Titus Racer X Mountain Bike
June 17, 2008
I was never a great mountain biker, no matter how much I liked biking. I would watch with envy at my bike-savvy friends as they bunny-hopped over rocks, powered up steep inclines, and zipped over roots with ease. Usually I’d be watching from the ground, where I’d been unceremoniously flung for the umpteenth time that day, my bike dumping me like a Shetland pony ditching its rider to gallop away for its grain fix back at the barn. The good thing about Shetland ponies is that they don’t have clipless pedals, so you’re not likely to end up in a tangle on the ground with your pony like I was so often with my bike. The bad thing about Shetland ponies is that, unlike bikes, they gallop on back to the barn without you when you fall off. Anyway, no matter how much I biked, I just could not master the technical aspects of the sport. I kept on riding, sticking to the easier trails and just trying to accept that I’d never be a great biker. Still, toying with the idea of upgrading my Mesolithic-era hardtail, I innocently agreed to demo a Racer X. Little did I know that that one simple act would change my biking, my life, and my finances.
The first thing I did with the Racer X was almost crash it into a tree. You see, there was a turn coming up, and in preparing for the turn (heck, just by thinking about the turn), I somehow telegraphed to the Racer X that it was to execute a sharp left turn and it sure did. Immediately. And I mean immediately. Almost right into the tree – but because it was a Racer X, I didn’t hit the tree – I was able to recover and pedal on, awestruck at the handling of this ride. That was my first clue that this bike was something special.
I became bolder and more confident about the lines I chose by the end of that first ride. As the week wore on, I was clearing trails that I never would have even tried on my hardtail. The Racer X goes exactly where you tell it to go. It is snappy, energetic, and so responsive that there’s almost not a word for it. Balanced to perfection, it handles obstacles, long climbs, rough descents, and twisty singletrack with ease. It got me out of trouble so many times I stopped being scared of falling, because falling just seemed like an impossibility on the Racer X. By the end of my “one day” (read: a week and a half) demo, I was probably 50 times the rider I used to be, and that is no joke. Lulled into a complacent cockiness, I (sadly) returned the demo and convinced myself that I didn’t really need such a high end bike.
The next day I hopped on my beater hardtail, convinced that although those technical singletracks would be rougher without the Racer X between me and them, I was a better rider than I used to be and I would be able to handle it. Oh, how wrong I was. A few hours, several saucer-sized bruises (one especially deep to my ego), and endless embarrassments later, I was forced to admit that I was not a better rider. The Racer X was just a better bike and it makes an immense difference. So now I put a Racer X between me and the trail. I know still the same rider I was on my Shetland pony hardtail, and I’m really not the badass technical rider I now pretend to be on my Racer X. It’s really the Racer X making me look good, but you know what? No one can tell the difference.
So, my advice? Don’t even think about demoing this bike unless you’re ready to buy it. You won’t be able to go back, so don’t even try. For those of you who are concerned about fit, Titus makes fully custom bikes and also makes the Racer X in a women’s version, with several sizes available. I went with the regular (unisex – bleah! But this one time, it’s OK.) frame, knowing that since I prefer a more stretched-out feeling on a bike, I wouldn’t like the shorter top tube of a women’s-specific frame, and I’m perfectly happy with the fit of the bike.
A few wee complaints: the cables are held to the bottom of the top tube with two pieces of panduit. Civilians call these “zip ties” but I find that it’s much cooler to call them “panduit” because it sounds techy. Anyway, the panduit is trimmed to fit the top tube, but sticks out just enough to stab you in the thigh if you’re standing over your bike (say, looking at a trail map, thinking “wow, when they say ‘swamp area’ they really mean it”), and have done some damage to my favorite non-cheap bike shorts. This irks me not because of the fact that my shorts got ripped, but because it would have been so easily avoidable had Titus just trimed the panduit so that the sharp ends are down instead of to the side. I know my bike shop can take care of it, but it’s annoying just the same.
My other complaint about the bike, which, if you’ll note, has nothing to do with performance, is that on rough descents the chain rattles on the rear triangle so noisily that it drives me to distraction. Again, an easy fix would be to install a thin neoprene sleeve or other pad that muffles the chain noise. That’s exactly what I’m going to do, but it would have been even nicer had Titus already done it for me. This was a problem with the demo bike and with my personal bike, so it seems that it’s a Titus hallmark. Just put a little neoprene pad on there, Titus, and all will be well. Okay?
One other piece of advice: if you’re going to make this kind of investment in your health and riding ability, also make an investment in a quality bike shop that knows you and how you ride. You can put all the Benjamins you want into a bike, but if your bike shop doesn’t fit you right, you won’t be all the rider you can be. Unless you are an expert and can dial in the fit yourself, get a professional fitting at a shop that knows what it’s doing, and be loyal. A good bike shop is as good as a trustworthy mechanic, and they should be willing to work with you to fit your bike to you properly. The bike shop is also usually your contact to the bike manufacturer, and if you’re a good customer you won’t have any problems with warranty and/or repair issues.
Not that you’re likely to have those with the Racer X; this is one solid machine, with quality welds and engineering that makes me actually thankful that there are engineers in the world (most of the time this is not the case – see Dilbert for examples). Believe the hype about this bike, and get ready to upgrade your skills beyond what you ever thought you were capable of.
Comments
4 Responses to “Titus Racer X Mountain Bike”
Thank you for sharing your experience. I had to laugh when my husband emailed me your review of the Racer X, your comments made me think I could have written it myself. I agreed to demo a Racer X from our bike shop this weekend. I must admit having never been on a full suspension bike I was completely blown away.
Riding down hill was amazing; I was riding stuff that my hardtail leaves me feeling like I just got out of a boxing ring. By the end of the weekend, I too was choosing lines I normally would avoid.
Since I first started riding 2 years ago my motto is; I am slow but eventually I get there. This bike is so light I was climbing significantly faster than I do on my hardtail. I found myself going over ruts and rocks I normally go around, testing myself and the bike to see if I could actually do it.
One thing I really like about the Racer X is that with only being 5’1” they make an extra small frame, which fits me perfectly. The bike just feels solid and it’s almost scary the confidence I had by the end of the weekend. I just can’t seem to wipe the smile off my face.
I have myself convinced that I am not worthy of such a great bike (because I don’t think I’m that great of a rider) so today I will reluctantly return the Racer X and go back to my hardtail. However after reading your review something tells me by next weekend I will be riding a Racer X or as I have already given it a nick name T-ReX!
That’s a great review. A friend recommended the titus racer X women’s to me yesterday and I’ve been thinking about trying one out. I’m currently riding a hardtail and not doing very well at all on the trails… perhaps if I had the racer X I can pretend to be a better rider – that makes the idea of getting one extremely tempting!… especially since I would need probably require a XXS frame!
Would you mind if I could email you with more specific questions / chats about the racer-X? My email is lynxmarine@bigfoot.com… thanks!
yes, of course! You can email the writer at jill@geargals.net. She loves to talk bikes. And I mean LOVES to talk bikes, just so you know what you’re getting into!
Thanks for writing, Renee! I love my Racer X more and more every year. I hope you get the bike you want; send us a pic when you get it!