# Moots Launches Routt ESC Titanium Adventure Bike



## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Talk about a bike with an identity disorder! I guess there is a market for these? 10K+ for a what? Innovation is good and I applaud that. It’s not attractive, and I can’t remember ever thinking that about a Ti frame before. The MTB fork... Most road bikes with 28s will handle single track and gravel with no problem. 2.5”? Again, kudos for going where no man has gone before. 


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## Josh Patterson (Apr 29, 2007)

PBL450 said:


> Most road bikes with 28s will handle single track and gravel with no problem.


This bike is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but I beg to disagree with 28mm road tires handling gravel and road with no problem.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Josh Patterson said:


> This bike is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but I beg to disagree with 28mm road tires handling gravel and road with no problem.


Good luck! I wish you success. You are clueless otherwise. I did gravel, dirt roads and single track on 23s in my late teens and I did it with my friends on the same kit for years. Dirt roads with heavy river rock. Sure, an occasional flat. But far from common. This bike is basically Velo Sybil. 

For example, where those wide tires begin to excel, on root and rock gardens/stairways, the wide flat bars of my mtb make their importance known. A Geo that underweights the nose and allows easy lift ups is the opposite of what is going on here. 

I’m not being theoretical. I’m talking about real world experience. Overpriced, over-engineered and lacking any real application, I wish you luck. Go climb a root stairs with drop bars and get back to me.... 


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## Josh Patterson (Apr 29, 2007)

I've ridden road bikes off road, but they are far from the right tool for the job.

As for clueless, as a long-time gravel racer, with five Unbound 200 finishes under my belt (and one 3rd place overall finish), I feel like I have enough experience to state that you owe it to yourself to try a gravel bike with 40-45mm wide tires and modern geometry. 

You'll thank me.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Josh Patterson said:


> I've ridden road bikes off road, but they are far from the right tool for the job.
> 
> As for clueless, as a long-time gravel racer, with five Unbound 200 finishes under my belt (and one 3rd place overall finish), I feel like I have enough experience to state that you owe it to yourself to try a gravel bike with 40-45mm wide tires and modern geometry.
> 
> You'll thank me.


I wish you luck! 


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## No Time Toulouse (Sep 7, 2016)

Well, next time I have an extra $10k burning a hole in my pocket, I'll keep this thing in mind. But until then, My Specialized Awol does just about everything (and better) than this bike, all for around $1500. Plus, it doesn't have a frame worth about $400 in scrap value that any scrap thief would gladly steal...


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## ogre (Dec 16, 2005)

I’ve had a Routt YBB for over seven years and it’s been fantastic. I used to take it on some pretty technical stuff but no so much as I age, so I’ve been in the market for a hardtail to bridge the gap to my FS MTB. The YBB is a nice differentiator to other offerings. Two posters on this thread should broaden their horizons. NTT, how does your Awol do things better?


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

ogre said:


> I’ve had a Routt YBB for over seven years and it’s been fantastic. I used to take it on some pretty technical stuff but no so much as I age, so I’ve been in the market for a hardtail to bridge the gap to my FS MTB. The YBB is a nice differentiator to other offerings. Two posters on this thread should broaden their horizons. NTT, how does your Awol do things better?


OK, forget the 12K price tag, what is this design going to do better than any bike designed to that same thing? You’ll save some weight over a full suspension with dropper, maybe what 3 or 4 pound advantage? Once things start getting technical I want the wider flat bars. I want the light nose to climb stairs. When do I need to reap the aero advantages of being in the drops on a technical trail? Hell, same on single track? Sure, you can use the drops to stabilize the bike on a steep trail descent but there are droppers... 2 1/2” knobbies on gravel? Why? You can save a lot of weight and run a thinner, tire and lighter ride over gravel. This is overkill for gravel. Road? Just stop. 

I wish them luck, I’m sure there are some rich wannabees that’ll buy these and have them collect dust in their garages because there are better bikes for every kind of riding than this one and you could buy all of them and still spend half of what you would on this. 


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## ogre (Dec 16, 2005)

All bikes have a purpose. There are no quiver killers. The only bad bike is the bike that isn't ridden. I'm not going to e-argue, some of you guys post a book every week.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

ogre said:


> All bikes have a purpose. There are no quiver killers. The only bad bike is the bike that isn't ridden. I'm not going to e-argue, some of you guys post a book every week.


Hey, the site needs content... 


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## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

The Salsa Cuttthroat is a carbon version of this, and it quite popular. Classic "Monster Cross" style adventuire/bikepacking/touring/monster cross rig. Been selling them for a while, so supply is good both new and used. These tend to be slowish on pavement, good on dirt and delightful on rough gravel.


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## Josh Patterson (Apr 29, 2007)

Coolhand said:


> The Salsa Cuttthroat is a carbon version of this, and it quite popular. Classic "Monster Cross" style adventuire/bikepacking/touring/monster cross rig. Been selling them for a while, so supply is good both new and used. These tend to be slowish on pavement, good on dirt and delightful on rough gravel.


You nailed it. The target for this bike is bikepackers and Tour Divide Racers (with deep pockets.)


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Coolhand said:


> The Salsa Cuttthroat is a carbon version of this, and it quite popular. Classic "Monster Cross" style adventuire/bikepacking/touring/monster cross rig. Been selling them for a while, so supply is good both new and used. These tend to be slowish on pavement, good on dirt and delightful on rough gravel.


I mean 12K for a specific kind of gravel? That’s nuts. Gravel vs CX isn’t even worth discussion.i mean I guess tons of cyclists live where pavement is an afterthought? “It’s my rough gravel bike.” Cycling just became golf with 12K for each club. 

Bike packing? Long range mountain biking? That crowd has to be pretty small, like two digits not three. And fatties will eat up that space and rightfully so. They add sand and snow to surfaces conquered. Road touring? Sure, but there are plenty of offerings in that category already that are far better builds for that than this. 

Good luck with a rough gravel bike. You’ll sell a few. The people willing to drop 12K on this will be clueless. And the bikes will collect dust after a few rides. Innovation is good so thanks to the manufacturer. Like dual property road frames, this has the same potential. 

“It’s great for this kind of gravel!” Seriously? I mean I live in the global north where we generally pave our roads. We have sensational mountain biking locally but mountain bikes do that really well. Somewhere, I guess there are rich people willing to buy gravel specific builds? That’s nuts. 


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

PBL450 said:


> Good luck! I wish you success. You are clueless otherwise. I did gravel, dirt roads and single track on 23s in my late teens and I did it with my friends on the same kit for years. Dirt roads with heavy river rock. Sure, an occasional flat. But far from common. This bike is basically Velo Sybil.
> 
> For example, where those wide tires begin to excel, on root and rock gardens/stairways, the wide flat bars of my mtb make their importance known. A Geo that underweights the nose and allows easy lift ups is the opposite of what is going on here.
> 
> ...


I agree with everything you said. This bike is for clueless rich people. I too use to do gravel and dirt roads with 23's, so did a lot of us back in the day. 

I have touring bike that can double as a gravel bike, came with 45's but I've since put on 38's and it's fine for touring, and more than fine for gravel, and it only cost me $1,400! With disk brakes, bar end shifters, 5 water bottle bosses, and better gearing; sure, it's equipped with just Deore, but it shifts great, the wheels are cheap in cost but are very strong, even under loads I still haven't had to true them; and it came with Tubus steel racks front and rear, plus fenders.


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## Josh Patterson (Apr 29, 2007)

PBL450 said:


> I mean 12K for a specific kind of gravel? That’s nuts. Gravel vs CX isn’t even worth discussion.i mean I guess tons of cyclists live where pavement is an afterthought? “It’s my rough gravel bike.” Cycling just became golf with 12K for each club.
> 
> Bike packing? Long range mountain biking? That crowd has to be pretty small, like two digits not three. And fatties will eat up that space and rightfully so. They add sand and snow to surfaces conquered. Road touring? Sure, but there are plenty of offerings in that category already that are far better builds for that than this.
> 
> ...


I won't defend the steep price tag of this rig and cycling has been the new golf for at least a decade. The sense I'm getting from your posts is that you're out of touch with gravel and adventure cycling. In any case, ride what you like and let others do the same.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Josh Patterson said:


> I won't defend the steep price tag of this rig and cycling has been the new golf for at least a decade. The sense I'm getting from your posts is that you're out of touch with gravel and adventure cycling. In any case, ride what you like and let others do the same.


Adventure cycling? Bike camping? Better done with a fatty. Especially if you venture near water and have to navigate sand. Plus, you get the benefit of some suspension from the 5” tires which can be adjusted to be ideal for you conditions. 

Gravel? Maybe I’m a little out of touch. You don’t hear banjo around me. We have some networks of dirt roads but not really gravel. I get that some people live around gravel roads. I fail to see why a road bike with wider tires wouldn’t manage gravel roads better than a solid suspension mountain bike with drop bars. 

I’m sure it does something well? Just how much of that something exists and what does that something better? Yes, ride whatever you like. This is perfect for the single track next to where you parked your $150,000 motor home for some “adventuring.” 


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## Josh Patterson (Apr 29, 2007)

@PBL450 check out this Tour Divide bike round-up on Bikepacking.com. 









Rigs of the 2021 Tour Divide


Back after a brief hiatus, here are the Rigs of the 2021 Tour Divide, featuring over 70 riders, their bikes, and gear kit details about what they’re bringing along for the 2,400+ mile journey…




bikepacking.com





It might give you some insight into the design of the Routt ESC and similar bikes.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

Josh Patterson said:


> @PBL450 check out this Tour Divide bike round-up on Bikepacking.com.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


He doesn't care.

If it doesn't fit in the box that his bike came in he see's it as a fools folly.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

that fork looks so 1990s. They should have just outsourced the fork from Niner.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

That’s pretty cool. Interesting the handlebar options being used. I guess the drops are for more technical stuff and the TT bars are for the long flat stuff? The TT bars are set up much higher than a typical TT bike, unless that’s just my view from the pic? If so, I guess it’s for long haul comfort?


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## No Time Toulouse (Sep 7, 2016)

Oh, well, I guess it's a good thing that clueless people with money to burn can send a bit of ad money our way. We can laugh at them from afar...


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

velodog said:


> He doesn't care.
> 
> If it doesn't fit in the box that his bike came in he see's it as a fools folly.
> [/d
> ...


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

See your posts #'s 2,4,9,14,17 from this thread, where you're disparaging not only this bike, but others like it and the buyers of said bikes.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

velodog said:


> See your posts #'s 2,4,9,14,17 from this thread, where you're disparaging not only this bike, but others like it and the buyers of said bikes.


OK. That’s fair.


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## Josh Patterson (Apr 29, 2007)

PBL450 said:


> That’s pretty cool. Interesting the handlebar options being used. I guess the drops are for more technical stuff and the TT bars are for the long flat stuff? The TT bars are set up much higher than a typical TT bike, unless that’s just my view from the pic? If so, I guess it’s for long haul comfort?


Yep. TT bars are a great way to take pressure off your hands during multi-day events.


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