6.6kg Custom Titanium bike 4000km later. Ti Weenie Ep5

[@RickRolling-tc7vb]

You are obviously having a lot of fun, and it's beautiful to see. Thank you for sharing what you have learned, and for showing us parts of Japan that we wouldn't get to see otherwise.

[@MacBeall]

WD-40 was specifically developed for cleaning titanium (on rockets). Its other uses came later. A quick wipe with a bit on a rag does wonders to clear away the finger oils (until you touch it again).

[@batbawls]

1:03 that is a damn good looking bicycle

[@TheGullyfoyle]

Went to Japan in May of this year and got a feel for those mountain roads, fabulous riding, but I have to say that kind of descending is beyond me at seventy, my bones are too frail to risk it but I felt the attraction, love your videos and presentation, all the best and enjoy.

[@Porkfu]

Thank you for making your "look at my fancy bike" videos so classy!

[@wsbygt]

After UCI championships... nice!!!

[@kimkrimson]

Thank you so much. I finally understood the fundamental physics behind trail with your information and those graphs. You could be a professor

[@lucendi.]

That Extralite stem and out front mount suits the bike great! Shame on THM for not making a better face plate.

[@StreamBikesNL]

Beautiful. Great review. Love the nerdy details on the fork adjustments. Still a crazy light bike. Too bad it is untouchable (literally). Don't crash it.

[@FfortheT]

Lovely insights - and a lovely "photo finish"! Always looking forward to new videos from you

[@davidbidwell250]

Beautiful neighborhood you are in, stunning views and hills. And you've made a beautiful bike, congratulations.

[@DS-um9hi]

Not sure if I am more jealous of the bike or the fact you have some beautiful places to ride 😅 Awesome video thanks.

[@reinholdachleitner2069]

Awesome new ride and parts.💯👌🏻✌🏻🚴‍♀️

[@yarryrob]

Great video, as always. I went for a gentle ride along the Tamagawa last week and had the worst heat stroke. Not enough fluids, took hours before I was back to normal. Take care.

[@Jacob99174]

Miss your videos! Need to keep them coming!

[@universe-juice]

Always a pleasure when i see a new rides if japan video! 👍

[@evanbybee8953]

I’ve been riding the same rims and rotors and have the same experiences. The Galfers feel really good. Good bite and quiet. Love em. I’ve been riding the same rims, laced to different hubs, and I’m extremely impressed. They’ve been a set of crit wheels with some Schwalbe Pro One TLE 30mm tires that blow up to 32 on these. I don’t know if it’s the tires or the extra volume but I have so much confidence when cornering. Conti’s are hard to find here right now so I’ve been trying the Schwalbe’s and I’d say it’s a good alternative if you like the GP5000 S TR. Great video! Been looking forward to it. 🎉

[@ridesofjapan]

Got to hear! it was not only in my head then :) The pro ones are probably my favorite tire this far in terms of grip… but i have not tried the 5000str yet so we’ll see what happens… conti prices are crazy here in Japan. Cheers!

[@chrishomel9558]

6.5 is crazy light. How? You are the weight weeniest. I love my ti road bike too. Nothing compares.

[@sdmike1141]

THIS is really “deep in the weeds” for me, but strangely enough, I don’t mind it! Thanks!!

[@Runner9264]

Your descent skills are admirable. Wow

[@durianriders]

Great summary mate!

[@davidide1525]

Great video, very happy for you and your beautiful ti bike ! On my Moots I spray a bit of lemon Pledge furniture polish on a terry cloth polishing mitt and wipe it down ( recommended by Moots ). It’s a very easy top up if your bike doesn’t need a full wash. It may even help with some of the minor stains . Keep the videos coming . Thanks

[@GG-si7fw]

This should be on Red Bull's channel. Great descending and bike overview.

[@global_nomad.]

great video, thanks for the update and great to hear everything (fingerprints aside) is great with the bike. was looking at the extralite stems yesterday and also the wheels but need to change my crank first for the best £/gram saved benefit.

[@reginaldscot165]

I’m impressed with all the camera shots of you going by because you must have had to keep going back up the hill to get your camera! 😅

[@yotoma]

Excellent! Congratulations on success with your beautiful project bike. Go ride!

[@actionmethod]

Beautiful frame! The finish looks great although the sensitivity to oil stains.

[@cjohnson3836]

Legend has it he's still descending to this day.

[@edgerat]

my favorite channel for bikes!!!

[@amsp79]

Visste att du skulle älska en titan-cykel! 👌🏻 Ett tips för att hålla den där matta finishen lite renare är att använda lite silikon-spray på ramen.

[@Thibault45B]

would be nice to have a run down of your collection someday, from what i see you got many crazy machines !

[@larrymcgoldrick3471]

Incredible Ti bike, best on the planet would be my guess. Cheers and Thanks for sharing!

[@christopherhood9241]

great to see another video. well framed/edited/produced.

[@wonchoe]

I ceramic coated my Ti bead blasted frame, and it seems to shed stains and prints a bit better now.

[@Kelvin_c]

That 2NM torque limit for Hyperstem is scary! I recently had a nasty crash down a descent because of Bar's slippage and the cause is because of torque limit. It is good to be paranoid from time to time when out on a ride. Love your videos and ride safe!

[@david.vandergoes]

Great video and channel overall. Ceramic coating like people use on cars. There is a bike specific one now but I’d guess, and I am guessing, a automotive ceramic coating *for wheels* would keep that frame looking clean and fresh for 6-12 months. Bike looks great, BTW.

[@johannestremel3541]

talking about this being the best descender bike, got me n idea you could make a video series about making the best descending bike, like a downhill bike but for the street, i've never senn that somewhere and it would be an interesting thought process

[@SonnyDarvish]

9:32 I was eating food, looked up at the monitor and the motorbike passing at the right side gave me a spike in heart rate 😳

[@melzi77]

That decent is epic! I love it.

[@pete3060]

You can always bust the frame down to a brushed finish with some steel wool if you're okay with losing the anodizing. Great thing about a raw brushed frame is that you can easily buff out any scratches.

[@hoyhoy42]

Despite using a torque wrench, I cracked a TLO faceplate too. No matter what I did with carbon assembly paste or fiber grip, my TLO bars would slip in the stem. The custom Garmin mount for the TLO was terrible too. It wouldn't stay straight. I replaced the TLO with an Enve aero stem and 15,000 miles later, it's still amazing and has none of these problems.

[@patrickparisienne1917]

Epic build, and awesome descents! Interesting to hear your thoughts on fork choice. By the way using stainless steel cleaner/ oil will reduce the pain from fingerprints…

[@MatiasV_PNW]

Have you ever ridden and climbed around Awajishima?! If not, suggest to put it on a to-do list, I just got back from a riding trip and loved it. “Awaichi” is very fun too (riding around the entire island of Awaji) - Would love to see your coverage of the island 🏝️ rides!

[@englishwithtroy]

Really nice work, man!

[@tomgilfedder5810]

If you add grease into the pawls it makes it quieter. Lovely bike.

[@hgma]

Thank you for sharing your journey. I'm looking to build a custom Ti bike as well. Looking at yours for inspiration. Just wondering if you would also share the tube diameters for your build. The proportion looks great! Thanks

[@williamkochi1415]

Excellent weight for a Ti bike! Maybe use a metal ceramic coating for the finish so you can mitigate water and fingerprints. I forgot who, but a car detail products company makes one for bare metal. Cheers!

[@aliancemd]

Weight and everything but my favorite touch is how that shiny chameleon text looks on that metallic paint.

[@seanmccuen6970]

lolol, that ain't paint, it's bare titanium.

[@ishmaell]

Great video! Love Ti bikes and hoping it’ll be my next road bike soon. Your bike has an amazing finish, shows the Ti build and I personally prefer that; just like my Moots Routt. So next project Ti gravel bike? 😊

[@MayhemSWE]

Is it just an optical illusion (possibly due to the Garmin strap), or is your bar wrap not perfectly symmetrical? Distance from wrap to stem looks much greater on the left than the right. Surely that wouldn’t be acceptable for your OCD… 😜 As for your comments on bike agility, I have been pondering the same question myself. My current frame is a Canyon Ultimate CF SLX Disc 2017, and do feel my previous Ultimate CF SLX [Rim] 2014 was much more agile (and fun) on descents. Need to read up more on bike geometry to try to figure out why, as I am also considering having a custom Ti framest made for next season (though certainly at a much lower budget than yours!).

[@ridesofjapan]

It’s definitely the garmin strap! 😜 Trail is just one piece of the puzzle, this time I was just lucky enough to be able to experiment a bit… and it turned out I didn’t have give up much of the stability as I thought I would with a shorter trail. But had I not had the chance to try both forks I would have been just as happy with the “correct” one. A good builder should be able to design a good geometry to suite you preference , but always a good idea to get some references from old bikes and figure what makes the different like you said. Enjoy the process! 👍

[@TM-lo1im]

brilliant editing and descending

[@al-du6lb]

the production quality of these videos is amazing. Do you do video for a living?

[@georgesj9536]

You mentioned trying GP5k STR, but as often done in the peloton (if price no factor) GP5k S TT are the better option since lighter and same puncture protection, although less durable

[@pmollbrink]

So lovely, but I feel sorry for your Mid Ride Baby Wipe Frame Finish kind of anexiety ;)

[@johnverrios3944]

love the beginning Nice video

[@randomname8442]

My favourite series on all of KZbin. Time for an update?

[@ridesofjapan]

There’s something in the works yes, still just in the planning phase though.

[@timowen5772]

Awesome as always! I've copied your Light Wheels build (but w DT180 hubs and LW carbon spokes), but I'm putting GP5000 with inner tubes. These weight 239g and 251g (tan wall - any idea why the weight difference? guess its something in manufacturing) for 28mm, with two Tubolito (44g for both) this is far lighter than a tubeless set up... perhaps you should give the tubes a go again? (latest GP5000 never seam to puncture)....

[@Anton-yr3lr]

How heavy are you? I really want to use those rims, but I feel like I might be pushing it with my 85kg

[@AlwaysWildCS]

Who are you professionally Roj? What do you do?

[@くらんぴー]

Beautiful bike❤ I have the same issue on stain and sweat drops. Can you share how you clean your bike?

[@ridesofjapan]

Might do something later when I’ve experimented a bit more. Don’t feel like I have the best solution yet

[@くらんぴー]

@@ridesofjapanThat would be great thanks! Looking forward to it 🤩

[@roilev]

Did you try the Silca graphene frame protection wax? It is hydrophobic and oilophobic - leaves less spots and easier to clean

[@iana7924]

2pcs Titanium alloy brake handle oil pipe joint nut compatible with M7100 / 8000/8120/9100/9120/712

[@chrisko6439]

Careful with the combo Conti 5000 S TR/ hookless/wide rims ;)

[@Anton-yr3lr]

The rims aren't hookless, they just have a smaller hook.

[@laneromel5667]

I finally switched from custom steel frame to a TI custom frame. I find the Ti frame significantly stiffer than the steel frame. I use custom Ti forks with 45mm of trail, balance that out with a 450mm chain stays. Has very nimble handling, yet tracks quite nicely. I use a 74 degree head tube angle. For me I would not go back to steel. The derailer hanger is stiffer on the Ti frame, find I get crisper shifts, than on the steel frames. For me carbon is a non starter, frames wear out far too quickly.

[@pinkertonpunk]

Did you mention in the build video what brake pads you're using? Having some noise issues with Shimano stuff and was thinking about trying different rotors to cure the issue.

[@ridesofjapan]

Shimano L05r pads

[@pulex73]

i am not a roadie, for sure no weight weenie...i am an engineer and love to thrill myself on steep mountainbike decents...BUT i really really like the stuff you create. thanks!

[@simonalexandercritchley439]

Looks like a sweet ride apart from the cleaning issue. I have had both brushed and polished Ti frames,the polished is the best imho. It is great to have a bike that climbs and descends well,carving turns in the mountains is the best feeling! Are you in the south of Japan in the sub tropics?

[@ridesofjapan]

North of Tokyo, Japan during summer is basically the tropics :) Cheers!

[@BPM-xh4yu]

is that the X-hub SP? I had that hubset on my Princeton gravel wheels and the rear hub ate itself. Had to warranty it. Happened twice to someone else I know with the same hub. Watch out

[@whyisthisathingnow...]

Gonna miss cycling around Japan for now, but hope I can secure something for next year again. That said, beautiful bike

[@simonwarmer8777]

Very nice bike man, what about the Trek?

[@MZRBC]

Have you ever considered adding the mounts on the top tube for a bolt on top tube bag on this bike?

[@ridesofjapan]

Nope

[@davidrussell9011]

Is the frame builder going g to ha e that frame as a standard option?

[@GasmanA]

This caught my eye for two reasons…very cool and informative but second (and Im 60, been riding for decades mostly mtn, and want comfort) I bought a Lynsky R300 and swapped the standard def. 90mm stem for a 24 deg. 90 running upright. Took my first long ride and it was very comfortable (most important) and on a downhill approaching 45 mph the front end was very very sketchy and was wobbling. Im an engineer but certainly not a bike builder so any information you could provide would be great to learn.

[@craigwilson118]

The stem will have brought the bars higher (and a bit back), as you planned for the comfort. This does have the side effect of having less weight over the front of the bike. Perhaps this is something to investigate? At high speeds there may also be a centre of pressure vs centre of gravity interaction due to the air resistance on your body? I remembered that from a movie (World's Fastest Indian) so that tells you I am not the person to give you any definite answer! Hopefully, somebody with more knowledge can tell you more, or maybe those are starting points for you to investigate. Ride safe.

[@cjohnson3836]

Did it happen with the other stem? Does it happen with you pedal or only when you free wheel? If pedaling stops it, then you have oscillation in the steering assembly (speed wobble).

[@GasmanA]

@@cjohnson3836 did not happen with the other stem….In doing research since the post I think this is not that uncommon and one suggestion from an engineer was put one knee / leg on the top tube to change the bike slightly. Hav not had the chance to test yet.

[@simant5361]

Have you tried extra grease in the freewheel?

[@kargi42]

Try melamine sponges on the satin titanium finish. That is how I clean stains on my titanium minivelo.

[@waldchiller4695]

I weigh 90kg could get a good deal on a Canyon Endurace with DT Swiss 1400 ERC. Should i worry about breakage at my weight?

[@DnDMF]

Have you tried stainless steel cleaner or jewelry cleaner? Many of them are approved for titanium and they do pretty good job on preventing fingerprints.

[@ridesofjapan]

Never tried (or heard about it) I’m just worried about how the more “unusual” product affect the anodized areas. Will look into it cheers!

[@DnDMF]

@@ridesofjapan Some of them are safe for anodized metals. Better check with the frame builder, though. Ideally, he can give you some leftover material to experiment.

[@lloydkflee]

You need to let the Ti Oxide protective layer form to protect from oils. I use Mr Sheen on all my satin finish frames and parts and it works a treat on preventing finger prints. I never deep clean the frame afterwards as you're washing off the natural Ti oxide coating

[@albertopoco]

Do you Know the Portuguese brand Gelu ? The lightest saddle in the world ? 38g not 138g … lol … Or the saddle and seatpost with 125g total …

[@markmcinnes8244]

Can you give your thoughts on the red pavement stripes in corners in Japan? I always take my bike when I go there, and I find them very disconcerting. It's not that I don't trust the grip, it's that they are often not flush with the black pavement. In your last slow motion clip you can see you are losing contact on when you go over them, and that keeps me from really sending it. Am I worrying too much? What are your thoughts?

[@ridesofjapan]

Just don’t run 90psi and then commit! 😜 On serious note, ride to what you brain tells you… I can’t really say “just go for it”, you kind of need to find your own limits to what feels appropriate.

[@gm.m]

Sounds like you are changing your fork a lot. Any best practices with doing that on integrated bikes? Worth a video?

[@piercebrew]

Wondering why you didn't go with carbon spokes from LB? I've ordered the AR25 rims with DT240 and carbon spokes.

[@ridesofjapan]

I think carbon spokes will make the wheels too stiff for the type of riding I'm doing (and the weight I am). Secondary reason is spare parts. I can source CXray spokes locally if anything would happen. The carbon spokes not so much.

[@damienm8416]

Have you tried isopropanol to clean the frame ?. Maybe a ceramic coating might help .

[@ridesofjapan]

Yes, I have… the problem is not so much the actual cleaning but how fast it get dirty again. Ceramic coating is an option but I worry how that would change the finish on a Matt glass blasted surface.

[@Lemillion_NY]

@@ridesofjapanI would give gyeon matte evo a try. A ceramic coating made for matte surfaces and has fantastic reviews for cars. Lasts 1-2 years.

[@darringrey4329]

You should be able to get ceramic coat to suit satin/ matt finish , 3M may have sumthing to suit there are a lot of car finishes in matt

[@Mixedbydavey]

Hey mate! Are you still using the light bike rims from the old emonda? How did you find them? I’m seriously considering grabbing some for my emonda (same colour as your old one) and would love some feedback.

[@drgenefish]

Great series! How do you feel like your bike compares speed-wise to your Emonda at your normal cruising power? I just got a titanium custom bike yesterday and my last bike was an Emonda. I didn’t total weight weenie it but I was mindful. Wound up only ~1kg heavier than my emonda including a bar bag and bigger tires.

[@ridesofjapan]

At my (slow) cruising speed there not any difference that comes to mind.

[@roscoebertsch7109]

What are your impressions and review of NDLESS kits? I have been interested in them.

[@ridesofjapan]

@@roscoebertsch7109 good value kit, one of the few brands that has decent leg length on their standard bibs

[@rickhutchison8046]

I have a Moots Vamoots with the same finish. After trying a multitude of products, I discovered that WD-40 produces the best results believe it or not! Try it, you'll like it!!!

[@rainbowlable]

A drop of oil on a kitchen towel helps to keep visible finger prints off of (brushed) stainless steal fronts... 🤫

[@cccpkingu]

Is it tempting to go with rim-brakes and friction shifters?

[@hedorahh]

I can take that type of content for 11 months when I'm not in Japan myself ;)

[@Stoffendous]

Isn't your helmet like way heavier than necessary?

[@stefde9781]

Thank you for sharing! What is that gps holder? it looks ugly (sorry) but pretty solid and light.

[@ridesofjapan]

Extralite (only for the hyper stem)

[@stefde9781]

@@ridesofjapan thank you.

[@IdolOracle]

it's lucky someone left all those GoPro's on the corners for your intro footage

[@mgrization]

How many times do go up and down when doing these shots 😀

[@cthulpiss]

thin hard wax coating to avoid dirt and prints ?

[@harveymusk7365]

VIDEO IDEA: Have You thought about making an update to your "obsessive compulsive cleaning disorder"? I am sure a lot of us would love to hear what have you learnt/changed since 4 years ago Like if you want him to see that

[@kjellotterlei7810]

Thanks for the great content. I have just ordered the exact same wheelset with the same specs. How do you find the stiffness to be? I come from a set of Hunt 44 UD Carbon wheels that are stiff as h(…) but weigh more. So Im really curious how stiff these AR 25’s will feel.

[@ridesofjapan]

At my weight I’ve never experienced a wheel that I felt too flexy, or not stiff enough… stiffness is also never something I chase in any part for the bike to be fair. Handlebars is a prime example where I think most bars are too stiff for my linking. “Moaaar stiff more better” seems to be the general consensus online so you probably shouldn’t take my word on this. But I find this build at the sweet spot for me, really comfortable, really nimble on climbs and a breeze to descend on.

[@kjellotterlei7810]

@@ridesofjapan Thank you for the quick reply. Yeah, I am on the light side of the scale as well, but I have encountered wheels where I felt the response was poor. But of course, that could be many factors affecting that. Anyway it is good to hear you are happy with the wheels. Im really excited to try them.

[@global_nomad.]

PS - I'm happy with my panaracers, but what pressure are you running? LB AR25's have rec max pressure of 70psi with hybrid hook....currently running my tubeless 25mm tyres closer to 80psi for the road.

[@ridesofjapan]

I’m at 50-55psi max

[@global_nomad.]

@@ridesofjapan i'll have to experiment some more

[@ridesofjapan]

Btw, I never use smaller than 28mm tires

[@lenolenoleno]

Another brilliant vid (as always). Enjoying sharing your love-project. Does this mean the Emonda is gone? Can't see myself ever reaching for the Emonda to go road riding with this pure-sex Equilibrium sitting in corner.

[@aaron___6014]

Carbon cracking and failing, FTW!

[@charlesblithfield6182]

Maybe a very light spray of artists clear fixative very light in select areas , maybe experiment in a little area, could help with the hand stains. Not the car stuff, the stuff artists use to fix charcoal drawings and the like.

[@niceracleous9999]

Get some car ceramic coating, it’s amazing!