#tisinglespeed

Everyone needs a custom ti singlespeed. They just don’t know it.  When you know you do, you’ll know you do.

I love this bike.

I designed it. Dmitry and the Triton Bikes crew created it. It has a Russian doll sandblasted on it. 

Triton Bikes is a stellar company and I give them a lot of credit for this bike- it’s super strong, light, and beautiful. Triton is doing good things for humanity and they are truly inspired by the bike stoke that flows the world over: good peoples. 

Just a few weeks after I received the bike, it was put through a formidable test-  TranSylvania Epic stage race. Recently it was tick-and-click-free at the Shenandoah Mountain 100. It rips up and down.  It’s only seen gears for a bikepacking trip in Basque Spain with my son, this summer, which it was perfect for.

Some thoughts and reflections

The first couple rides, I thought it was a bit flexy. But that’s coming off a stiff carbon Pivot LES for 4 years or so. Titanium rides differently. Once you get used to it, it’s butter, it’s smooth. I like it more than carbon. There is more of a dance involved with the terrain, yet once you get how it responds it's quicker and more predictable. That’s all I can say.

The geometry was inspired by the Pivot LES and the Canyon Dude fat bike- a somewhat longish bike.  Note I say ‘longish’… I am the first to say this geometry does not represent the new school long and slack. Perhaps this is a middle road conservative path.  Yet for the tight New England tech trails I ride, and a few bike packing trips each year, I think this is right. If I were working with a local builder, I may have delved into a longer Front / Center bike. I really like what 44 Bikes is doing, for example. With that said, this bike works for me. I’m still learning to go faster on it.  I think it’s spot on. No need for full suspension.. really I have no desire for a full squish bike since adding a dropper and having room for 2.6 rubber.

Dmitry at Triton was a pleasure to work with. 

As a freelance energy consultant with a somewhat large builder client base, I know the pains of providing custom service to folks;  offering value without cookie cutter deliverables is not easy because people are crazy complex emotional animals: we expect too much most of the time.  

My process with an overseas builder was positive because I trusted their experience, gave many months of lead time, replied immediately to emails, and did my homework before engaging-   I knew what i wanted and was willing to take responsibility if the geometry and priorities I communicated, were not perfect.   I only made 2 small changes since providing my original geo spec- thanks to some hardheaded yet smart MTBR contributors. 

Speaking of geo spec.  I”m 5’10, 30.5” inseam.  A standard Medium in most bikes. The intention was to run a 55mm stem but I ended up on a 70...so maybe reach could have been longer?  Who knows. Who cares. It’s dope.

Geometry

Reach : 446cm Head Tube :  68 degree Chain Stay:  420mm (slammed) Seat Tube Angle: 74 deg Wheelbase: 1142mm BB Drop: 63mm fits 2.6 tires /optimized for 2.35 120mm fork frame <4 lbs. target

Build

Headset & T47 BB -  Chris King Cane Creek eeWings (fuck you, totally worth every penny)  Absolute Black 34T oval (special eeWings edition :) Wheels: i29 P321 chinese carbon (trail)  &  DT240 XMC1200 (race) Fork: Fox 34 120 SC Pedals: XTR Brakes:  XTR Trail Bar: Syntace SuperLight 12 degree , 750mm Stem: Syntace MegaForce 70mm (Enve for Christmas honey, please) Dropper:  BikeYoke Divine SL 80mm  Grips: ESI Racer Edge & Ergon small winged for endurance  Cages: King Ti Cogs: whatever I have left with life- Endless, Chris King, WolfTooth Chain: who cares. 10spd  Weight: No idea. 20lbs in XC mode, maybe

Next bike:   once I know what geometry I want, is a Ti Adventure Bike (aka Gravel All Road whatever) . This will take a few years. Yet once I know, I’ll know.