posted by Alex Zuckerman on january 15, 1998 at 01:07:38:
in reply to: Ibis Ti vs. Merlin XLM posted by glenn on january 01, 1998 at 00:41:47:
I honestly can't say whether one is better than the other. Ultimately, the deciding factor should be the ride and not the brand. However, speaking as a professional mechanic, I have never seen a company that is so meticuluous with their tubing. If you want to take the time to read all their info on titanium, I'm sure you'll find it very informative (although quite boring). I've seen too many bike companies that produce titanium frames without much say as to what kind of titanium they use. Judging by Merlin's knowhow and attention to detail I would trust a Merlin frame over the Ibis. You might also want to check out Seven Cycles as well. Their frames are made by Rob Vandermark's team (they all worked for Merlin). They are just like Merlins in quality, but come in custom sizes for the same money.
Good luck,
Alex