I really must think things through before upgrading. What started as a simple component swap escalated into a major project last year. Despite having a perfectly satisfactory fin de siècle Kestrel 200 EMS, I managed to track down a titanium-steerer EMS fork to replace the steel steerer version purchased with the frame and one I had inadvertently cut down rather too far for comfort. I had always hankered after the titanium-steerer fork and used the refit as an excuse to go 11-speed at the same time, transferring the Campagnolo Record 10-speed kit to my steel Audax/commuter bike. I felt that the alloy Cinelli 64 bars could do with an upgrade to carbon, and 26mm Kestrel carbon bars were chosen to go with the existing Cinelli Grammo stem. I was happy with the result...briefly.
Sadly, when it arrived, the fork steerer turned out to be threaded, with the threads extending to below the lower clamping area of the stem. It went together well enough, and I'm pretty sure that the titanium would have been sufficiently strong, yet there was always the nagging doubt that the outcome of a breakage would involve an inadvertent face/scenery interface (nooo, not the face!) It wouldn't do and besides, the new bars had too much reach and the titanium spacers didn't match the stem!
Despite being state of the art in 1999, the Kestrel had become somewhat archaic, having a 1" steerer. Luckily, Columbus make a light, carbon-steerer 1" fork, the 'Minimal' but there are no suitable 1" steerer stems available that would work with the 31.8mm diameter of my chosen shorter-reach carbon bars, the sexy Cinelli RAM. In the end, I managed to fit a Thomson X2 stem, using a cut-down Thomson Elite shim, together with some matching alloy spacers, giving a good cosmetic result.I'm not sure whether it's the combination of carbon bars, stiff stem and carbon fork or whether it's the state of the roads after a cold winter and wet summer, but over the filled and unfilled potholes, fissures and many many stretches of rough chip-seal, characteristic of rural Essex, the bike gave a bone-jarring ride. I replaced the 22mm Continental tubs with Veloflex Roubaix 24mm, which brought an improvement, but really the ride was still as hard as hell and the whole thing just wasn't working: I found I was using my Roberts steel Audax bike in preference, most of the time. Time for a new frame...
Despite any shortcomings, I think the Kestrel was very elegant, as carbon frames go. I'm not a big fan of the current vogue for massive cross-sectioned head/crown and bottom-bracket areas characteristic of modern carbon frames, however and it got me thinking about steel again. When it comes down to it, a steel frame may weigh a couple of pounds more, but always gives a good ride and I much prefer a more traditional look. Who to buy from, though?
This is a rather long preamble into my decision to go for a Burls frame. Justin Burls is based in nearby Harwich, where he has built steel frames and has more recently diversified into titanium. I remember him starting making frames and being impressed by the high standard of workmanship of even his earliest ones, so I made enquiries. It turned out that he wasn't building steel at that point in time, but could provide a bespoke titanium one; the manufacturing being subcontracted to Russia, where the builders had the necessary expertise and experience in fabricating this light but difficult to weld material. It is generally accepted that titanium has a vibration-absorbing ride, it looks great, doesn't require painting and can be configured to taste.
We decided on a road frame, with geometry loosely based on my Audax bike, which I have always found to be very comfortable. I had recently met another rider with a Burls Ti frame and was very impressed by the look of it. He had opted for curved seat stays and fancy tube profiles, which while appealing to my inner bike geek, detracted from the more classic appearance I was after and I decided to go for straight stays and round tube profiles. Forum discussions abound with tales of the flexible nature of titanium and I was anxious to achieve comfort along with lateral stiffness so that there was no front derailleur rub when pushing out of the saddle. Justin recommended 32mm seat and top tubes, together with a 40mm downtube to achieve the desired characteristics. No 'compact' frame geometry either: I prefer a horizontal top tube. The frame is finished off with a curved Easton EC90SL fork which is light and has a nifty internally-threaded star-nut gizmo. Justin provides a CAD schematic to show the dimensions and geometry and even demonstrates that there will be no toe/wheel overlap - a nice touch.So, does it work? Well, yes it does and titanium really does live up to the hype surrounding it. The frame definitely absorbs harsh road surface vibration, yet has that 'zingy' feel of high-end steel frames. The geometry gives it sharp, accurate steering, yet allows the bike to feel completely stable in long, fast corners. Happily, the frame has no front derailleur rub when out of the saddle, so works just as anticipated. According to my luggage scales, it weighs 15lb with pedals and bottle cages, so while a little heavier than the latest carbon frames, it's still pretty darned light. Any further weight saving is going to have to come from my waistline! Kit is:
- Campagnolo Super Record 11-speed groupset (2011, with 2010 50/34 chainset).
- 12-25 cassette
- KMC X11SL chain
- 1990's Shimano Dura-Ace SPD pedals
- 1999 Campagnolo Nucleon wheels
- Veloflex Roubaix 24mm tubulars
- Thomson Masterpiece seatpost & seat tube clamp
- Selle Italia SLR saddle
- Chris King No-Thread headset
- Thomson Elite X2 stem
- Cinelli RAM bars
- King Cage titanium bottle cages
I would recommend Burls highly: the frames are of very high quality and are priced very reasonably. A frame like this one will come in around the thousand pound mark, plus fork, which while not cheap, represents outstanding value compared to a lot of high end carbon frames, American titanium frames and indeed many custom steel frames.
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