As we close out the evaluation of the modern steel frame. Please bare in mind that I am evaluating a steel frame not a steel bike. Some believe that a steel frame should always be coupled with a steel fork... while I understand the sentiment, I think that steel frames can do more. Also, the aluminum wheelset is the Mavic Kxyrium Anniversary that has been on a number of my bikes and despite it's narrow (by today's standards) width, it is one of the best wheelsets I have ever ridden.

Oh! But that single RastarMan with the flailing dreadlocks, without helmet, riding that one-speed steel

The problem with boutique brands building titanium and steel is it highly depends on the builder and design of frame (stiff or comfort). Having owned a few brands of titanium and custom steel i can say with confidence that each one has a different feel. I would like to suggest T-lab as an alternative if youre willing to buy outside of the US. They build and design top tier frames comparable to the US big brands like Moots, No. 22 and all others in the upper range.

8:22 yo that single speed with no helm ❤😂

Good to see you back, I thought you might have been caught in the hurricanes there in the US. Just one about carbon rims. I caught an article about carbon rims and caliper rim brakes here in the UK. The article pointed out the long term damage caused by the rim braking, delamination of the actual carbon layering at the contact point with the brake pads (even with the correct carbon brake pads). The article went on to suggest carbon wheelsets should really only be used with a disc brake set up if you want longevity. The other point I would make about carbon, is the reason why you are feeling a harsher ride with the carbon wheelset in comparison to aluminium or a steel rim is that carbon does not flex under pressure, it will just snap (Think Titan submersible). So being an inflexible material it transmits shockwaves through the carbon without absorbing any of the shockwave itself, whereas steel or aluminium can bend and distort under pressure and regain shape once the pressure reduces (again, think submarines). So carbon is a great lightweight product, but does have pro's and con's.

Awesome that you’re doing StJude ride. I’m a huge fan of you, and your channel. Now even more. I bet if you started a “team” and invited your fans to ride it with you, we might max out their registration and completely clog the streets with StJude supporting bike riders.

Thanks for great vid again, Luis! For me, I find tyre choice & pressure more critical than wheel choice. Currently on Conti GPs 28mm/ 65psi which has been a huge comfort upgrade from 25mm. More grip in corners too. Keep on trucking, Luis. And looking forward to next posts!😎

I did the same type build in titanium I used a small custom builder Jim Kish, mechanical external cable routing. Enve; rims(303 with hooks) seatpost, stem, bars. Dura-ace 9100 groupset. Chris king; hubs, bb and headset. Sella italia boost slr saddle and speedplay pedals and titanium king cages. it weighs 17 lbs all in and rides awesome. I was running 25mm vittoria corsas for awhile but tried 29 enve tires and riding those now am really impressed

+1 on Moots. Mosaic cycles is another option

I'm a big fan of my 32mm tires. While they're not the fastest out there, at least without a wide and deep rim optimized for them, I've found that I can pass people on rougher roads because they soak up those imperfections. Also, I'm not trying to win races, so more comfort please.

Which spokes are you running? Carbon spokes will send a lot more road vibration up into the frame, with a springy steel frame there is there is little to no damping of vibration. Steel spokes wouls be a much better choice for a steel frame as the flex helps dampen vibration well. This will be even more noticeabke with deep section wheels which have extremely stiff rims and less spoke length

Welcome back Luis! We missed you my man.

Welp! Thank you very very much. You just talked me out of a pair of $1600 Hunt wheels that I absolutely am not proficient enough to be riding on. The cheaper ones are just fine for me. Thank you!!!

Man that bora ultra looking good on that Bianchi

Good to have you back🚴🏽✊🏾

Really nice conversation, Luis, and as far as custom bikes, a couple of channels, such as Path Less Pedaled and Gravel Cyclist, attended the recent MADE show in Portland, you might watch those and get some ideas.

Great content, as always. Greetings from the UK

Great analysis and comparison on the aluminum vs. carbon wheel set! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Awesome meeting you at One Love!

It is not steel but I changed for a test ride my Easton Tempest 2 (Alu) with a Citec 6000 Carbon and had same impression: too harsh and not comfortable for me anymore. Maybe I had more speed sometimes but I also had to correct my seating position much more often and felt every little stone on the road. At the end, the ride was not quicker, but more stress for me. I was so happy after I changed back. 😅

Check out the Haley. Fantastic frame and choices.

based fixed gear bro 8:22

Nice seeing you at one love 👍🏾

Can't even recall the feel of steel! However, I know I had no complaints. I sold my steel frame in fall 2020

Great videos and content. I’m a runner but starting to get into the biking world. Your videos has helped a lot! T-Lab makes Titanium frames.

kudos to the guy on a fixie! I did that a couple of times on groups rides with people on geared bikes too...

Welcome back. Great to see another informative video. Thanks a lot 🫶

Loving the shirt. I ride with these guys in VA.

Bob English makes the most modern, beautiful bikes, Kish Fabrication, Mosaic and Reilly and many others

I’ve owned several Lynskey titanium frames over the years and have really enjoyed them. My gravel bike is currently a Lynskey GR300.

I bought a second hand moots with carbon wheels this year and I don’t regret it at all. I paid 2k with no tax. I don’t think I’ll ever buy a new bike again all used from now on.

I was wondering what your strategy was for building/trying new bikes. When you let go of a bike do you try to recoup only what you spent, take a loss, or look for a potential profit. If you end up going with Haley frame, I hope you get to give it the name Berry just for the smiles that it would bring.

Hi Luis, Just want to say a BIG thanks for all the vids you post. Always solid and useful info.

Nice video. Glad you are back

Hrmmm, I would like to see you test further. Seal the rim, press on a 30 or 32 tire (GP5000 or like tire), sealant, and inflate to the recommended tire pressure for your weight. Then, tell me how they feel about the rims. I think you have a super modern bike and sticking to older tire methods. Try it the way they are mostly designed to do now. I was a doubter too, but I have 32s on all bikes. I steeped up to 28, 30, and 32. I think the 30s are the best all round size. Would love to hear your opinion.

Try Lynskey, they used to build light speed frames and they build frames for a lot of titanium companies.

Get a Litespeed. They make and manuipulate their own tubes. I have had a 2001 Tuscany which was so smooth, and today I have T1SL which is much stiffer. Tried a lot of other titanium brands but in the end Litespeed have superior engineering technology in their workshop, unmatched by any other maker in the world, resulting in a lighter frame. They are so cheap for what they really are. But I would avoid them between 2004 - 2009 it wasn't a good time for them in engineering terms. Also shout out to Lynskey who founded Litespeed, their bikes are a bit simpler tube tech wise and are a bit heavier but they have good manners, I have had several, a level 4 6/4, an R240 and now an R300 disc. I'm in the UK but overwhelmingly prefer American bikes since the mid 80s, I have a beautiful Serotta Colorado in Columbus Steel.

Great to see you back! Thanks so much for this hype-free wheel review. This has been my experience: Mavic alloy rims feel plush and comfy yet no slower than my carbon 47 rims with exactly the same tires and tubes. Too bad they are no longer sold in the US! I have to order parts from overseas.

Appreciative work on the video. I've had a Seven Cycle titanium for many years and it couldn't fit any better. I also ride a Scott Addict carbon and a couple of vintage steel bikes. Always like the return to the Seven Cycle.

I just built and put aluminum wheels back on my steel bike (Mavic open pro ust, 24h with dt revolution spokes, Stan's 3.3 hubs) and they feel so much smoother than the 38mm carbon wheels they replaced. I was quite surprised.

Hey, titanium brand for you :22 bikes co ….gorgeous and efficient frames!

Awesome. I also agree with others that it's good to see another video again. Thanks.

The dude on the Pista at 6:34 is hanging with the group ride on a fixie?

Whoops there it is, Litespeed was the stink when Ti was the in thing. Give them boys a shout down in Tennessee!

For me if I was gonna build a titanium bike right now. I would consider a Passion. A small Italian brand. They look fantastic. Nice to see a new video.

I’m surprised to hear that you didn’t felt so much of a difference when using the carbon wheels. I did owned a set of Ksyrium 100 anniversary, just like you had on that bike. I’ve switched them with a pair of Cosmic SSL Carbone wheels. I have to say. I immediately felt the difference when it comes to speed without much effort. It was also comfort. 25mm tires. They are 52mm deep and heavy 😂 I do own also a set of DA C50’s. Light and fast. Comfortable. Maybe the difference for me compared to you , is that I used them on a carbon frame. I don’t know if the Rovals has carbon or steel spokes? Cuz Steel spokes can help to not absorb the vibration. Idk. Thanks for sharing and ride safe 💪🏽🇨🇼 greetings from Curaçao

I live in Scotland and the wind is a big issue here. I experienced more stability and smoothness with steel bikes with aluminum wheels than carbon bikes with carbon wheels. Particularly, deep rims are pretty useless in crosswinds. Folks who are obsessed with bike weight and carbon bikes ignore the wind effect.

I'm sorry I missed you at the One Love, maybe next year.

Love your analysis. I’ve been eyeing a Little Wing titanium track frame from 22 Bikes. Do you know about them?

@thegoodwheel Hey Luis-Rick nice meeting you at One Love. I'm on the Amber color TCR @ 1:48

Several years ago I took a titanium litespeed bike for a ride, pretty basic model but I enjoyed it a lot, it has very responsive and easy feel to it. Now I got a titanium folding bike, and it rides ok)

Nice to see you back. I have more food for thought. Looking for a wheel upgrade for my steel condor. More for Audax riding rather than flat out speed. 23 kph average is enough over 300 km. Still thinking hand build on Chris King hubs.

Hey Luis I have a Lynskey titanium R500 performance road bike. Very nice titanium road bike made here in the U.S.

Soul rider frame made from Colombus Hyperion Titanium. Would love to see you do this! Great content!

Bro out there on a fixie! Cooking. 😂😂😂

Great video as always ! Regards ti ti bike. I have been riding a Moots Vamoots CR , rim brake Campy 12 speed mech. for 11 years and about 60k miles . It is my only road bike and I love the ride, fast on the flats, uphill, and downhill. I routinely pass guys my weight and heavier on downhills when coasting at 40-50 mph. Some of these guys are on name brand aero bikes with deep wheels. Need any Moots info. I am happy to help. PS,Moots just announced a carbon E bike, I think that was a bad route to go for a quality titanium builder.

As an old gentleman, I'm curious as to the age range of the group ride you generally participate in? It seems like you mostly ride around 20 mph+.

Very, very interesting. Always wanted to try a Reynolds 953 frame with a 953 fork. I also wish someone would try to resurrect a low-cost, mass producing of cast magnesium frames. Only this time from PNNL's proposed way of getting magnesium out of the Salton Sea. All the best.

Number one choice Moots Number two Seven.

Dang, second comment. Another great video, happy to see you back.

Cheers for the unpopular unbiased opinion! Helps me to stay in the alloy wheel camp.

If the opportunity presents itself, I'd be very interested to hear your opinion of the *_HED Ardennes RA Black_* alloy wheelset. I first heard of them on the @George Vargas YT channel.

Cool video! The pic on the left with your Buddy wearing the white helmet and a beard looks like he is posing with a pink bikini 👙 top. When I zoomed in, I then noticed that it’s just the design on his top. 😊

Great video😊 🚲. I do like more the carbon wheels you installed on my Tri bike. I feel like I ride more efficiently & the bike feels better & does better on the fast corners 😊 👍

Hi Luis :) Sugestion for Titanium bike building: Angel Cycle Works, spectacular and lovely handmade hi range Ti bikes, in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. Nice channel, thanks!

Great video again, how much would the modern steel cost ? Not with used group-sets and used wheels but with new components, there is no way is cheaper than a modern carbon mid tier. I am only asking because so so many people start bashing all bikes manufactures for their prices but i found impossible to built a performance bike for less than $5k. Many modern titanium bikes suffer from the same problem when over built with larger tubes, oversized headset and BB, stiff carbon fork , becomes heavier and the ride is a reflection of all parts rather than the TI quality as frame material.

Good content and charity/event rides are amazing...Now I think Luis and the Legion teams need to enter the Tour next year. I am soooooooooo tired of the same nonsense and doping 'scandals"..

Whos that with no helmet on the bianchi pista?

Merlin Titanium!!! I’m on a ‘96 frame in WPB

Shirt is fire 🔥

I wonder how a shallow Car6on wheel set would compare to the aluminum ones. Maybe the weight reduction would provide a performance/response that would be more noticeable vs the aluminum’s performance.

Would be interesting to compare different medals, I just bought lemond platium ox Tru temper, was looking for reynolds 853 but this came up (I think they have a 9 something now) vs Columbus vs tange. Would be like a war of the world

Really surprised about the guy on a fast group ride with no helmet 😮

If you can find a moots VAMOOTS circa 2006 - 2013 in your size? 54/55 guessing you would be onto a winner. I think after 2013 they started to ship with PF bbs 😢. also look at Bingham built (ex. Moots & builds incredible it bikes) also seven, mosaic as others mentioned. Something exotic like a Baum or passioni also nice but drifting away from the American builders

Titanium frame? If money is no question: Falkenjagd (~Hunting with a falcon) a brand in Germany Greetings from Austria

Big wheels fast ride

Nice Bianchi👍

I’m watching

Some characters on the group rode! Fixie and no helmet!

litespeed!

Litespeed or nothing.

👍👍

Carbon isn't all that great. Rode a 7k specialized vs my grizl alloys with pirelli tlr 30mm tires and the wheels feel just as light and responsive.

Desalvo!