Review: Titan Racing Cypher RS Carbon Ultimate

[dasilvarsa]

On 1/20/2023 at 7:49 PM, ChrisF said:

Real question ..... So what would it take to become a "Premium brand" ?

 

https://www.bikeperfect.com/features/best-xc-mountain-bikes

[Furbz]

If only buying a bicycle was a rational decision

my fat arse does not use logic the a bike buying process. 
it’s more fun that way

[Patrice gautier]

Well, I've read it all.

I'm waiting for my RS Ultimate to arrive this week.

It's going to be my bike for Epic 2023.

So will be interesting to ride and feel the bike.

 

 

[W@nted]

47 minutes ago, Patrice gautier said:

Well, I've read it all.

I'm waiting for my RS Ultimate to arrive this week.

It's going to be my bike for Epic 2023.

So will be interesting to ride and feel the bike.

 

 

Looking forward to your review of the bike Patrice! 

[Meezo]

On 1/20/2023 at 5:29 PM, MTBRIDER1234 said:

For that same price, you could buy a PYGA mobu frame for around 80k, and have 50k left over to build up a really, really great bike with solid parts. All it would take is some patience and waiting for good deals, and you could have an amazing bike that is super solid and arguably the best carbon frame ever made (IMHO). 

Not trying to bash titan, and it isn't bad value for the specs, but it is very expensive.

But then you'd have to ride a pyga

[MTBRIDER1234]

32 minutes ago, Meezo said:

But then you'd have to ride a pyga

Sounds like you named another advantage to me haha

[dave303e]

50k for a fork, shock, group set, carbon wheels and cockpit is not a huge amount on money to play with either...

If you take a similar priced Specialized - https://www.specialized.com/za/en/epic-expert/p/205826?color=349283-205826

That is GX vs the Titan XX1, the fork is also quite a bit higher spec. The titan has a carbon handlebar vs the aluminum on the Specialized. For reference, the 75k titan is specced similar to the 135k Specialised. 

On paper hard to beat and really I have really enjoyed my lower spec version a lot, it was a purchase with my head, but I can't walk by it without having a 2nd quick glance back at it now

[devvydoesdonuts]

On 1/20/2023 at 7:49 PM, ChrisF said:

 

Real question ..... So what would it take to become a "Premium brand" ?

 

As a home grown SA brand it is unrealistic to expect the fancy franchised outlets of some of the imported brands.

 

They certainly build a solid reputation with their kids bikes.  Frankly, before buying one of their 24" models I could not care less about them.  Then seeing the abuse their bikes took at the SPUR MTB series I got a newfound respect for them.

 

Titan then started (or at least I then started reading) publishing the exploits of their racing teams on full sized bikes.  Year by year they improved their range.

 

 

Which begs the question: "Just what must they still do to become a premium brand?"

 

 

Or is it as basic as brand loyalty to the older known brands ?  (which is certainly not a bad thing either)

 

 

I think Titan are currently in a position that the likes of Hyundai/KIA were in all those years ago, and now what Haval/GWM & BAIC are in. They are providing good products with great specs at a much affordable price compared to the premium brands, you get the people that are really happy with the products and feel like they made a great decision to buy what they did, and you will get the others that will always say its a terrible product etc.

[DieselnDust]

On 1/20/2023 at 5:29 PM, MTBRIDER1234 said:

For that same price, you could buy a PYGA mobu frame for around 80k, and have 50k left over to build up a really, really great bike with solid parts. All it would take is some patience and waiting for good deals, and you could have an amazing bike that is super solid and arguably the best carbon frame ever made (IMHO). 

Not trying to bash titan, and it isn't bad value for the specs, but it is very expensive.

R85k for frame

R20k for a fork

R20k for midrange carbon wheels

R20k for Gx axs geouoset

 

jnless my math is super *** you’re way over R130 k already and you don’t have tyres, bars stem saddle dropper pedals etc…./

 

[babse]

crazy how 80k for a frame is meant to seem reasonable  

 

🙃

 

 

[Showtime]

2 hours ago, dave303e said:

50k for a fork, shock, group set, carbon wheels and cockpit is not a huge amount on money to play with either...

If you take a similar priced Specialized - https://www.specialized.com/za/en/epic-expert/p/205826?color=349283-205826

That is GX vs the Titan XX1, the fork is also quite a bit higher spec. The titan has a carbon handlebar vs the aluminum on the Specialized. For reference, the 75k titan is specced similar to the 135k Specialised. 

On paper hard to beat and really I have really enjoyed my lower spec version a lot, it was a purchase with my head, but I can't walk by it without having a 2nd quick glance back at it now

I don't really understand the appeal of the top of the range models. The ~R80k models also have carbon wheels, AXS, SID etc. It is really are getting into marginal gains territory that will make close to zero difference in the experience.

And the bike industry will find a way to make both obsolete in 3 years.

[MTBRIDER1234]

2 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

R85k for frame

R20k for a fork

R20k for midrange carbon wheels

R20k for Gx axs geouoset

 

jnless my math is super *** you’re way over R130 k already and you don’t have tyres, bars stem saddle dropper pedals etc…./

 

I wasn't saying buy all the parts new. For 130k you could easily build that up with some second hand lightly used parts. Ask me how I built my PYGA for half of retail with a very solid spec.

[Jewbacca]

I still want to know what makes a 'premium brand' in SA.

Customer service? 

World tour representation? 

IMHO it's just public perception mixed in with some marketing and history. 

What do I know though. I have 2 x boutique steel clown bikes and a girls road bike. 

People are happy to pay more for some things because they are led to believe it is worth it.

Like diamonds. An entire industry built on the backs of slaves and human rights violations which has no place in today's society, yet still coveted and deemed important because, well, diamonds.

[117]

Well, what makes a brand boutique then? 

I guess if you have good worldwide representation we (as souff effricans) perceive it to be premium. Where as in, say Scotland, they haven't even heard of TR

[Jewbacca]

8 minutes ago, 117 said:

Well, what makes a brand boutique then? 

I guess if you have good worldwide representation we (as souff effricans) perceive it to be premium. Where as in, say Scotland, they haven't even heard of TR

So public perception then?

[117]

Perhaps local as opposed to public

Semantics