Spa Elan 725

[Venod]

Forgot the pic, this is with the stem at 100mm, later changed to 90mm.

 

[SteveParry]

Yes - it came with the 30mm Schwalbe Ones and basic Shimano wheels.
I've only ridden it up & down the road to get the set up right so not given them a proper test which may happen on Wednesday. I've already ordered a pair of Vittoria 32mm from Banana Industries just to see if they look any better. My Ti version is fitted with 32mm Continental 4 Seasons on wheels with a larger rim width and just look so much better (see below) - I already have a spare pair of wheels in stock and a savings interest payout due in February...

Here it is ready to ride with the new SRAM crankset & Spa Cycles chainrings and meeting its older Ti brother.
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Any update on the ride difference between these two? I was curious as titanium is (I believe) supposed to be stiffer than steel. So is the steel noticeably more compliant/springy to ride? I rode a steel one with carbon fork. I was delighted when, standing adjacent, just tapping the front brake on I saw and felt the steel's springiness. Does the titanium do that?

 

[Jenkins]

Any update on the ride difference between these two? I was curious as titanium is (I believe) supposed to be stiffer than steel. So is the steel noticeably more compliant/springy to ride? I rode a steel one with carbon fork. I was delighted when, standing adjacent, just tapping the front brake on I saw and felt the steel's springiness. Does the titanium do that?

Due to the different wheel & tyre combinations it's difficult to provide a direct comparison. The Ti version is definitely the softer riding of the two, but that may well be due to it being on 32mm Conti GP 4 Seasons fitted to wider internal rims and run at slightly lower pressure due to more off road use. There's also the Ti seatpost to be taken into consideration as well. The 725 is the heavier of the two by a kilo or two but does still have a decent turn of speed when required.

To be honest I've never thought about the springiness of either frame material - they were both chosen for looks as much as overall comfort & use on the lousy Suffolk/Norfolk/Cambridgeshire roads that I use.