In the carbon age, the exclusivity of a titanium racing bike is already well established. If you ride up to the café of your choice on one of these grey eminences, you will inevitably attract attention to yourself and the bike. With the Vamoots RCS, this works even better. The reason: the bike from the US titanium pioneers at Moots exudes an elegance that you can hardly experience on any other model.
This beauty from the States is based on a perfectly crafted titanium frame with filigree weld seams that look chiselled. Like other titanium frame manufacturers, Moots also relies on printed individual parts, but is comparatively restrained with the dropouts on the rear triangle. The stem, seat post and bottle cage - all also made from the precious metal - blend seamlessly into the exclusive look.
Moots Vamoots RCS: Lightweight construction versus rigidity
Contrary to its pretty design, the inner values of the Vamoots RCS are average: Both in terms of riding stability and acceleration, the US bike is in last place in this comparison test. On fast descents, our test rider would have liked a slightly more stable base. One explanation for the weaknesses on our TOUR test stand could be the thin-walled tubes of the titanium frame. In addition, the carbon fork is not very torsionally stiff. On the other hand, the Moots benefits in terms of overall weight, which is remarkably low for a titanium bike with disc brakes, and comfort. Especially on the handlebars, which, like the wheels, come from US specialist Enve and offer an enormous amount of flex, the Vamoots has excellent suspension and comes close to the Specialised S-Works Roubaix with integrated damper.
In combination with the very smooth ride, the Vamoots also masters field and forest paths. However, due to the smooth profile of the 32-millimetre Panaracer tyres, it lacks grip in fast bends. Although there would be room for wider studded tyres, according to the US company, these would have a negative impact on handling. In Germany, Moots wheels are available from the titanium specialist Miles. There is a choice of build kits for customisation. The test bike with seat post, stem and bottle cage made of titanium would cost an impressive 13,000 euros. And that's with an Ultegra groupset. But "Handmade in US" has its price. Miles offers the build kit for 7800 euros.
Details of the Moots Vamoots RCS
- TOUR grade: 2,3
- Price: Approx. 13,000 euros
- Weight of complete wheel: 8.4 kg
- Frame sizes: 48, 50, 52, 54, 55, 56, 58, 60, 62
Geometry
- Seat / top / head tube: 565 / 565 / 176 millimetres
- Stack / Reach / STR: 597 / 378 millimetres / 1.58
- Stack+ / Reach+ / STR+: 649 / 550 millimetres / 1.18
- Wheelbase / caster: 1005 / 65 millimetres
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano Ultegra Di2 (2x12; 50/34, 11-34 t.) | Grade: 1.0
- Brakes: Shimano Ultegra (160/160 mm) | Grade: 1.0
- Tyres: Panaracer Gravelking TLC 32 mm (eff.: 34 mm) | Grade: 2.0
- Impellers: Enve 45/Industry Nine
- Impeller weights: 1253/1744 grams (front/rear)
Advantages and disadvantages
- Plus: Very good front comfort, lightweight, top workmanship, nine sizes, lifetime guarantee
- Minus: Weaknesses in stiffness values, extremely expensive
More titanium wheels in the test
Jens Klötzer
Editor
