Vamoots!!!

[strayduck]

Sorry that I had to yell that title but these guys and gals over at Moots make amazing bikes. Through a comedy (tragedy?) of errors with a frame builder this year, an upgrade to my old frame went sideways and I was left with a build kit but no frame.

I detail the story in a blog post over here but the tldr; is that I decided to take the leap and order a brand new frame to replace the old one. This forum post is more to marvel at a decade's worth of marginal gains. With very similar materials, geometry, and build kit I was blown away at the difference in ride quality.

Here was the bike that went under the knife to make room for wider tires. It was a 2006 Merlin 6/4 Works CR:



So I loved the Merlin and rode and raced it for years and tens of thousands of miles. I built it to be light but durable. It had a baseball bat of a downtube in 6/4 titanium and a small rear triangle for stiffness. Despite being designed specifically as a race bike it was pretty compliant and I rode a double-century on it with no lingering discomfort in the days following. I also raced it up Mt. Washington with no complaints about weight.

As I logged the miles the industry changed little by little. Head tubes got bigger. Wheels and handlebars got stiffer. Tires got wider. Brakes got MUCH better. So even though I thought I knew what I was getting myself into, I was still surprised when I finally got out on my new Moots.



Aside from fit, which is still perfect, every single aspect is different.

Where the Merlin aimed for efficiency through narrow, rock-hard tires and a more compliant frame, the Moots frame doesn't budge under sprint efforts. There is no "whoosh whoosh" from the deep dish wheels flexing. It absorbs road chatter via wider, lower pressure tires and larger bumps via the top part of the frame.

The teardrop-shaped wheels really do handle better in crosswinds and pick up speed very quickly.

And I could go on for days about the brakes. I got used to disc brakes on my gravel bike commuter which I ride year-round and in all weather. Even in poor conditions, you find yourself waiting longer and braking harder. There is no concern about high-temperature blowouts that you could get on rim brakes.

Many PRs have been set.

I would say that the older generation of road bike have a 'youthful' and slightly wild ride whereas the new generation have an almost military-like seriousness and sobriety to them. It's less Naruto charging into battle but more Kakashi focusing and achieving with less effort.

Have any of you also had a similar experience when upgrading to the new generation of bike?

I'll leave you with a few other photos because bike porn

[shrimp123]

nice ride. the adventure begins, rather, continues

[jkbrwn]

I did the opposite and ‘downgraded’ from a hydro Di2 44mm head tube disc road bike with wide tyres to a 1 1/8th rim brake mechanical shifting bike with less wide tyres and I have zero regrets. Much funner to ride in my eyes. And I feel less like I’m riding a robot and more like I’m riding a bicycle.

Ps sweet bike!

[paulh]

Wow! That is really nice. I don't have a similar story.

I have a painted Moots that really needs to be refinished. Probably a plain brushed Ti finish.

"The base finish uses two different levels of sandblasting"

Is this what their website calls "standard brushed finish?" And I'm assuming the logos are anodized.

Well done and congrats.

[jpritchet74]

That's just do damn perdy.

[strayduck]

Originally Posted by shrimp123

nice ride. the adventure begins, rather, continues

Always continue!

Originally Posted by jkbrwn

I did the opposite and ‘downgraded’ from a hydro Di2 44mm head tube disc road bike with wide tyres to a 1 1/8th rim brake mechanical shifting bike with less wide tyres and I have zero regrets. Much funner to ride in my eyes. And I feel less like I’m riding a robot and more like I’m riding a bicycle.

I can appreciate that viewpoint. The robot makes me feel so capable, though! lol. If I were an auto collector I'd surely have some classics in the stable as well. An old MG isn't as fast as a modern sports car but there is a charm and a feel to the ride that is fun.

Originally Posted by paulh

Is this what their website calls "standard brushed finish?" And I'm assuming the logos are anodized.

I looked up the official name and the logo treatment I have is "etched" https://moots.com/finishes/#finish-2

Originally Posted by pritchet74

That's just do damn perdy.

Thanks! I have to admit that I do keep it in my office so that I can admire it when not riding...

[barnabyjones]

I'd argue that a 2020 Moots with disc brakes would provide the perceived power transfer, performance and comfort of a 2005 C50 Colnago or Look 585 with Dura Ace or Record skeleton brakes.

That said, the Moots will look modern well past 2035. Lovely bike that.

edit: since it's an RSL, a C59 would be comparable or a Cervelo RCA. Planted but not too stiff carbon.

[Matthew]

Beautiful bike!! I've got two Moots and they are lifetime keepers. Is it me or did the Moots finish change slightly? Just seems a different shade of finish now. Not bad, just different. Different bead blast technique maybe? Still great looking regardless.

[barnabyjones]

Originally Posted by Matthew

Beautiful bike!! I've got two Moots and they are lifetime keepers. Is it me or did the Moots finish change slightly? Just seems a different shade of finish now. Not bad, just different. Different bead blast technique maybe? Still great looking regardless.

I thought the same. That finish looks closer to Lynskey Matte Satin than the typical Moots bead blasted finish.

https://lynskeyperformance.com/titanium-frame-finishes/

[JeffWarner]

Originally Posted by Matthew

Beautiful bike!! I've got two Moots and they are lifetime keepers. Is it me or did the Moots finish change slightly? Just seems a different shade of finish now. Not bad, just different. Different bead blast technique maybe? Still great looking regardless.

I think its just the lighting in the picture. I've got two Vamoots ... a 2004 and a 2019 ... and the bead blasting finish looks to be the same between the two.

[Steve in SLO]

That’s a beautiful go-fast bike.
I have owned seven Moots and currently still have three so I am a fan of the brand, but in the spirit of “You can’t please all the people all the time”, I don’t understand those 3D dropout modules. They look like a repair that detracts from the usual Moots elegance.

[nighthawk]

Originally Posted by Steve in SLO

That’s a beautiful go-fast bike.
I have owned seven Moots and currently still have three so I am a fan of the brand, but in the spirit of “You can’t please all the people all the time”, I don’t understand those 3D dropout modules. They look like a repair that detracts from the usual Moots elegance.

I’m with you on that. Former Vamoots owner and I loved riding that refined and purposefully constructed machine. These 3D dropouts look awkward to me. Is the mismatched diameter necessary? Couldn’t they have smoothed out the transition or matched the tube diameter? Technology (3D printing) for the sake of technology, no thanks. What are the benefits with the aesthetic compromise?

[mcteague]

I think Moots are great bikes but I could never warm up to the bead blasted finish. IMO, brushed looks MUCH better. And those 3d printed parts...

Tim

[avalonracing]

Originally Posted by mcteague

I think Moots are great bikes but I could never warm up to the bead blasted finish. IMO, brushed looks MUCH better. And those 3d printed parts...

Tim

I'm with you. Brushed Ti is so pretty and easy to clean and maintain.

[brewsmith]

Originally Posted by nighthawk

I’m with you on that. Former Vamoots owner and I loved riding that refined and purposefully constructed machine. These 3D dropouts look awkward to me. Is the mismatched diameter necessary? Couldn’t they have smoothed out the transition or matched the tube diameter? Technology (3D printing) for the sake of technology, no thanks. What are the benefits with the aesthetic compromise?

While I agree, the fit and finish of the dropouts leaves something to be desired, when I took the Moots tour last year they explained that the 3d printing allowed them to get the precise fit needed for flat mount brakes with zero weld distortion.

Given that flat mount brakes arguably don't offer any performance benefit (outside of the clean fitment) with less adjustability it it a bit of a dog chasing it's tail tech conundrum. In the end, they are obscured by the rotor and cassette for 99% of it's life span and if it rides well, then there are bigger fish to fry