The winter and spring training rides were very good and the frame felt very comfortable. Especially cornering and descending at great speed. I felt in control. The main ride was in all conditions from -15 to 35 deg C from Lake Geneva to Cannes. Incredibly strong frame and still looks good after 4 years.

Some of the welding is messy,
Joints are untidy.
Decals are basic
Very expensive to purchase
Very costly to manufacture
hence probably why it has a limited market

I never thought I would be riding a titanium road bike, but I have always enjoyed riding steel frames and not quite ready for carbon. The Airbourne Valkyrie is on permanent loan from my father-in-law now retired from cycling. As I couldn't afford a decent ride for this year trip across the french alps it was a great opportunity to try out a much praised bicycle. This frame is no longer in production, because I think Airbourne went bust some time ago.

Weight (18 lbs), comfort, look of titanium, responsive, stable, fast decents without even a twitch. Makes me want to ride all the time. One last very important strength, PRICE. Airborne (and now hopefully Flyte) gave a 30% discount for active duty military to support our troops.

None so far

Smooth as silk. I was (still am) a firm believer in the ride of steel. But then I rode this titanium road machine and wow. The ride is fantastic, hard to describe . . . the road feel of good steel, but with more comfort. I've only had it for about a month so I will definitely write a follow-up in a feww thousand miles, but so far so good.

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Longevity-this bike takes a licking and keeps on ticking, the miles that is. Im well over 8,000 mile and it still rides like the day I got it. Forgivness-Not all roads are paved smooth(Missouri). The Ti bike allows the rider to enjoy the less enjoyable road conditions. Website-Makes you feel like you are special and when you recieve your bike you know that it was made especially for you, no one else. Price-More bike for the buck.

My only dislike was the logos. I am not a big fan of logos so take this with a grain of salt. There were logos on every tube of the bike, not necessary. If i could get one without logos, i would be happy. Too often people see the bike and judge the cyclist, I like to let my riding do the talking, then tell them I kicked there butts on a Ti Airborne.

My first experience with Airborne was on my fathers 2002 Zepline. The moment I hopped on I liked the feel, response, and the overall sensation I had riding the bike. When it was time for me to purchase a bike for a summer long ride across the counrty from Florence,Oregon to Washington D.C. I realized I need a bike that would work in all every condition this counrty and mother nature could dish out. I decided to give Airborne a look and to my surprise it was the most economical choice for the money(more bang for the buck). The website was amazing and the ability to build the bike to my liking and budget is what set Airborne apart from everyone. I chose the Valkyrie because of its versatility. The Valkyrie allows for the rider to experieince the mountains with grace and the flats with effortless speed. When the bike arrived I was not disappointed. I put what little there was to put together(maybe 15 minutes) and immediatly went for a ride. The weather that day was cold and rainy and the bike felt as smooth as if it were a sunny So Cal day. Along the trails people who knew cycling knew Airborne. I was asked everyday how I liked the bike, if it was worth the money, and would i recoment it. My answers were always YES, YES, YES!!! For three month i trained along the pacific coast for my journey across america. 2000 miles of training and the bike still felt like new. In June of 2004 the real test began. Ahead of me was 4,222 miles over 61 days(Average of 74 miles a day) In order to complete such a journey one needs a dependable and efficient bike, the Valkyrie was perfect. Riding through the valleys and mountains of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado this bike endured 4 degree weather and thousands of feet of climbing and descending. The Valkyrie handled the switchbacks like a rollercoaster on rails. If long riding is your thing this bike will leave your back side praising its name. 443 miles in 4 days through Kansas and my back, behind, and legs had no ill effects. One last story, if speed and stability is your thing then you'll like this story. 7 miles of descent in Virginia I tucked in behind pretty big truck, caught a draft and rode 60mph with out so much as a wiggle. This bike was amazing and after switching bikes (LeMond) for 10 miles with a teammate for fun i realized how good i had it. 6500 miles in 5 months with only 2 flat tires and not one tune up. This bike can do it and leave you feeling like you are one of the lucky ones. On a side note, if its criteriums you like, I raced 1/2 a season on the Valkyrie in class 4 and did pretty well. Those who race know how the pelaton speed can fluctuate and break aways occur, this bike did very well in all aspects of my cycling career. Are there bikes better, of course. But for the money you get a bike you can recreation ride and/or compete with that will make you a very happy cyclist.

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Lemond(sucks), Trek(sucks), Litespeed(overpriced & sucked)

Titanium - what it may lack SLIGHTLY in terms of stiffness and weight, it well makes up for in ride quality and longevity Attention to detail - laser etched headtube badge, company logos on cable housings, quality welds, manipulated tubes Website - user friendly, calculates cost versus weight, great selection Quality build Bombproof guarantee

None after 5,000 miles

I never considered purchasing a bicycle online until I read the reviews about Airborne. When I was in the market for a budget Ti bike last year, I decided to visit their website. They have a fantastic website! You can select from package deals, or build your dream bike from the ground up. Each time you make a selection, the site calculates the weight of the bike to the gram, and adjusts for the cost. Included on the site is a section for determining proper fit. Since I know my sizing preferences well, I opted to skip this step. I was a bit apprehensive about making that final click to purchase my Valkyrie. After all, I hadn't seen the bike nor tested it. I trusted Airborne because of their guarantee. Within 2 weeks, my bike arrived at my doorstep. It was superbly packed and well built. It took me 10 minutes to assemble it. I was in utter shock when I saw the completed bike! The company logo is laser etched into the headtube! The welds were meticulous and smooth. The bike had a stealth look to it, with a battleship grey finish and highly manipulated and sculpted tubes. 5,000 miles later, I can't stop raving about this bike! It's got the famous magic carpet ride that Ti is known for, but it is stiffer than my other Ti frame. This is because Airborne uses a semicompact design with manipulated stays in order to stiffen up the softer ride quality of Ti. On the flats, the Airborne is smooth and fast, and enables the rider to push a bigger gear. It is compliant, absorbs shock well, but allows enough communication between the road and the rider. It climbs well, but it doesn't lurch forward like it's turbocharged. It's more like a diesel engine; it takes a little more time to rev it, but once it winds up it's fast. It is very responsive in the corners and on descents, but it waits for the rider's input rather than taking off on it's own. I've found it to be a trustworthy training partner, and it is an economically sound and competitive option to other popular Ti makers. Ti is extremly strong and resilient, and the Airborne lives up to this reputation. All this and their bombproof guarantee!

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Ride quality Build quality Ti Curved stays look hot Good handling Price/value

Too many stickers? Only 105 group on my bike Potential Embarrassment of getting wood while looking at it

Up front I'll say while I've been a decent mountain biker for years, this is my first road bike since a ten speed schwinn varsity in highschool in the 70's. I'm now living in geography challenged Houston and after doing a century and some MS-170 rides on my mountain bike, I realized I wanted a road bike. While I don't have a great deal of experience with other road bikes, I do know about what qualities make a great bike, and feel, build quality, etc. After thinking I was "only" going to $800 or so on a bike, I got looking and ended up looking at used Merlin's and Litespeeds. Long story short, I saw this one, read reviews, measured myself and bought it. What an amazing bike. Its so smooth compared to aluminum like my MTN bike, that I sometimes look down to see if my tires are leaking. It jumps ahead if I stand on it, cuts a line to split a dime, rails around corners, is firm on the brakes. The frame is sexy and the curves look great. I guess only complaint is that I think there are too many decals on it.

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105 components have been a great value. The frame is beautiful, and is an amazing ride. The value of bike you get for the price is astonishing.

None so far.

I purchased this bike under three months ago, and have been nothing but pleased with it so far. For the price, I simply didn't find anything near the value of this bike. Test-rode aluminum, aluminum-carbon, and steel frames in the ballpark of the price paid for the Valkyrie--nothing compared to the ride of Ti. This bike is incredibly comfortable on long rides, soaking up the road; it screams up hills; it inspires confidence on downhills. A joy to come home to. Also--I got great service from Montlake Bicycle Shop--patient, informed, and not pushy at all.

Light and quick up the hills Mavic Kysrium Elite wheels Should last forever

Too many decals which clutter up the look of the bike Front-end almost too responsive

Have put about 600 miles on this bike and have enjoyed it very much. It was a big upgrade from a Cannondale R500. Very light and no quality problems. Geometry is fine but I've had to adjust to the quick steering response. Wanted to switch from Aluminum to Ti and I'm glad Airborne made it possible in my budget

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Floats up hills Crazy quick out of the saddle No sway

Not a one.

Picked this bike for road riding (mostly climbing) because my QR/Merlin tri-bike is uncomfortable on the hills. Unbelieveably happy. The bike is so quick and responsive...it's really unlike anyhting else I've ever ridden. Absolutely beautiful. And had GREAT service both from Airborne and from Bicycle Outfitter in Los Altos.

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Was looking for a sportier lighter bike for faster riding with harder gearing then my Co-Motion which I use for long distance riding. Very impressed so far. The bike is not twitchy - its very smooth and stable. Smooths out all the bumps on the road

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Have not used a Ti-Bike before, Also own a Co-motion Nor'wester

Graet frame for the long distance rider who likes to crank up hills. The bike translates all pedaling power direct to the wheels. It's fast, responsive, but you need to pay attention as it will go where you point it...So be sure you are pointing where you want to go.

none so far that Ive noted

wrote a review on this bike, stuck it in 2002 review for Valkyrie frames as there was not an entry for the 2003 at the time. Very fast, no loss of power transmission from pedal to frame. Deda carbon fork takes up the abuse given out by the roads. Bike setup is full campagnolo chorus; campy triple crankset, Deda carbon fiber fork, campy headset, Montreal 76 rims, (custom built by Tom Rakowski of Giotto Sports in Norhbrook,Ill) and he is a awesome wheel builder, skilled in crafts long forgotten, like wheel tying...Look pedals..(French yea, but still great pedals even though french are on the US you know what list for now...

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Nothing. Have been a steel rider for many years...