Softail titanium MTB 29/27.5+ (all mountain - bikepacking)

[QuentinLL]

Hello,


Who I am :
Just over 30 yo MTB rider, 177cm tall, 65 kg, I live in the French Alps.
I practiced XC, trial and dirt as a kid. I did practice pure enduro around 25 yo, but now I don't want to ride that hard anymore 
I mostly ride all mountain and bikepacking MTB trips. I want to climb hard, enjoy views/landscapes, have fun while downhill 

Few weeks ago, I had a Specialized Enduro + Orbea Alma + NS Bikes Eccentric + road bike + pumptrack bike + a titanium custom hardtail MTB with Pinion gearbox (commute / travel).


The project
Sell all my bikes except the Pinion bike, and build a new all mountain / bikepacking MTB.
I wanted :

• light bike
• pretty "cheap"
• a bit of rear travel but not as much as the Specialized Enduro
• careless suspension
• aggressive / modern geometry
• enough room to mount DIY bikepacking gears, espacially a framebag

I thought that a "down country" bike would be a solution. Carbonda FM936. 
Then i changed my mind for a pure all mountain FM1001.
Then I hesitated for a 160mm FS947.
Then an AM831 (SC hightower like).
Every of them have pros and cons and the cons won every time...

Then I thought a custom titanium hartdail with 180mm front fork (based on Chromag Doctahawk), would probably be amazing.
But still no rear travel...

I finally make a decision and decided to order a custom softail titanium bike.
Asked walty, xacd and titan products. Titan is the one I chose.


Geometry
Here is the geometry.
160mm fork, 80mm rear travel.
Massive 505mm reach and 77° STA 63° HTA 430 chainstay (63° seems crazy but it is almost a hardtail, HTA should be around 64,5 once sagged).
20mm stem (integrated bar)
Compatible max 29x2.5 and 27.5x3.0.




Parts
Here is the detail bike check (almost everything is already at home)
Goal : 11,5 kg maximum. Fingers crossed...




Frame pictures
The frame just left the factory for shipping.






Next steps : wait, mount and test-ride 

[carbonazza]

Wow. It is gorgeous!
For the same weight as a carbon one. Did you request some light tubing ?
Could you explain: The rear shape around the axles, the seat-stay recess, the seatstay attachment to the BB, where is the rear triangle supposed to flex, the cables routing, ...

[QuentinLL]

Weight : it is an estimation. Expected weight, around 2 and 2.3 kg. Not weighed yet, we'll see.
The rear suspension : the titanium plate flex is the pivot. The seat stays are flattened ton flex as well.
Cable routing : rear derailleur and dropper post = internal. Rear brake = external (easier maintenance etc.)

Other bikes with this "technology" :
Funk Cycles - La Ruta (2.2 kg frame)


Leon - Semita (10,5kg) or Montem (12,5 kg)



My bike is something between a hardcore hardtail and a trail bike. I hope i will enjoy it :-)

[Mikey12345]

 

[Icyseanfitz]

Beautiful, I think my next build after I finish my Ican p9 will be something custom in either steel or Ti. If you don't mind me asking, how much did the frame cost?

[cst_jpr]

Cool design.
How much travel are you actually seeing in the rear? The plate looks relatively thick, I'm surprised it would flex like that.

[QuentinLL]

Beautiful, I think my next build after I finish my Ican p9 will be something custom in either steel or Ti. If you don't mind me asking, how much did the frame cost?

1 100 USD

Cool design.
How much travel are you actually seeing in the rear? The plate looks relatively thick, I'm surprised it would flex like that.

The plate is 6mm thick (vs 3mm suggested by Titan). Leon bikes (Semita and Montem), well known here in France are 8mm thick. A rear shock optimization is advised (low friction, low compresion, dynamic rebound).

The Leon Semita gives 85mm with 165x38 rear shock.
I chose 190x40mm shock compatibility => let's say around 90mm of rear travel.

This kind of softails are well known for their incredible grip while climbing.
I wanted something that seats between a real full suspension and a hardtail, with low care.

[QuentinLL]

Frame received.
2 483g with sliding dropouts. +150g than I expected but it is a detail.


With 6mm titanium plate, it is flexy and should be strong enough. Let's see it in video :
https://streamable.com/8b3jam

Let's the build start !

[gravity]

So cool!

Hows the ordering process? Did they provide you pic if you asked for any? I want to know what cable stops they would use, fittings for internal routing, etc. Not sure if they’d entertain if im being very specific.

Also, once deposit is paid, how long would they come back with first drawings?

Thanks!

[QuentinLL]

Ordering process :

- I sent a very complete Excel data sheet with a lot of details (full geometry, curved tubes, each bolt that i wanted, what I wanted as reinforced tubing, shock compatibility (I chose 190x40), routing of each cable, sliding dropouts, seat post, tyre clearance, max chainring size, bottom bracket, headset, disc and so on, thickness of flex plate etc. etc. With a lot of pictures to explain)

- they took 2 days to read and validate with the team that they can make it

- deposit payment

- 1 week after (or 10 days) first drawing

- I changed a few little things iteratively

- they did 4 drawings. The 4th was OK

- they build the frame, 8 weeks. They took pictures while producing

- I validated that everything seems OK and I made the final payment

- WXY tax prepaid shipping 2 weeks at home


Currently, it is quicker than ordering a complete bike to big brands 
I really advice to build a excel or word file with all you specifications and questions.

[gravity]

Thanks!

Im dealing with Eric. I believe he is the owner of Titan. (Or maybe theres another Eric...)

Anyway - yes i prepared a word doc outlining every details there is. Eric did apply all the details into his first initial drawing and tbh i was quite pleased.

What finish are you getting? Look forward for your update!

Also - do u know if Leon is also made in China by Titan/Waltly/XACD ?

[QuentinLL]

I am waiting for a rear axle and nipples to mount my rear wheel... The build is standby. I will post a picture once finished and then a review once ridden 100-500km

Leon is made in Asia, in HTTC factory (I can't find any information about them).
I don't know how walty/xacd/titan/HTTC... are organised. Maybe they share (partially ?) or subcontract in same factories.

[QuentinLL]

Final build. 11,5 kg without pedal and GPS mount, 11,7kg ready to ride.



Here is the monster 








Here are some details









First test ride :
not tested yet on the trails. Tested on road (1st SAG setup). The position is perfect, exactly how i calculated it.
Once suspensions locked, the bike is very responsive. Once oponed, the rear suspension is not as smooth as a "rear" full suspension bike, but not as rigid as a hardtail. It feels like an elastic hardtail 

Very looking forward to test it in the mountains.
Before going bikepacking, i need to sew the packs. Something that should look like this (but with very small saddle bag)

[carbonazza]

This is a tank ready for everything !
I look forward for your test ride on trails.
Can you get a full compression of the shock ?

Are you designing/sewing the bags yourself ?
What sewing machine do you have for that ?

[QuentinLL]

Full compression : yes, when the shock air is "empty". On the trails... let's see
Sewing : yes, homemade. I have a basic Toyota Jeans. It is enough to sew VX21 packs, bivvy, poggies etc.
I don't sew thick corudra for example.