# Who has a Century Titanium?



## vautrain

I found the Century Ti models on BD about a month ago, and decided the frame and geometry are perfect for my style of riding, so I ordered the frameset from BI. My LBS is building it up right now, since I'm rather mechanically inept (and lack the tool to cut a steerer tube, for instance). The build specs:

Motobecane Century Team Ti frameset
Ultegra 6600 shifters 
Ultegra 6600 rear derailleur
Ultegra 6700 front derailleur
Dura Ace 7800 53/39 cranks
Ultegra 6600 bottom bracket
Ultegra 6700 11-28 cassette
KMC X10SL Gold chain
Mavic Open Pro ceramic rims + Shimano 105 hubs + 32 DT Swiss Competition spokes
Continental Grand Prix 4-Season 700x28 tires + Continental Race Light tubes
Tektro R559 brakes
Cane Creek 110 headset
Ritchey WCS 4-Axis 44 alloy stem
Ritchey WCS Classic bars
Selle An-Atomica saddle
Felt SM3 alloy seatpost (just had it laying around)

I really like the Mavic Open Pro ceramic rims, I had them on a LeMond Sarthe that I took on a bunch of long rides, including centuries. I may get the rims rebuilt sometime with Dura Ace hubs, as the 105 hubs are pretty heavy, but I'm going to ride them as is for a while. The Selle An-Atomica saddle has long been a favorite of mine. It's heavy, maybe 454 grams or even more, but totally worth it.

The terrain in Chicago is almost completely flat, so I didn't feel a need to go with a compact or triple setup, but the 11-28 cassette should give me some breathing room on the low end when I do encounter the odd hill.

I'm trying to whittle down my bike collection, and this will be one of just two, the other being my Trek District Carbon, which is obviously a completely different animal. I am counting on the Century Ti to fill in for everything else I do, which is really just commuting to work and a bunch of long rides on pavement and crushed limestone. I may keep a beater bike, too. 

I'll post pics when it's finished, but in the meantime, anyone else have a Century Ti bike? What's your setup? Any thoughts?


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## PhotoJoe

I would love to hear a full ride review as well. LOTS of them for the LeChamp. Not sure I've ever seen one for the Century.

Just curious, what did your LBS say about working on a Moto? Any observations from his as to build quality? I hear they normally don't praise Moto, but like the build quality of the Ti offerings.


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## wooglins

PhotoJoe said:


> I would love to hear a full ride review as well. LOTS of them for the LeChamp. Not sure I've ever seen one for the Century.
> 
> Just curious, what did your LBS say about working on a Moto? Any observations from his as to build quality? I hear they normally don't praise Moto, but like the build quality of the Ti offerings.


I have had my Motobecane Century Carbon frame at several high end shops around town here in Nashville and they all have been surprised and disappointed that it is so nice. If a shop says the build quality on a recent higher end Motobecane is subpar it is because they are scared of these types of bikes proliferating.


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## lardo

If a LBS is going to make a stink about mail order bikes, they don't deserve a penny.

They should be thanking the internet business for providing sales of bikes. You wouldn't have gone to the bike shop for a repair/service to begin with!


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## vautrain

The guy at the LBS looked at the frame when I dropped everything off, he didn't say much about it at first, but seemed enthusiastic in general about doing the build. He cut me a deal on the work (maybe he figured Motobecane customers are poor? not sure!), and as we were about finished, he said he though the bike will turn out really sweet. Which is kinda what I figured, anyway!

I've been through a few LBS's for reasons unrelated to BD/Motobecane/Internet bikes. This is actually my first BD purchase. However, here in Chicago, some bike shops don't seem to need any particular reason to give you attitude or poor service.


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## vautrain

I'm picking it up today! I can't wait to give it a test spin.


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## cda 455

vautrain said:


> I found the Century Ti models on BD about a month ago, and decided the frame and geometry are perfect for my style of riding, so I ordered the frameset from BI. My LBS is building it up right now, since I'm rather mechanically inept (and lack the tool to cut a steerer tube, for instance). The build specs:
> 
> Motobecane Century Team Ti frameset
> Ultegra 6600 shifters
> Ultegra 6600 rear derailleur
> Ultegra 6700 front derailleur
> Dura Ace 7800 53/39 cranks
> Ultegra 6600 bottom bracket
> Ultegra 6700 11-28 cassette
> KMC X10SL Gold chain
> Mavic Open Pro ceramic rims + Shimano 105 hubs + 32 DT Swiss Competition spokes
> Continental Grand Prix 4-Season 700x28 tires + Continental Race Light tubes
> Tektro R559 brakes
> Cane Creek 110 headset
> Ritchey WCS 4-Axis 44 alloy stem
> Ritchey WCS Classic bars
> Selle An-Atomica saddle
> Felt SM3 alloy seatpost (just had it laying around)
> 
> I really like the Mavic Open Pro ceramic rims, I had them on a LeMond Sarthe that I took on a bunch of long rides, including centuries. I may get the rims rebuilt sometime with Dura Ace hubs, as the 105 hubs are pretty heavy, but I'm going to ride them as is for a while. The Selle An-Atomica saddle has long been a favorite of mine. It's heavy, maybe 454 grams or even more, but totally worth it.
> 
> The terrain in Chicago is almost completely flat, so I didn't feel a need to go with a compact or triple setup, but the 11-28 cassette should give me some breathing room on the low end when I do encounter the odd hill.
> 
> I'm trying to whittle down my bike collection, and this will be one of just two, the other being my Trek District Carbon, which is obviously a completely different animal. I am counting on the Century Ti to fill in for everything else I do, which is really just commuting to work and a bunch of long rides on pavement and crushed limestone. I may keep a beater bike, too.
> 
> I'll post pics when it's finished, but in the meantime, anyone else have a Century Ti bike? What's your setup? Any thoughts?



I'm looking at this frame set too, in 61cm.


What size did you order?

Looking forward to the pics and review  !


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## vautrain

I went with the 53cm. I could probably fit the 55cm OK, and I have some bikes that large, but occasionally I feel stretched out a bit on longer rides, so I opted for the shorter frame. I can adjust the saddle and/or get a longer stem if I'm feeling cramped.


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## cda 455

vautrain said:


> I went with the 53cm. I could probably fit the 55cm OK, and I have some bikes that large, but occasionally I feel stretched out a bit on longer rides, so I opted for the shorter frame. I can adjust the saddle and/or get a longer stem if I'm feeling cramped.



My problem is that I have a long torso (Or short legs) so that's why I'm looking at the 61cm: For a longer effective TT and a higher stack. The 58cm would work but it would require a longer stem and spacers.

One things for sure if I get the 61cm frame there will be very little seatpost tube showing! The saddle and handlebars will be pretty even when all is said and done; which is what I'm after.


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## vautrain

Woo-hoo, I picked it up! 

The build turned out very nicely, the guy who built it said he didn't run into any problems, and wasn't surprised, because it was obvious I put a lot of thought into the component selection. Which was nice to hear. 

I asked him to throw the bike up on a scale, and he did. It turned out to be 19.11 pounds, which I thought was pretty darn good, considering I have some relatively heavy parts on there. The saddle weighs at least 420 grams, and the pedals about 380 grams. I also have 32 spokes on each rim and Shimano 105 hubs.

I asked him what he thought of the frame, and he said he thought it was pretty nice, but relatively old-school. He said it was good as long as I didn't pay $5,000 for it. I told him it was much, much less.

The fit seems great, but quite a bit smaller than what I'm used to. The saddle is actually rather far forward on the post, so I have plenty of room to go back if I end up needing more room. I'm looking forward to commuting on this bike, and taking some long rides as the weather turns here in Chicago, and getting everything dialed in.

Not tonight, unfortunately. The wind is wicked here in Chicago, so I'll have to wait for another day.


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## PhotoJoe

Congrats!!! I do question your commitment level though! Brand new Ti and you're going to let a little breeze stop you from riding? Pfff! ;-)

Looking forward to the ride report!


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## cda 455

vautrain said:


> Woo-hoo, I picked it up!
> 
> The build turned out very nicely, the guy who built it said he didn't run into any problems, and wasn't surprised, because it was obvious I put a lot of thought into the component selection. Which was nice to hear.
> 
> I asked him to throw the bike up on a scale, and he did. It turned out to be 19.11 pounds, which I thought was pretty darn good, considering I have some relatively heavy parts on there. The saddle weighs at least 420 grams, and the pedals about 380 grams. I also have 32 spokes on each rim and Shimano 105 hubs.
> 
> I asked him what he thought of the frame, and he said he thought it was pretty nice, but relatively old-school. He said it was good as long as I didn't pay $5,000 for it. I told him it was much, much less.
> 
> The fit seems great, but quite a bit smaller than what I'm used to. The saddle is actually rather far forward on the post, so I have plenty of room to go back if I end up needing more room. I'm looking forward to commuting on this bike, and taking some long rides as the weather turns here in Chicago, and getting everything dialed in.
> 
> Not tonight, unfortunately. The wind is wicked here in Chicago, so I'll have to wait for another day.





PhotoJoe said:


> Congrats!!! I do question your commitment level though! Brand new Ti and you're going to let a little breeze stop you from riding? Pfff! ;-)
> 
> Looking forward to the ride report!


That's right: Rule #5


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## PhotoJoe

Rule #9, too!


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## vautrain

I do ride all year, in Chicago city traffic. I've done 70 mile rides in January when my toes were going numb, just for a beer.


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## cda 455

vautrain said:


> I do ride all year, in Chicago city traffic. I've done 70 mile rides in January when my toes were going numb, just for a beer.



You being from Chicago, you probably see wind more often in one month than I see all year  !


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## vautrain

So here it is! Sorry for the lame photo, and the muddy Contis. The 23's are on there now, but I have a brand new set of 28's in the exact same model (Grand Prix 4-Season) I'll put on at some point.


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## paulfeng

*Beer*



vautrain said:


> I do ride all year, in Chicago city traffic. I've done 70 mile rides in January when my toes were going numb, just for a beer.


Chicago ran out of beer, so you had to ride to Wisconsin to get some?


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## vautrain

paulfeng said:


> Chicago ran out of beer, so you had to ride to Wisconsin to get some?


That ride was to Munster, Indiana, where they brew some really fine beer.

Three Floyds


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## PhotoJoe

Well, it's been a couple of weeks. How about a ride report?


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## MattintheCrown

vautrain said:


> That ride was to Munster, Indiana, where they brew some really fine beer.
> 
> Three Floyds


Hehe, that's awesome. I'm from NW Indiana, so 3Floyds isn't really a biking destination for me, but I'm planning some rides along those lines. I'm planning on doing a Michigan brew tour, starting at Bells in K-zoo, going to Arcadia in Battle Creek, and ending with Dark Horse in Marshall. Round trip is like 65 miles. Brew touring sounds like fun, but it should probably be done over the course of an entire day.


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## vautrain

PhotoJoe said:


> Well, it's been a couple of weeks. How about a ride report?


In a word, it's awesome. I will preface this by saying that I haven't been able to take it for a really long ride yet. I've been commuting with it (only 5 miles per day) nearly every day, I've taken it around town for some 5-6 mile rides, and I did take it over lunch the other day for a 12-mile ride on the lakefront path, although I was in my work clothes, and the wind was brutal on the front half of the ride.

The bike feels very relaxed, and yet responsive. It's definitely not an aggressive race bike, I would call it something of a randonneuring style bike, although prefacing that by saying I have no actual experience with randonneuring or rando bikes, but I think the geometry and features of the frame bear that out. With the accommodation for wider tires and rack/fender eyelets, it's really the perfect bike for my kind of riding.

The frame feels stiff to me, I don't notice any flex whatsoever when stepping on it, and I'm at roughly 190 right now (need to get down to 165 for my wedding in September!). Over bumps, it feels quite like a steel frame. BTW, it still has 23mm Conti Grand Prix 4-Seasons on it, I haven't swapped them out for the 28mm 4-Seasons yet.

I am also thinking of switching out the cranks to compact Ultegras, maybe at 175mm rather than the 172.5mm DA 53/39 I'm running now, because again, I think it would suit my style of riding a little bit better, and I'm thinking of riding the Hilly Hundred this year.

The only issue I'm encountering at the moment is, the headset (Cane Creek 110) came very loose on me a week or so ago. I tightened it up, but now it feels it may be just a bit loose again. So I'm not sure if something is wrong, but I'll take it back into the shop this evening to have it looked at. In any case, I doubt it's the fault of the frame.


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## vautrain

MattintheCrown said:


> I'm planning on doing a Michigan brew tour, starting at Bells in K-zoo, going to Arcadia in Battle Creek, and ending with Dark Horse in Marshall. Round trip is like 65 miles.


Starting from NW Indiana, you could also do a brew tour of Michigan wine country. Round Barn has some good beer, and Greenbush is downright awesome. I'm sure there's other local beer to be had around there.

Actually, what would be really fun, is to hit Greenbush in Michigan, Flossmor Station in Illinois, and 3Floyds in Indiana, all in the same day. I believe it can be done, might be a long day, though.


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## Billrush

I just ordered a Century TI yesterday. Shipped today and due in Stillwater, Mn Friday. Can't wait. I've ordered the full bike. Can't wait.


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## vautrain

Billrush said:


> I just ordered a Century TI yesterday. Shipped today and due in Stillwater, Mn Friday. Can't wait. I've ordered the full bike. Can't wait.


Congrats! If it fits your riding style, I predict you will love it. I took mine out for an 18-mile ride yesterday during lunch, I'm lucky enough to work within a quarter mile of the Chicago lakefront. It was awesome!

Which model did you order?


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## Billrush

I ordered the century Team. I'm not a competitive racer and think the relaxed geometry will be perfect for me. Wondering about the saddle it comes with. What are you using?


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## vautrain

Billrush said:


> I ordered the century Team. I'm not a competitive racer and think the relaxed geometry will be perfect for me. Wondering about the saddle it comes with. What are you using?


I use a Selle An-Atomica, which probably weighs about 450 grams at least, but it's very comfortable for me, with and without bike shorts (I do a lot of riding in street clothes). 
Selle An-Atomica - Introducing Titanico X


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## Billrush

Can't wait to get my bike Friday. Those saddles look great. I assume the one which comes with the bike is crap. Saddles are expensive, and individual. I wonder how one decides. Trial and error must be expensive.


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## vautrain

Billrush said:


> Can't wait to get my bike Friday. Those saddles look great. I assume the one which comes with the bike is crap. Saddles are expensive, and individual. I wonder how one decides. Trial and error must be expensive.


You might really like the saddle that comes with it, you never know. Just wait until you get it, ride it for a while and figure out if you like it. 

Some bike shops have loaner saddles you can use to try out, generally with the understanding that if you find one you like, you should buy it from the shop. There is at least one website that also has a loaner program, I don't recall which one, though. Buying saddles used is also a good way to try them out, they're obviously not as expensive as buying new ones. Ask your cycling friends to try out their bikes for a while (if they fit you within reason) or ask if they have any unused saddles laying around, many cyclists do.


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## Billrush

Those are all great ideas. I need to be patient and not try to solve every issue here at once. Thanks much.


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## Billrush

Do you carry any tools? Tire repair kit? Pump? What do you keep them in? Brands? Thanks


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## vautrain

Billrush said:


> Do you carry any tools? Tire repair kit? Pump? What do you keep them in? Brands? Thanks


I always carry a Topeak bike tool and a generic patch kit with me when I commute. On longer rides, I carry my bike tool, Lezyne patch kit, spare tube, Lezyne tire levers, and either a CO2 inflator or a Topeak Road Morph G pump.

I don't recall the brand of CO2 inflator.


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## Billrush

Well I've got about 75 miles on my new bike and just love it. It is not only beautiful but a pleasure to ride. Solid and the gears shift perfectly every time. A pleasure to ride. I even like the saddle which came with it. My butt hurts a bit but nothing serious. I'll try and post pictures.


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## vautrain

Sweet! My longest ride on this bike is still right at about 20 miles, since I've been in the process of moving (and now unpacking). But the good news is, my commute is now about 6 miles each way, instead of 2.5, so I'll be getting more miles on the Century Ti. It really is a pleasure to ride.


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## Billrush

Who would have thought a longer commute would be a good thing. I just posted a couple of photos of my bike in my album. Not sure how to post them here.


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## Billrush

*Bike before asembly*

Show how well bike packaged in shipment


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## Billrush

*Picture of new Motobecane Century Team TI*

This is a safe Instagram link to the photo

http://instagr.am/p/JM1AFoj1Um/


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## vautrain

Billrush said:


> Who would have thought a longer commute would be a good thing. I just posted a couple of photos of my bike in my album. Not sure how to post them here.


Oh, I'm definitely happy about my longer commute. Today was my first day, took about 35 minutes and was 7 miles. It would be faster, but I have to deal with traffic on Diversey for about 1.7 miles, so that slows me down a bit. 

My previous 2.5 mile commute just wasn't enough to realize much health benefit, but 30+ minutes of moderate exercise, twice a day (and on the bike, to boot!) will be great for me!

Nice Century Team Ti!


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## goyo46

*Motobecane Century Team Ti*

I just recieved my new Century Ti frame, as a reward for a long winter of work. Size 61 cm (I'm 6'3" and 210 lbs - my previous frame was the Century Pro aluminum/CF in a 64 cm, just a little too long TT). Here's some pics.

Frame weighs 3 lbs 6 oz, fork 1.5 lbs. Welds are really nice. I showed tire clearance for the fork, almost 6 cm! Very beefy fork, should track really well.

One thing the Bike Island website failed to mention is the fact that this frame and fork takes long reach brake calipers. I should have known this from the frames' ability to take such large tires. I measure 65 mm for my rims. They also sell the Tektro R559 units for this, substantially cheaper than other sources, so I guess I can't ride it until they arrive.

I got the Sram Rival GXP compact cranks in 180 mm length for the steep climbs around San DIego. The BB color matches the frame, nice. We'll see how it holds up.

I've owned and ridden steel, aluminum, and CF bikes since 1985. It's time for the magic metal! Over time my rides have gotten longer; I love to spend all day out on the road. Longest to date is 165 miles. I'd like to break the 200 mile barrier, and I think this is the bike for it.


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## goyo46

*2 month report*

10 rides, maybe 600 miles by now. Lots of long steep hills here in San Diego.

Build:
Century Team Ti 61 cm
Ultegra shifters and derailleurs, Tektro long reach calipers
Sram Rival 180mm compact crank 34/50 w/11-28 cassette
Ritchey pro carbon post, WCS bars, Seven 110mm stem
cheap $200 wheels - ultegra hubs, Mavic Open Pro rims, Gatorskin 25's

At first I didn't like this frame, it felt very harsh. I even tried 28mm tires; that helped but then it felt like a heavy touring/commuter. I almost sent it back for a carbon model. Then around ride #6 something magic happened. Perhaps a combo of factors, but the ride smoothed out considerably, like butter. Now I keep checking my tires; surely they're going soft, the ride is so nice! At the same time, I can't get the frame to flex, out of the saddle hammering uphill totally solid, no lateral give, and I'm big and strong. But in the parking lot, step on a pedal from the side and the whole thing flexes like a big spring.

If I'm only going to have one road ride, I guess this is a great compromise. It's light without being too light (I'm 210 lbs) and goes uphill great. Better wheels would certainly help. I wouldn't mind a little quicker steering, and I can't imagine ever needing more than 28mm tires, except dirt road rando rides, and I'm not quite there yet. In retrospect perhaps I should have gotten the Le Champion Ti instead, a bit lighter and racier. But then this frame really shines on the screaming descents. I hit 50 mph today and felt totally solid. The super beefy fork helps there. And lifetime warranty, vs. 1 year for carbon? Thank you very much. I'm a convert now.

As a bonus, titanium makes a really cool metallic pinging sound when you clip in or shift gears; the frame kind of sings.


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## Billrush

Mine now has 900 miles here in Minnesota. I got the full bike from them. Still love it and feel like a got a lot of bike for about half the retail coat.


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## vautrain

Just a quick update on my Century Ti. I was riding about 60-75 miles per week commuting during April, and a couple of issues came up, the seatpost had started slipping before April, but the longer commute meant it was slipping more noticeably, and it became a problem. I replaced the clamp with a much beefier Salsa, but that did not fix the problem. Also, my headset was loosening up, and I got the point where I needed to take it into a shop to look at it. 

Then in early May, my bike was locked up in front of the office on Michigan Avenue, and a trolley bus in the right lane turned very sharply and caught my rear wheel, and completely tacoed it. I was bummed, my rims were Mavic Open Pro ceramics, and they are out of production and impossible to find anymore. I ordered up a set of wheels with Mavic Open Pro CD rims and Dura Ace hubs. I also went ahead and ordered a Ritchey WCS post, in the hopes that would solve the slipping issue.

The wheels arrived way out of true, and I didn't have a truing stand or the skills to repair them. The bike shops around here are all busy this time of year, and so my bike just sat for a couple of months. Fortunately, I have other bikes, so I was able to continue commuting, though I stopped locking up on Michigan Avenue, and started taking my bike inside, which is allowed but somewhat discouraged at my office.

A couple of weeks ago, a skilled friend with a truing stand helped me out with the wheels, and he looked at the headset. He figured there was probably too much steerer tube (i.e., not enough spacers), and added a spacer. At first it seemed loose still, but finally the headset tightened up pretty well. The wheels trued up OK (I did much of the labor with my friend supervising). I took the bike to a shop, and they put some carbon paste in the seat tube, and installed the new seatpost. I think the carbon paste did the trick.

So now I'm back to 60-75 miles per week (depending on whether I ride 4 or 5 days) and I'm loving the bike again. I did a pretty nice little training ride the other day, 40 miles on the lakefront path, and I still have some minor fit issues I need to work through (not problems with the frame size), but overall it felt great. I'm planning to do the North Shore Century next month, the weekend before I get married!


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## trindadi84

Glad to hear all the good reviews on the titaniums, My full bike is coming in this week. Will you know how it comes out!


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## vautrain

trindadi84 said:


> Glad to hear all the good reviews on the titaniums, My full bike is coming in this week. Will you know how it comes out!


I love the bike, but the seatpost issue was maddening, and basically ruined the seatpost I originally used on the bike (scratched it up pretty badly, but it was kind of a beater seatpost, anyway). I think I have the problem solved now, but I would recommend not using any grease on your seatpost, but using carbon assembly paste instead.


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## Billrush

Wow, interestng update. I've got about 1500 miles on mine since April 1 and no problems so far. A bike fitting resulted in a longer stem, but no structural isues at all. Still happy with my choice. After your headset comment, I looked on youtube to make sure I understood how to tighten and tell when not tightened. Mine was snug. Enjoy the rest of the season. Bill


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## vautrain

So I've been running Continental 4-Season 700x28 tires on my Century, but as I'm commuting about 60-75 miles per week, I'm putting on some Schwalbe Kojak 700x35 tires, to maximize the comfort factor. I'm also adding some SKS P45 fenders, though I have a cheaper bike I'm planning to rely on for most of my winter commuting.

I'm still really enjoying the bike. I took it on a century ride about six weeks ago, and my total for the day was about 121 miles. I was hurting at the end of that day, but it certainly wasn't the bike's fault.


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## Billrush

Thanks for posting the update. Love to stay in touch and keep comparing notes.

My bike came from Bikesdirect with these tires:

CONTINENTAL SPORT CONTACT, 700x32C, Presta valve tubes
and these rims:
Mavic Aksium with UB Control sides, Black Spokes (20/20)

Anyway, I do not commute in my Bike but ride with a club. All the other hot shots have Carbon bikes and I assume 28mm tires. I have about 2000 miles on mine and was actually considering buying narrower tires in the spring. BTW, the listing for my bike says it can run 40mm tires if desired. 

So you have gone the opposite direction and for commuting it makes sense. Can you fell the difference in a big way? 

Will our rims handle a 700x23 tire as well as 700x28? Thanks


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## Billrush

PS, for winter fun I bought a Salsa Mukluk with 4" tires. That should be interesting.


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## vautrain

Yes, I bought the frameset from Bike Island, rather than the complete bike from BD. I'm running Mavic Open Pro rims on Dura Ace hubs, and chose my Conti 4-Season 28's because I'd been running the same tire in 23 on another bike, and really like them. 

The frameset will handle 40mm tires, but not sure about the Aksium rims, seems like they might be a bit narrow for a tire that wide, but I could be wrong. You should be fine running 23mm tires on those rims, though, and that's probably what most of your club riding hotshot buddies are running.

I haven't put them on yet, but will do so in the next few days. I'll post an update.

The Mukluk looks like a lot of fun, too. For winter commuting, I'm splitting time between the Century Ti and a Swobo Novak 3-speed city bike, with Vittoria Randonneur Hyper 700x32 tires. I'm in Chicago, so mostly riding on plowed, paved roadways.



Billrush said:


> Thanks for posting the update. Love to stay in touch and keep comparing notes.
> 
> My bike came from Bikesdirect with these tires:
> 
> CONTINENTAL SPORT CONTACT, 700x32C, Presta valve tubes
> and these rims:
> Mavic Aksium with UB Control sides, Black Spokes (20/20)
> 
> Anyway, I do not commute in my Bike but ride with a club. All the other hot shots have Carbon bikes and I assume 28mm tires. I have about 2000 miles on mine and was actually considering buying narrower tires in the spring. BTW, the listing for my bike says it can run 40mm tires if desired.
> 
> So you have gone the opposite direction and for commuting it makes sense. Can you fell the difference in a big way?
> 
> Will our rims handle a 700x23 tire as well as 700x28? Thanks


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## vautrain

Definitely the Schwalbe Kojak 700x35 tires make a big difference in the way the bike feels. I can't tell if the bike is slower, but it's definitely smoother. I also put on some fenders, because a bike is pretty worthless without fenders in the Chicago winter. SKS P45, they fit perfectly, but the struts needed to be trimmed quite a bit. I tried to install the fenders myself, but didn't have a hacksaw and ran out of patience, so I took it to a shop and they charged me $15 for the install, not bad.


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## Billrush

Broke my derailleur hanger!

Shipped my bike in a well padded case to Savannah. Arrived great and thoroughly enjoyed exploring that beautiful city by bike. Used shipbikes dot com. $80 each way. When the bike arrived home, I noticed the hanger was broken. Bummer. Glad it happened on the return trip. Went online at bikes direct and they list one hanger for all TI road bikes. $20 and arrived a couple days later. Replaced yesterday and all seems well. Ordered another to have as a spare. Screewed if broken.


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