# Moots CR or Ti Carl Strong?



## digby

I'm having the toughest time trying to decide between the two of these. I have a feeling that I'll be fine going in either direction but one may be slightly ahead of the other, I dont know and dont know if I'd be able to tell even if I could ride the two back to back.

Currently I ride a Merckx MX leader, a 23pound bike that is only noticable when I'm carrying it up stairs. I'm looking to get something that fits a bit better, made with modern materials/techniques and alot lighter. I live in San Francisco and generally do rides in the 20-45 mile range, every ride generally takes me somewhere near the water bay or ocean and I'm not sure how big a deal corrosion is. Ive got a spot of rust on the chainstay right now. I'd like to go with Ti since its lighter than steel, has a comparable ride and I dont have to worry about rust. I'm 5'9'' with a 29 inch inseam so short legs and long torso so its hard to get bikes to fit+look the way I want(not having the seat slammed all the way down to fit the tt length I need )

Ive gone to a few of the moots dealers in the SF bay area and so far havent found a moots CR in my size to test ride. I asked one of them if I could purchase the frame with a edge 2.0 fork and he said I should stick with the fork that comes with it as the frame is designed around it. Aside from rake, is there any truth to this? I really dislike the aesthetics of the fork that comes with the CR. 

Ive spoken to carl strong on the phone twice and he's been very helpful with my random questions, I feel good talking to him and I think it'd be fun going through the custom build process with him. 

Cost wise, I think they come pretty close with moots having maybe 1/2 the lead time as a strong. The moots would probably weigh a touch less, I could get a strong with the edge fork I like and strong seems to be a more personal process.

Any thoughts from any of you? Ive read nothing but good things about both moots and strong, but its a bit harder to find comparisons between the two.

thanks in advance.


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## barry1021

You can't go wrong with Carl-my Strong is steel but I have two friends that have gone Ti with him. The process is part of the package and working with Carl is just great. Don't get me wrong, I have owned a Moots, it was a great bike, but if I do another custom, I am going back to Carl.

b21


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## rePhil

I have a Compact Moots and a Steel Strong. I have said many times I will never willingly part with either one. Carl is super to deal with. He delivered a great frame on time. 
In a bit of luck I found my Moots used. If you are serious about a Moots I wonder if they would ship a demo in your size to one of your dealers. 
They are both nice frames.


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## a_avery007

different side of the coin; why not go custom steel???
Ti is not that much lighter, even built with the same rider in mind, maybe 1/2lbs max..

why not buy local??? 
I am on the coast here in santa cruz, ca and never worry about rust...

here are a few local guys who know their craft!

you could go Rock Lobster, Sycip, Soulcraft, Inglis, Caletti....etc

i am your height and went custom with 2 of those builders and would not heisitate to go with any of them.
this coming from a guy who had Ti and went back to steel, and not because of financial considerations, just like it better.
you could just framesaver your steel frame and be really satisfied.

you could buy 2 Lobsters and still have money left in your pocket...

just remember to try and test ride TI before plunking down that kind of money...


good luck


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## veloduffer

When you think of fit, you should keep in mind your saddle setback (how far the middle of the saddle is behind the bottom bracket). Merckx bikes generally have slack seat angles and if you ride with your seat pushed back or in the middle, you will need more seatpost offset to achieve the same pedal position on a bike with a steeper seat tube angle (Moots are about 74 degrees on a 53.5cm frame).

Given the choice, I would go custom with either Moots or Carl, rather than stock on the Moots since you have some body proportion issues.


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## serottadisc

Im thinking you will be very pleased either way.

If i dident have a perfect fit on a stock size i would prolly go strong. I think Moots do abit customizing too right? + I think going to a custom builder would prolly be a very nice experience. 

About the fork i really doubt that makes a difference other than rake but the Edge fork has abit shorter A-C measurment, belive its 267mm compared to 371 or so. 

Dont think the Moots will be that much lighter, my compact 57.5 (that i havent even testridden yet) weighed in at 1490 grams with all the screws. Not a super light TI frame.. 

Good luck!


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