Moots Compact Variants

[Alaska Mike]

I have an '08 Moots Compact that I love. As with all bikes that I love, if one is good, more is obviously much betterer.

I have a Moots Vamoots DR that I haven't warmed to as much. I can recognize it's a great bike, but I guess too many years hammering crit and road race bikes has narrowed my tastes.

Thus, I've found myself looking at variants of the Compact and wondering how they differed. Compact SLs, Vamoots CRs, and even older Vamoots RSLs. The wandering eye of a faithless bike whore never rests...

Is there a significant difference?

[Ken Robb]

I'll bet someone at MOOTS could help you with these questions. They are pretty nice with customer support.

[doomridesout]

The SL was 6/4 tubing, lighter and stiffer but the same design.
The Vamoots CR is essentially the same as a Compact, but does not have an integrated seat binder. Later versions went to a 44mm HT.
The RSL is an entirely different tube spec to shave grams and drastically increase stiffness. IMO too stiff.
Don’t stray. My Compact still holds the title as the best titanium road racing bike I ever had. Nothing to be gained, except maybe by a Compact SL, which are held in the highest regard by the heads.

[SoCalSteve]

The SL was 6/4 tubing, lighter and stiffer but the same design.
The Vamoots CR is essentially the same as a Compact, but does not have an integrated seat binder. Later versions went to a 44mm HT.
The RSL is an entirely different tube spec to shave grams and drastically increase stiffness. IMO too stiff.
Don’t stray. My Compact still holds the title as the best titanium road racing bike I ever had. Nothing to be gained, except maybe by a Compact SL, which are held in the highest regard by the heads.

And my 61.5cm RSL does not feel stiff at all. But then I am 6’5”, 220lbs. It’s actually super smooth. My oversized tubing Colnago C60 is much stiffer.

[Alaska Mike]

The SL was 6/4 tubing, lighter and stiffer but the same design.
The Vamoots CR is essentially the same as a Compact, but does not have an integrated seat binder. Later versions went to a 44mm HT.
The RSL is an entirely different tube spec to shave grams and drastically increase stiffness. IMO too stiff.
Don’t stray. My Compact still holds the title as the best titanium road racing bike I ever had. Nothing to be gained, except maybe by a Compact SL, which are held in the highest regard by the heads.
I'm still kicking myself for not jumping on that Compact SL that was for sale here earlier this fall.

The 1st gen (2010) Vamoots CRs had the integrated seat binder, and a 1cm taller HT. For me, that doesn't matter because I don't run a slammed stem on my Compact right now. I was wondering if they changed other things that might affect performance in other ways, to differentiate it further from the RSL.

If a RSL dropped into my lap for the right price, I'd certainly consider it. The design is a mixed bag for me, since I'm not crazy about press-fit bottom brackets.

[madsciencenow]

I'm still kicking myself for not jumping on that Compact SL that was for sale here earlier this fall.



The 1st gen (2010) Vamoots CRs had the integrated seat binder, and a 1cm taller HT. For me, that doesn't matter because I don't run a slammed stem on my Compact right now. I was wondering if they changed other things that might affect performance in other ways, to differentiate it further from the RSL.



If a RSL dropped into my lap for the right price, I'd certainly consider it. The design is a mixed bag for me, since I'm not crazy about press-fit bottom brackets.



I have an RSL w a standard English threaded BB. You can get them either w or w/o the PF.


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[Alaska Mike]

I just picked up a late model (new-style fork and big head tube) RSL frameset. It has the PF30 bottom bracket, but I'm adapting it with a Wheels Manufacturing bottom bracket for my SRAM SRM and various Quarqs.

The plan is for this bike to replace the Madones that serve as my race bikes. So yeah, expect to see a few framesets on the market for low-low prices in a couple months after I strip them down. I'm tired of feeling guilty seeing them hanging there and not being used as much as they should be.

So, the Compact for everyday riding and the RSL for racing. Sounds perfectly reasonable.

And the TT bike for time trials.
And the dented-up Storck for home trainer use.
And the Ritchey BreakAway for travel trainer use.
And the Lynskey Urbano for gravel grinding.
And...