Look at this Moots very closely...

[bulliedawg]

I love Moots bikes. A Vamoots will be my next bike. I saw this one on eBay and noticed something interesting on one of the close ups of the beautiful welds. Look at the weld bead going across the seat tube just below the cluster.

Is that an illusion, or is it intended, or is it a quality control miss? Moots is well known for their perfect welds, so I was surprised

[Idris Icabod]

I noticed this on my Moots and it was recently covered over on the Moots site, here is the answer from Butch at Moots:

"The weld you see at the top of the seat tube secures the titanium insert that does a couple of things. The tube below the weld is a thin walled tube so we need to insert a short thicker walled tube to bring the inside diameter to 27.2 for your post. The increase in strength is needed as well because on various models this is a pretty high stress area. This insert is pressed into the top of the seat tube and then welded with "Sparky". Brad designed and built a roto welder which purges, spins and welds the two tubes together under the watchful eye of a human welder. On our frames that use a 1-3/8" diameter seat tube we use an aluminum insert to get to a 28.6 mm seatpost size. On the bottom of our full suspension bikes we insert and weld a thicker tube for added strength around the bottom pivot"

I gather that this is the only machine weld on the frame.

[rePhil]

Bullie,

I was looking for a used Legend when I stumbled upon a used Vamoots in my size.I seldom see a used Vamoots up for sale, and this was the first one in my size I have seen in 3 years. That to me says something about the brand and the people behind them and riding them. The welds are incredible. Every Moots photo I have seen shows incredible workmanship.Mine is the same, they basically all look alike, and that's a good thing. Whomever does the welding is sure consistant. Mine has the weld on the seatpost too, but I have to look hard to see it.
I have wondered if they ever get 3/4 through welding and have a hiccup or something else to throw their rhythm off. Every weld is incredible.
And oh, the ride is just as good.

[97CSI]

On the BTC last year we had a day off in Steamboat and Moots opened their facility and hosted all who were interested. While Moots does, indeed, make a nice bicycle and has excellent welders, they also 'smooth' their welds by blasting post weld. Many have said they don't, but during our factory visit we were taken through every step of the process, which includes running the completed frame through their blast cabinet. And you can't leave those welds outside when the frame goes through. So the welds get the same matte finish from blasting as the tubes and this results in a 'smoothing' of same. Not better or worse than many other Ti welds from folks like Serotta, for instance. If you don't want a Serotta, then check out HRG in Media, PA. They make a very nice bike.

[eddief]

but my relatively down to earth TST titanium frame has welds almost indistinguishable from those in the Moots photo. Too bad me and my camera can not take a really representative likeness.