New Bike

Wow, what a trip to Cleburne. Today was one of the most anticipated rides I had in a long time. I took the new Titus to Cleburne State Park for its first ride. I have to say, it didn't disappoint.

This bike was ordered in February when I changed jobs. I was initially told that it would take about a month to be made. That was over three months ago. Finally, after much anticipation, Titus delivered unannounced a box with my name on it. It took the fine folks at Mad Duck a couple of weeks to get everything needed for the build and to assemble it. I picked it up on Wednesday, June 1st. Then the rains came.

Most mountainbikers in this area know that you can't ride on wet trails. It destroys them and the bike. I had to wait. Saturday turned into a big wash after some rain on Friday afternoon. I called the park office this morning and they informed me that the trail was indeed open for business. So I loaded up my shiny new steed for her first run.

This bike handles like a dream. The ability to generate and carry speed is amazing. I was simply moving. At speeds that honestly made me uncomfortable in a couple of instances. I was grabbing handfuls of brakes to be able to make corners. It was fast. Yes indeed.

The climbing is what is most amazing to me. I have primarily ridden hardtail mountainbikes for as long as I've been riding them. The Titus has suspension in both the front and the rear. In days gone by, rear suspension meant that you had to sacrifice climbing efficiency. The design and shock take care of that. There was very little noticable peddle "bob" if any. I was able to stand up and motor up the hills just like I was on a hardtail. Wow.

I had dreamed and schemed for a long time about what bike I would build up when given the chance. This was my chance and I can safely say I made the most of it. Oh yeah.