It’s been a while since we had a bike ready to share on Ti Tuesday but thanks to Keith’s recent purchase of this classy Essato, well, you get to share in the joy of Ti!

It started out with the idea of building a bike. Sure, I’ve had my share of bikes over the years, but I had never built one. So that was the start of this process: the desire to choose a frameset, research and pick out each part, and put it all together into something I would be proud to ride. Something one-of-a-kind. This is where the Esatto Ti comes in.

You see, I started my passion with bikes as a mountain biker. And I’ve always been fond of the Kona brand, but until recently, hadn’t ever owned one. That all changed when last season, I threw a leg over my brother’s Honzo AL/DL. Amazing bike. Soon after, I purchased a Honzo of my own: a 2019 Honzo CR. I tell you all of this because when the time came to build a capable and fun road bike, I was stoked to see that the Esatto Ti was an option. A USA-made (by Lynskey in Tennessee) titanium endurance road frameset from a brand whose mountain bike roots run deep. Perfect.

The build process was fun and I was able to work closely with my brother during the process, who’s also crazy about bikes. I spent lots of hours looking up different part options and specifications. Learned about bottom bracket standards, brake reach, proper cable cutting, and which grease to use in titanium applications. The learning that took place in this experience was an awesome part of the process and is a reason that any passionate biker should consider a build.

I ultimately chose to compliment stellar the frame with black parts and made decisions based on product reliability, performance, and value. I am very pleased how smooth titanium rides and think that the project turned out even better than I expected. I plan to ride my Esatto Ti for years to come.

SPECIFICATIONS

Frame  –  Kona Esatto Ti
Fork  –  Kona Carbon Race
Size  –  56
Headset  –  Cane Creek 40 series
Groupset  –  Shimano 105 7000 series
B/B  –  Shimano Ultegra, threaded
Wheelset  –  Mavic Allroad Elite UST
Brakes  –  TRP RG957
Handlebar  –  3T Ernova
Stem  –  Deda Newton w/ti bolts
Seatpost  –  Thomson Elite
Seat Clamp  –  Kona clamp
Saddle  –  WTB Silverado
Front Tire  –  Mavic Yksion Elite Allroad UST, 700×30 (caliper measurement: 34)
Rear Tire  –  Hutchinson Fusion TLR, 700×28 (caliper measurement: 32)
Pedals  –  Crank Brothers Eggbeaters (told you I am a mountain biker)
Extras  –  Elite Cannibal XC bottle cages

WANT MORE DROPBAR DREAM BUILDS?

View Them All