Firefly Bicycles

[Tyler Evans]

// Ti-Carbon Road ISP //

Effective TT ~ 56cm
ST ~ 74.5°
HT ~ 73° @ 170mm
CS ~ 415mm
Drop ~ 75mm
Saddle Height ~ 763mm
Stem ~ 110mm x -10°
Fork ~ 370mm x 43mm
Max Tire ~ 32mm

[Burnette]

Originally Posted by Tyler Evans

// Ti-Carbon Road ISP //

Effective TT ~ 56cm
ST ~ 74.5°
HT ~ 73° @ 170mm
CS ~ 415mm
Drop ~ 75mm
Saddle Height ~ 763mm
Stem ~ 110mm x -10°
Fork ~ 370mm x 43mm
Max Tire ~ 32mm

I'm calling this one "MMA, UFTC", Mixed Material Arts, Ultimate Firefly Ti-Carbon.

This my fave Firefly model. And I like the logo behind the head badge. This bike is fire.

[dbnm]

Those are Kogel pulleys? Custom?

[Tyler Evans]

Originally Posted by dbnm

Those are Kogel pulleys? Custom?

Kogel Ceramic bearings pressed into custom titanium pulleys made by Josh Ogle. Josh also makes our titanium dropouts, seat collars, top caps, stem parts and seatpost parts (and soon to be released front derailleur clamps).

On this bike (which is his) he also made the headset toppper and all the brake cable guides (pictured below).

[d_douglas]

I know this has been discussed ad nauseum, but can you tell me why mixed material bikes are so popular? Does the addition of carbon soften/tune the ride more than if pure ti was used? I think it was weight savings back in the day when this was first tried, but now that these bikes are so refined, there must be a performance benefit as well, right?

As always, these are stunning, jaw-dropping bikes. The level of craftsmanship is unmatched in my opinion.

[Tyler Evans]

Originally Posted by d_douglas

I know this has been discussed ad nauseum, but can you tell me why mixed material bikes are so popular? Does the addition of carbon soften/tune the ride more than if pure ti was used? I think it was weight savings back in the day when this was first tried, but now that these bikes are so refined, there must be a performance benefit as well, right?

As always, these are stunning, jaw-dropping bikes. The level of craftsmanship is unmatched in my opinion.

Thanks!

The popularity of this format stems from the ability to combine the best traits of both Titanium and Carbon Fiber. You get the renowned liveliness and of the titanium drivetrain (often referred to as "snappy") matched with the light weight and stiffness characteristics of the carbon main tubes. The carbon main tubes also add a degree of high-frequency dampening to the overall feel, eliminating a lot of the buzz that leads to fatigue on long rides.

One bonus of this format for builders like us is that we can make our own lugs, adding the same degree of customization to parts specifications, geometry, and ride characteristics as our all titanium bikes. Things like tapered or straight head tubes, PF30, T47, or BSA Bottom Brackets, and all combinations of brake types and cable routing can be accommodated.

The result is a truly high-performance bike with none of the sacrifices to fit, handling, ride quality, durability or parts compatibility found in many all carbon bikes on the market.

Let me know if you need any more clarification or have any more questions.

[John H.]

What handlebar is on this build?

[sparky33]

Now you got me going down the rabbit hole of luxury titanium watches. Never knew I needed that.

Thanks pal.

Originally Posted by Tyler Evans

Kogel Ceramic bearings pressed into custom titanium pulleys made by Josh Ogle. Josh also makes our titanium dropouts, seat collars, top caps, stem parts and seatpost parts (and soon to be released front derailleur clamps).

[NYCfixie]

Originally Posted by sparky33

Now you got me going down the rabbit hole of luxury titanium watches. Never knew I needed that.

Thanks pal.

I am local and also happy to help you with going down the rabbit hole of luxury watches; even titanium ones.

[crownjewelwl]

Originally Posted by sparky33

Now you got me going down the rabbit hole of luxury titanium watches. Never knew I needed that.

Thanks pal.

go for a ceramic watch...they dont scratch at all

titanium easily scratches, but once the patina develops it's ok

[OtayBW]

Originally Posted by Tyler Evans

You guys have to have the nicest welds that I've seen. Geez....

[Tyler Evans]

Ti-Carbon All-Road ISP // 3D Printed Monoyoke // 650b

[nmrt]

Tyler,
I see that you use the Parlee, Enve, and Whisky fork quite frequently in your builds. This makes me assume that these three forks have, ride qualities notwithstanding, similar build qualities. Am I current in my assumption or is the build quality of one fork better that the others? I would like to believe that Enve and Parlee being MUSA, would have better quality controls and workmanship. But who actually knows with all that current news on Enve rims and certain tires.

Also, the fork that you install on a particular bike, is it because of what the customer wants? Or is it because you think that these three forks have differing ride characteristics and you chose that which would best complement the ride qualities of the frame? If it is the latter, I would love to hear your thoughts on how these forks differ.
Thanks!

[Tyler Evans]

Originally Posted by nmrt

Tyler,
I see that you use the Parlee, Enve, and Whisky fork quite frequently in your builds. This makes me assume that these three forks have, ride qualities notwithstanding, similar build qualities. Am I current in my assumption or is the build quality of one fork better that the others? I would like to believe that Enve and Parlee being MUSA, would have better quality controls and workmanship. But who actually knows with all that current news on Enve rims and certain tires.

Also, the fork that you install on a particular bike, is it because of what the customer wants? Or is it because you think that these three forks have differing ride characteristics and you chose that which would best complement the ride qualities of the frame? If it is the latter, I would love to hear your thoughts on how these forks differ.
Thanks!

Great questions.

We have total faith in all of those fork options, each of which is very well built and has passed strict safety certifications. It's worth noting that all three of those forks are made in Asia (Enve rims are made in the US, but not their forks), but that is not a negative at all. The build and finish qualities are totally consistent.

Choosing the right fork is less about varying the ride quality than it is about matching the component/tire specs and geometry needs for any individual build. Those three manufacturers have slightly different options. Enve usually has a fork model to match any given build specs, but not always. Whisky, for example, offers a gravel fork, the No.9 RD+, with a shorter build height and longer offset than Enve or Parlee make. That can be really helpful for smaller All-Road bikes and for people who want an All-Road bike that is closer to a road bike in look and feel. Parlee offers a tapered rim brake road fork with two offset options, giving us more flexibility to match the fork to the frame size, while Enve and Whisky make their tapered rim brake forks with only one offset. We also love the Rodeo Spork for customers getting All-Road bikes who want to use a front rack.

[NYCfixie]

Originally Posted by Tyler Evans

...Whisky, for example, offers a gravel fork, the No.9 RD+, with a shorter build height and longer offset than Enve or Parlee make. That can be really helpful for smaller All-Road bikes and for people who want an All-Road bike that is closer to a road bike in look and feel...

I think that is what you used on Sparky33 and TTX1 recent builds. I hope to check them both out in-person real soon. Those builds are exactly what I want/need: smaller frame, bigger than 28 road tires but not too big, and all-around FireFly goodness.