When I "stomp" down on my pedals to accelerate on my new Ti frame...I feel that it just kinda lays there. I feel like I am always pulling this bike. Prior Ti frames seemed a bit more 'spirited'. NOW...I am also in worse shape than I was last year (terrible sciatica...definite weakness in that leg). So, it's hard to evaluate this perfectly.
BUT...let's address this as a general question. Are some frames more 'responsive'? And if so, is there a way to tell when static (Showroom, parking lot...).
PS. I am using some circa 2000 Ultegra cranks/ BB.

When I "stomp" down on my pedals to accelerate on my new Ti frame...I feel that it just kinda lays there. I feel like I am always pulling this bike. Prior Ti frames seemed a bit more 'spirited'. NOW...I am also in worse shape than I was last year (terrible sciatica...definite weakness in that leg). So, it's hard to evaluate this perfectly.
BUT...let's address this as a general question. Are some frames more 'responsive'? And if so, is there a way to tell when static (Showroom, parking lot...).
PS. I am using some circa 2000 Ultegra cranks/ BB.


what kind of ti frame is it? what are your dimensions ( ht, weight)?

there is no way to just look at a bike, showroom test it, to get a feel for the bike. You must test ride them or you must trust your salesperson. There are companies that manipulate tubing more than other companies, so it will be stronger and a better ride. Merlin bikes will manipulate their tubing, in house, more than any company. They use 2 pass welds on all their joints. If you're buying a Ti dean, moots, if , seven..... you're buying name more than performance as they don't maniuplate their tubesets to the degree that merlin does. Now that merlin and litespeed share facilities, they've both been able to get a leg up on all the other ti manufactureres. i don't work for merlin, sell them, or own one. I have another branded Ti frame and i've ridden my neighbors merlin and it's night and day different. the merlin just rockets from underneath me (not literally for those who want to make a joke), it is a nimble climber and a stable descender. It isn't the lightest, but it has the best mix of comfort and ride characteristics. I emailed merlin several times and they were helpful in explaining their build procedure and how they machine their tubesets. i''ve spent a lot of time researching ti frames and talking to ti builders and merlin beats them all. So...under my x-mas tree this year will be a merlin works frame

you can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking your head up a bulls @ss or you can take the butchers word for it.-Tommy boy. :thumbsup:

"When I "stomp" down on my pedals to accelerate on my new Ti frame...I feel that it just kinda lays there"
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Maybe your legs aren't "stomping" hard enough. All the energy you apply to the pedals is transfered to the back wheel.(well 99.99% anyway)
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"Prior Ti frames seemed a bit more 'spirited'"
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See above.
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"Are some frames more 'responsive'?"
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It's the legs, baby.....The legs............................Actually, it's the watts per kilograms.

what kind of ti frame is it? what are your dimensions ( ht, weight)?

there is no way to just look at a bike, showroom test it, to get a feel for the bike. You must test ride them or you must trust your salesperson. There are companies that manipulate tubing more than other companies, so it will be stronger and a better ride. Merlin bikes will manipulate their tubing, in house, more than any company. They use 2 pass welds on all their joints. If you're buying a Ti dean, moots, if , seven..... you're buying name more than performance as they don't maniuplate their tubesets to the degree that merlin does. Now that merlin and litespeed share facilities, they've both been able to get a leg up on all the other ti manufactureres. i don't work for merlin, sell them, or own one. I have another branded Ti frame and i've ridden my neighbors merlin and it's night and day different. the merlin just rockets from underneath me (not literally for those who want to make a joke), it is a nimble climber and a stable descender. It isn't the lightest, but it has the best mix of comfort and ride characteristics. I emailed merlin several times and they were helpful in explaining their build procedure and how they machine their tubesets. i''ve spent a lot of time researching ti frames and talking to ti builders and merlin beats them all. So...under my x-mas tree this year will be a merlin works frame

you can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking your head up a bulls @ss or you can take the butchers word for it.-Tommy boy. :thumbsup:

There's so much that you've got wrong here and so little that you understand about frames.

...a frame that "just rockets from underneath me....." Yeah, ok. That fantasyworld must be a fun place in which to live.

When I "stomp" down on my pedals to accelerate on my new Ti frame...I feel that it just kinda lays there. I feel like I am always pulling this bike. Prior Ti frames seemed a bit more 'spirited'. NOW...I am also in worse shape than I was last year (terrible sciatica...definite weakness in that leg). So, it's hard to evaluate this perfectly.
BUT...let's address this as a general question. Are some frames more 'responsive'? And if so, is there a way to tell when static (Showroom, parking lot...).
PS. I am using some circa 2000 Ultegra cranks/ BB.

You will get far more "laying there" from wheels and tires than anything else, so unless you are comparing two frames with the same wheels, you're not learning much. Beyond that, geometry can significantly alter how a bike feels. Also, how a bike feels can really mask how it actually performs. You need some sort of objective measure for that. For example, if you turn the same times on a time trial, it is really meaningless how a bike "feels" - lots of people get deceived by that. A perfect example is higher tire pressures, which SO many people think "feels faster" but typically isn't beyond a reasonable point. And then to say that you are out of shape and have a weak leg and sciatica, just what exactly do you think you can tell?