FWIW, I’ve got a original Hightower XL with a 150 fork and an XL Titan with a 170 fork. HT is 470/435 and Titan is 495/452. When you measure the front centers and do the math, front center on HT is 64.25% of the wheelbase and Titan is 65.33%. Wheelbase on Titan is 87mm longer.
I am not going to claim I am good enough as a rider or knowledgeable enough about bike design to say a lot about that difference in the context of overall design other than
\- I really like the HT for sustainable, purpose-built trails on rolling terrain and the Titan for winch and plummet.
\- even with the long rear center on the Titan, it’s arguably not as “balanced” as the Hightower (i.e., bikes of 4-5 years ago) based on this one simple metric.
\- even so, might want to try 440 on the HT, but no real interest in trying 457 on the Titan. However, wouldn’t consider a bike of the Titan’s ilk with anything under 445.
\- much like beer and whiskey, I can tell the difference between the average and good stuff but struggle to articulate it. Still, 5-10mm differences in rear center absolutely noticeable and impactful for above average riders.
\- long, low, and slack relatively easy to comprehend. Think the next frontier of geometry/customization going to be a lot more complicated and much harder for the layperson to grasp.
Aug. 6, 2021, 7:55 a.m. - MuscogeeMasher
FWIW, I’ve got a original Hightower XL with a 150 fork and an XL Titan with a 170 fork. HT is 470/435 and Titan is 495/452. When you measure the front centers and do the math, front center on HT is 64.25% of the wheelbase and Titan is 65.33%. Wheelbase on Titan is 87mm longer. I am not going to claim I am good enough as a rider or knowledgeable enough about bike design to say a lot about that difference in the context of overall design other than \- I really like the HT for sustainable, purpose-built trails on rolling terrain and the Titan for winch and plummet. \- even with the long rear center on the Titan, it’s arguably not as “balanced” as the Hightower (i.e., bikes of 4-5 years ago) based on this one simple metric. \- even so, might want to try 440 on the HT, but no real interest in trying 457 on the Titan. However, wouldn’t consider a bike of the Titan’s ilk with anything under 445. \- much like beer and whiskey, I can tell the difference between the average and good stuff but struggle to articulate it. Still, 5-10mm differences in rear center absolutely noticeable and impactful for above average riders. \- long, low, and slack relatively easy to comprehend. Think the next frontier of geometry/customization going to be a lot more complicated and much harder for the layperson to grasp.