfee Dragonfly so I can now see how the other half lives. My sense is that the Airborne is slower to accelerate than the Calfee. The frame just doesn't transmit energy to speed as well. And the Airborne has a longer wheelbase so the handling is slower. But, it is noticeably more comfortable than any of the many steel bikes that I have had (Spectrum, Tommasini, Pinarello, Somec, GT) and about on par with my old look Monoblade and one of their KG bikes with carbon tubes and aluminum lugs in terms of overall road feel (actually a lot like the KG196 Monoblade). Of course, the Calfee is in another leauge. But for an 18 lb bike that I paid 3K for, it is a great bike. I'll be selling it in a month or two if anybody is interested.
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