Since I posted about the Kona Rove Titanium frameset that I built up in early 2016 (if you read that, you know it was too big for me), I have wanted to build up another Ti gravel bike. Cost and availability kept me from meeting that goal. In late February, I contacted TC at Action Bikes and Outdoor about purchasing a Cosmic Stallion frame set. To my surprise, it was available in my size and TC had it in the store in a couple of days.
With the frame in hand, I took some time to figure out the build. I wanted to achieve a clean look and keep the complete bike under 22 pounds. First, I stripped the drivetrain and brakes from the Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross (I have a new vision for that bike), and ordered a new wheelset. I had a Zipp Service Course handlebar and a generic 80mm stem in the garage and decided to go with that for the cockpit. I took the Thomson seatpost from the Monster Cross as well.
The Cosmic Stallion is All City’s All Road Endurance bike. It’s made from Oberon, their proprietary tubing, manufactured from a blend of 3/2.5 titanium. It comes with a Whiskey No. 9 Cross Disc Fork. The frame has Di2 routing options, making it easily converted to electronic shifting. There are rear rack and fender mounts and it accommodates 700cX45mm or 650bX42mm tires, with or without fenders. It comes in 6 sizes to accommodate almost anyone and every frame has beautiful custom dropouts with included 12mm thru axles and an All City seat collar. Did I mention the paint. The baby blue and purple iridescent paint scheme really pops.
For the build: SRAM Force Shifters, rear derailleur and Hydraulic brakes as well as the Force Carbon 1X crankset with 42T chainring and an 11-42 cassette. The aforementioned Zipp bar, generic stem and Thomson Seatpost look great. I went with the Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35 TLR wheelset and Bontrager G2 Team Issue 700X40mm tires. I’m running the tried and true Crank Brothers Candy pedals and topped it off with a Fabric saddle, purple Lizards Skinz bar tape and stainless steel bottle cages by King Cage.
After building the bike up in the garage, I brought it back to Action Bikes and Outdoor so Xavier could install the Hydraulic brakes. With about 400 miles in the Delaware State Forest, I am delighted at how responsive this bike is. It seems a bit speedier than my other gravel bikes and it is every bit as comfortable as any steel bike I own. Time will tell. I’ll do a final review at the end of this year. I look forward to many long rides on this titanium steed.
ridingmilford.com 