Titus Rockstar Carbon 29er

Unlike the road racers on CycleTechReview.com, I haven’t been much of a carbon fiber proponent in the past. I, like most people my age, grew up with heavy, steel mountain bikes, though I didn’t really realize they were heavy until I bought my first aluminium bike; I can’t say that I looked back longingly at steel and definitely welcomed the lighter frames. Eventually, this weird black stuff, with an undeniably cool weave pattern, started showing up. I replaced an old, beat up steel fork with a carbon fork, albeit with a alloy steer tube – I was still hesitant about going full carbon.

Titus Rockstar weighs in at 30.25 pounds in this build

Now carbon fibre is everywhere, in everything and though I am still racing an aluminium frame maybe its time to change… I raced the Titus Carbon Rockstar, with its full carbon frame and whilst the race did not go well, my time with the bike has removed any doubts about carbon fibre. You hear, read and see plenty of examples of carbon fibre’s resilience but some things you just have to experience for yourself.

When I crashed at 30+mph on that wicked descent, broke my helmet, ended up with concussion, memory loss and some pretty good trail rash, cuts and bruising, I expected the worst for the bike but it was totally unscathed and I was able to ride it out! I was even able to ride another lap before my body and a medic told me it was game over.

During this time and subsequent rides, the bike worked flawlessly. No issues with the frame or components. No dings, knicks, fractures, cracks, delaminations… and I know there were a fair few rocks where the bike and I had landed. The Titus’s tough carbon fibre frame and swing-arm held up; I have to say that I was impressed that the Rockstar took my crash in its stride and continued on. Its one tough frame.

The tough Titus Rockstar Carbon 29er makes a lot of sense

So should your next bike be a carbon fibre wûndermachine, like the Titus Rockstar? The advancements in carbon’s strength to weight ratios, the new layups and formulations and the decreasing cost all make it a very real option for all of us. The stock build Titus Carbon Rockstar comes in at just under $3,000 (recently on sale for $2,499.99). At 30.25 pounds with my Crank Brother Eggbeater pedals, it might not be the lightest XC bike out there, but at this price point, for a full suspension bike with a full carbon frame and a lot of built-in versatility, it all makes a lot of sense.

Titus Website

Titus UK Website