8 Years Later // Titanium Road Bike Review have my opinions changed?

Reflecting back, a few bikes later, a few more gray hairs, so what do I think now?

[@amitkumar-wj8gn]

I was one of the many who saw that video, I saw it about 6 years ago or so...glad to see how this channel has grown. I recently got my custom bike done, and you and Miss Cools ideas and lessons were really helpful. I totally agree with more tire clearance. I too ride rim brakes with 32c tires (space for 40c) and would not change a thing on it. Cheers to metal frames, rim brakes, friction shifting and triples Mr Wildeberry!

[@Henrywildeberry]

Thanks for hanging around! That’s incredible. I hope you get many miles on your bike.

[@Mike-vd2qt]

I was on the fence last springtime for a road bike. It seems to happen every spring as I wistfully recall my days spinning Mavic GL 330 tubular rims, and Campy Super Record hung on an Italian frame. The post ride methodical washing of wool jerseys and chamois lined wool shorts in the bathtub. The sound and feel of it all floats gently in the recesses of mind. Spring eventually passes though. And then I'm thankful for tubeless 700x42's, flat pedals, and disc brakes all hung on a well designed steel frame and fork. Thanks for video and the memories, happy trails!

[@Mike-vd2qt]

@rollinrat4850 Very nice experiences and memories you have on the bike. I only dabbled as a Roadie for a decade. I always preferred commuting to college and long tours. In the past I used dead feeling Continental Tour or Schawalbe Marathons at 1,200 grams each on touring bikes. Horrible tires, but they last 5,000 to 8,000 miles and don't get flats easily. These days, at 70, I don't ride long road tours in the U.S., so my focus is on gravel, dirt, and off road touring. All tubeless from 42mm to 29er x 2.25" and 2.6" tires. And they ride nicer than those old style heavy road touring tires from years ago. Enjoy the ride! Happy trails ☮

[@Mike-vd2qt]

@rollinrat4850 That was quite a read. At times I've felt the same. I lived in San Diego over 40 years, we moved to Colorado two years ago. Slower pace, fewer people, more peaceful. You will like it here, but it does take an adjustment. In the backcountry I do not ever feel threatened, I'm at ease. In 2021, I rode half of the GDMBR route touring slowly. This summer I'm going to give the Divide another try. Camping in grizzly and wolf country doesn't bother me. Carry bear spray, camp smart, leave no trace. Folks I've met off road in MT, ID, WY, CO have all been friendly and helpful. Best of luck with moving to CO. Happy Trails!

[@Mike-vd2qt]

@rollinrat4850 In my 30's and 40's I used to be able to drive from San Diego to the Eastern Sierras, and backpack right up to 10K and 13K no problem. As I got older acclimatizing got slower. It took my wife and I about six months to adapt to living everyday at 5,000 feet on the Colorado Front Range. Biggest adaptation is dehydration and drinking a gallon of water with electrolytes everyday. It is very dry in the CO mountains. If you ride or run over here you have to have a hydration plan or you will bonk. You're in shape, but you have to be realistic and know you can't keep up with a younger mountain town couple that is in shape. To quote Clint Eastwood, "A man's gotta' know his limitations." My GDMBR ride this summer I will be planning on 40 miles per day. Sounds low to a road cyclist, but often you are crossing two passes in one day. The Divide is UP or DOWN not much in between. ☮

[@Mike-vd2qt]

Thanks mucho! @rollinrat4850

[@chinaskibukowski7747]

Hunting for a titanium bikes right now, hard to find those buggers though. The secondary market for Ti bikes is brutal and in high demand! Happy KZbin Birthday Henry and belated Happy New Year!

[@Henrywildeberry]

The problem with Ti is they aren’t planned obsolescence, so there isn’t as many on the used market. A few show up on CL now and again but you have to be quick. Good luck! I’ve been watching a nice Ti cross bike frame on eBay for a while, but its probably too small for you. It’s also crazy expensive.

[@BoogieBrew]

J: Wound Up is the absolute BEST carbon fork ever built and is pretty darn bombproof. My 1999 ti softail cross bike has a Wound Up (disc) fork and it has been rock solid, (much more trustworthy than any new carbon fork). Similarly my 20 yr old ti road bike has over 100k miles and is also equipped with a bulletproof Wound Up (rim brake) fork, (fits a 30mm front tire, too). They track so much better than any other fork. Something about the filament wound / tubular construction makes them ride like you're on rails and the steerer tube setup is also very trustworthy, (NOT 100% carbon steerer, rather an aluminum insert which allows for any star nut without fear of steerer tube failure). Keep enjoying your ti road bike, it should outlive all others🤞!

[@Henrywildeberry]

Good to hear you’re having such good luck with the Wound-up fork. I’m glad I kept it:) Thanks for sharing your experience I feel a lot more confident in it. It sure does have a solid steerer design.

[@WWB9mm]

Funny thing, we were driving west across the Richmond Bridge early on christmas morning and I saw a cyclist heading east. Helmet, moustache, drop bars... holding up a camera while riding. I said to me wife, I said, I bet that's Henry WildeBerry!

[@paolomasone3754]

Have a Seven I bought back in 2005. Like you, only thing I wish I had done differently was to order a frame I could put a 30-35c tire on (and fender mounts). Can't fit anything bigger than a 25 on it. People were riding a lot of 23c tires back then with 130-140 psi, 'cause that's what the experts said was fastest. Now, at 71 years old, fastest doesn't mean much and I still think it's a wonderful bike!

[@Henrywildeberry]

For a few years, Seven, was making a road bike frame around mid-reach road caliper brakes. I think they were even making the fork in-house. That would have been a great bike.

[@ian_pedalz]

Sweet bike non the less, definitely agree on tire size, I run 32’s on my TI bike and 30mm on my steel ritchey and it’s hard going back to a 28 or lower. Cool video!

[@randyhale4181]

I had a Schwinn Peloton and like you Henry I managed to squeeze 28 in it and certainly made a big difference in the way the bike handled and rode unfortunately I don't have that bike anymore. Anyway Henry keep up the good work👍🏼

[@bradsanders6954]

My 1990 MASI doesnt go out much, its a great bike, got a refreshed drive train 3 years ago to the best 9 speed shifting Shimano made at the time. New parts, work great. But other bikes have moved in, a 16.5 lb Canyon Endurace took over roadbike duties. A Way Better Bike. The trend is for moving back to Mountain bikes, like I started with in the 80's. Keeping it fresh is a good thing. Seven builds great Ti bikes, saw a nice one on the Tour Of The Unknown Coast back in Sep.

[@bengt_axle]

You definitely need a new iPhone cable, though. I believe the low tire clearance on the rear brake is to keep the arms as stiff as possible and maximize the braking force. On the front, there's no choice but to have longer reach because the fixing bolt has to reach up into a reinforced area of the fork. I have this same constraint on my Campag Veloce brake set. I ride 28 mm Contis and they are excellent on the road; passable on some light gravel.

[@richbowie76]

One of my biggest cycling regrets is selling my Litespeed Vortex after I bought a carbon Trek .

[@eibes]

I am following you for a long time now and I don't like the video quality since you have this EOS camera. I am just talking about the picture, not the content that I love. I really think that the video quality recorded by your phone at the beginning is better than what you have with your EOS. For the bike's ride, I think it was better when you were using your old Sony sport cam instead of this shaky, all the time out of focus EOS camera. But it is only my own point of view (shared by my wife ;) )

[@Henrywildeberry]

Thanks for the feedback. It's unfortunate that the camera has a good image quality, but hard to keep it steady, especially with handheld riding. The battery life is great and the zoom feature is a nice way to get interesting shots. The Sony action camera is steady, but the image is low quality and pretty much wide angle with a lot of distortion. They each have their pros and cons.

[@Korina42]

@@Henrywildeberry Have you found a muffler for the mic yet? I mean, even a cotton ball and scotch tape would help. 😁

[@Henrywildeberry]

@@Korina42 😀cotton muff™

[@Ih8GoogleandApple]

Sick bike! Just needs some deep wheels to go racing or have fun in the fast paced club rides. Seven makes long lasting 🚲

[@Henrywildeberry]

Thank you!

[@peterbedford2610]

Interesting reflections. I'm thinking of getting a MT bike. N+1 creeping back into my life....

[@bradsanders6954]

Enough, is rarely enough. I dont want 5 that do the same thing though. There has to be significantly different purposes for each. Get the Mt bike.

[@Henrywildeberry]

Great idea! It's good to keep it fresh and interesting.

[@davidsaxby5400]

Forget the new lens, get something to stop the wind smothering the Mike when you ride

[@peterbedford2610]

Yeah, I need the MT bike because the trail terrain near me is pretty gnarly.And its literally a 5 minute ride from my front door.

[@bradsanders6954]

@@peterbedford2610 People like to use gravel bikes as Mt Bikes, Ive always like the flat bar mt bike better. Especially a light dual suspension XC bike, some a the new stuff is really nice!

[@stevekeegan2903]

Henry: Hello.....I have a similar bike ......custom Ti frame made for my 50th birthday a few years ago....but with aluminum finishing kit....seat post, stem and bars. I'm interested in your thoughts on converting to carbon fiber. Which of the 3 would have the biggest impact? Keegan

[@Henrywildeberry]

Hello Keegan. It's a toss between the seat post and bars. I tend to stick with aluminum stems on all my bikes. Depending on how much seat post you have exposed that would be the place to start. Mine is still too short to make much of a difference due to my classic frame geometry. If your frame is similar to mine in that regard you might want to consider the bars instead. I picked these bars at the recommendation of my bike fitter years ago. He suggested the shape with the ovalized tops (flatter to reduce pressure) and the slight back sweep would be very comfortable. They have worked well for me, and I do think carbon bars have a slight, but noticeable improved hand feel. I have put a lot of miles on round aluminum bars with good success too. Good padded gloves and bar tape goes a long way towards comfort. All the best!

[@stevekeegan2903]

We finally got the cf seat post installed.......wow it really makes a difference........my frame is the sloping top tube style so nearly 180mm of seat post showing.........went for the brand match........also ENVE on my side......not sure the premium price makes a difference but done is done. Also the stem got turned up and some premium tape put on.....got it for Christmas........the comfort needle has definitely moved. Cheers@@Henrywildeberry

[@Henrywildeberry]

@@stevekeegan2903 That's great to hear. Enjoy your new (revamped) ride!

[@davetbassbos]

Titanium frames don't make be angry like aluminum frames, or scared like carbon frames, but still... I guess if steel was outlawed for some reason, I could make do with a ti frame.

[@That5ivef1ngerdhand]

Have you considered doing a 650 conversion? You could probably end up with 35s or 38s with 650s on there instead

[@Henrywildeberry]

Good suggestion. I tried a set of 650b wheels a while back and ended up with clearance for about a 35mm tire. Also I did a test with my gravel bike fork and a set of long reach Tektro brakes. I was able to fit a 44mm tire on the front! I ended up having the fork made with center pull brake bosses for a gravel bike. That's the light green bike I have now. It's a great bike!

[@TL243]

It’s a lifetime bike. Just got a plastic one and it ain’t the same.

[@Henrywildeberry]

We all make mistakes, just kidding! Plastic is fantastic. Enjoy and thanks for the comment.

[@witofthestaircase1]

A plaid shirt / kombi combo

[@tracerxrider]

I would ride my Black Mountain road bike more if I could squeeze more than a 32 in there. It tends to towards more indoor use this time of year.

[@Mike-vd2qt]

I got a La Cabra from Mike in September. Really like the ride quality. It has a secret sauce geometry and steel tubes for smooth, straight tracking, and it encourages you to stand when climbing. We still have a Rev.1 Monster Cross in the stable too.

[@tracerxrider]

@@Mike-vd2qt Mike V. designed some great frames. I even had an old Mary SS and wish I still did!

[@obfuscurity]

What criteria leads you to the assessment that you would prefer a wider tire in the back? Pretend I'm someone who has no idea why you'd ever choose staggered wheels and tires on a bicycle. :)

[@Dellvmnyam]

"Not gonna spoil it yet", well, the title spoiled it ^_^

[@Henrywildeberry]

You're supposed to click on the video before reading the title 😁

[@Dellvmnyam]

@@Henrywildeberry should be written in the rules of KZbin ^_^

[@Shadowboost]

Fatigue limit on a carbon fiber fork? Damn near infinite if you don't take a hammer to it

[@Henrywildeberry]

Thanks. I will keep the hammers away from the fork.

[@endtimeslips4660]

you need update that bike. it look so complicated, it will shadowing the beauty of Ti. titanium beauty is came from simplicity.

[@mootstr]

nice timing. seven years later for a frame made by the seven cycles company