9/2/2023 0 Comments Easton raw power reviews![]() ![]() I felt inexplicably faster with the rigid post installed – though I still missed the dropper in certain situations. Instead of bracing for every little impact, you’re able to stay seated more comfortably, and I swear you can put more power down. With a carbon Zipp SL Speed seatpost installed (and the same saddle), the ride quality completely changed. I’m so glad I swapped it out for a carbon post to feel the difference because while I expected there to be some difference between the two, I was blown away by how big of an impact it had. However, it turns out that dropper posts have a substantial impact on the ride quality at the saddle. At my request, the X3-S was fitted with a RockShox Reverb AXS XPLR dropper post, which is a fantastic dropper. In actuality, it was just the spec choice. With all the talk about frame stiffness, when I first got out for a ride on the X3-S, I thought the frame might be too stiff. Dropper Post or Seatpost Compliance, Pick One The torsional frame stiffness also makes the X3-S a great candidate for bikepacking duties – loading a ti frame up with a bunch of heavy gear can make for an interesting ride if the tubes aren’t up to the task. ![]() The bike never feels like it’s pushing through corners, and allows you to easily set up for technical moves or quick bursts of power. The added lateral stiffness sets the frame apart from other titanium bikes, and even some other carbon bikes, with razor-sharp handling on tricky rock or root-filled zones. Before you know it, you’re deep into a corner needing to change direction in a hurry – one of the areas the X3-S really shines. Depending on the trail, when you’re riding a gravel bike like the X3-S, you can almost build up more speed than you would on a mountain bike. One of my favorite ways to use a gravel bike is to ride from my house to some of the easier mountain bike trails in town, session the trails, and ride back. As soon as you put a suspension fork with wide tires on a gravel bike, you open yourself up to far more aggressive riding, especially when it comes to light singletrack. That stiffness carries off-road as well, in the best way possible. I spent almost as much time riding single track as I did gravel. Keeping in mind that this is a titanium gravel bike with 700c x 45 to 50mm tires, a suspension fork, a dropper post, a mini frame bag, and two bottles, It seems to be faster on the road than it has any right to be. That trend continued with subsequent rides. The surprise came later while uploading my ride and realizing that I had set my personal best time on that climb that day – a climb that I have frequented with lightweight, purpose-built climbing road bikes. On one particular ride, I wasn’t feeling that great and as a result, didn’t feel like I was trying all that hard on the climb. Even for a bike fitted with 45-50mm wide tires, the X3-S surges forward with each pedal stroke.įor me, this sensation was most noticeable on long road climbs. The stiffness claims are instantly apparent when you first push the pedals. While titanium is known for a magic-carpet-like ride feel, some titanium frames throughout history have had a reputation for being a bit noodly. T-Lab refers to the process as their Ti-Morph technology, but more importantly, it’s this shaping of the tubeset that results in a claimed 30% increase in stiffness over titanium frames from other builders. Over the years, T-Lab has perfected their proprietary process for shaping seamless titanium into the aggressively shaped tubing used to make their bikes. No matter what frame builder you’re talking to, they all seem to agree that titanium for all its magic, can be very tricky to work with. Take the inherent ride comfort the aerospace material is known for and add in custom-shaped titanium tubing, and you have what T-Lab views as the “future of Ti.” More than just a suspension fork-specific gravel frame, T-Lab specializes in building unique titanium bikes. To test that theory, I jumped at the chance to test out the new X3-S from T-Lab in Montreal. Yet, like so many things that you don’t really need, a gravel suspension fork can unlock the potential for new terrain or increased rider comfort. Even with a rigid fork, modern gravel bikes are fantastically versatile. Do you really need a suspension fork on a gravel bike? The obvious answer is, no, you don’t really need it. ![]()
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