another which bike to go with thread. sorry.

I am done with the never ending cycle of upgrading an entry level bike. I am at the point where all the components are better than what deserves to be on the bike. Kind of like pimpin out a corolla. lol. So, since a whole new bike is unfortunately still out of budget, I have been looking at frames for a while and have narrowed it down to these two. A 2009 titus ftm or a 2010 turner 5 spot.

They are pretty close in price and will be swapping out all my components that fit, including a 2009 140mm pike. If anyone has another frame they are willing to sell , Im looking for something under $500. I plan on this to complete my current build and hopefully curb my spending for at least a year or two until I can go with a brand new bike.

It has to be my "one" trail bike that I can get more comfortable on and progress my skills. The trails I ride more often are Steel Bridge and PQ, la costa and daley. Both bikes have an rp23. I guess what Im really asking is which bike is the better descender? I figure the turner to be a better pedaller but figure the titus to be more responsive on the downs with horst link?

Sorry for the long reading, but I've been killing brain cells oer this and hope to get something in the next few days. Thank You

Glad to see you going double boing. Cant give you much advice on either frame but when you get it all put together post up and I'll come down your way for a break-in ride on your home turf, I aint been down there in years.

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Code 347

I have no experience with Titus, but have had a couple Turners. My current bike is a Turner. Great local company run by a real person with a family, who rides and contributes to the Mtb community via SDMBA and the SoCal HS racing league. Often they stand behind their product even when you aren't the original owner. Turner also may have their trade in program which ensures the value doesn't drop to nothing. Oh... And you can't beat Turner craftsmanship, ease of bearing maintenance and ride quality. The 5 spot is an outstanding bike. You can build it light or burly depending on what you ride. Check out the Turner forum on MTBR, lots of 5 spot builds. I also think the DW Link on the 2010 is superior in design to the Titus. The guy who sold Titus and started Pivot also uses DW Link now too. That's a pretty good indication of what he thinks.

based off your riding style (fave trails listed), both are good choices and i say go with either one of the two.
no other manufacturer out there can come close to utilizing the 'horst link' design quite like Speshi does (i dont care what all the other ghey fahgs on here say)...so with that being said, dont favor the Titus simply because it claims to be more 'responsive' due to the Horst.
I've heard great things about the 5spots...and the DW design is supposedly tits and ass for pedaling efficiency (which most of your trails encompass).

i'd go with the one that has the better spec out, and if that doesnt make the choice easy enough; then go with the Turner due to their close proximity (Temecula) and outstanding customer service (which my Turner fan-boi brother will gladly tell you ALL about if you give him 4-5 hours)

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'the notorious North County Sancho'

Based only on me being an Internet message board junkie and reader of every MTB related magazine I can get my hands on, I'd go Turner. I only know people with the Sultan but they all love their bikes and they have a stellar customer service reputation.

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If you don't go this year, you'll only be a year older when you do - Warren Miller

everyone i know that has turner bikes loves them

^^^ Haha...same basis as k2rider here. No need to be sorry RamSan, DT'ers love to make bike recommendations. I think the Turner 5 Spot is a safe bet to make you satisfied, but it lost its appeal for me when they tacked on a DW Link triangle that looks like somebody made it in shop class. The Titus FTM is a nice looking frame, should perform well, and will be something different, if you value that. Beware an early 2009 seat stay breakage issue, although you are likely looking at one after they fixed it .

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Thus, if we are to understand the world, we should live somewhere between judgement and amazement — Alfredo Lopez Austin

I think I found the two bikes you are looking at. This:


versus this:


Given that both are long past warranty, it doesn't matter much that Titus has gone out of business. The vote here is skewed towards turner, but that FTM is a much better looking frame. My buddy has an FTM of newer vintage and he loves it.

ODD was correct that the rear triangle on the Turner looks like it was made in shop class. I'm easily swayed by looks.

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Velo Ergo Endo

Those frames are the same size? Or one size fits all?

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"Just stop this walking shit and let's get this done"
Avidtesty (Arch 2019)

Thanks every one. Yeah, I am leaning towards the turner, but like ohnoo said, the titus looks sexy is orange. And that carbon fiber rear triangle scares me a little on the titus. They are both medium. One of them is 17in and the other is 17.5. I just forget at the moment, which one is which. Thanks everyone for their feedback. And Mike, I look forward to riding with you again. You still have to show me the rest of calaeras!

I've got a Titus and a Turner. It's not a fair comparison because they're an ML vs a Burner, but I'd favor the build quality of the Turner. Both good bikes, but Turner's a great company to work with.

I don't know Titus very well. I do own a 2010 Turner 5 Spot that I built. I know that Turner provides superior customer service and parts support on the phone and on their website. I love mine. I have pedaled it up and down Nobel via Indian Creek. I have pedaled it up and down Mammoth. I am sure there are better bikes out there for either the up or the down, but probably not many that do both as well. Hope no matter which frame you choose it makes you as happy as I am with mine.