Titanium Steering Tube Conversion for My Bullitt

I’m relatively new to the Bullitt community. Like a lot of folks, I used to commute on a drop-bar Surly Cross-Check until I found the Bullitt and never looked back. That said, I’m at a point in life where a more upright riding position just feels better, so I wanted higher bars.

I bought my human-powered Bullitt secondhand, and it came with a Santori Easy-Up installed. For those unfamiliar, it’s an adjustable-height steering tube extender that sits inside and on top of the stock chromoly steering tube. To get the height I wanted, I had to extend it over 75%, which made it flexy and vague—definitely not the precise feel I was looking for.

Since I’m the only person riding this bike, I figured I’d swap out the Easy-Up for a fixed-length steering tube. LvH makes a longer tube specifically for this, but even that wouldn’t get me the height I wanted. So, I decided to DIY a titanium steering tube.

The Build

I used a 33” long stick of 1-1/8” OD Grade 9 titanium tubing. The stock chromoly tube is 0.063” wall thickness, but titanium is more flexible, so I went with the thicker 0.093” wall for extra stiffness.

The tricky part was getting the crown race seat right. The crown race has a 30mm ID, but my tubing was only 28.6mm, meaning I needed a proper seat that was also perfectly perpendicular to the tube. I sourced a steel crown race seat from a frame-building supplier, but since you can’t braze titanium to steel, I used a high-strength metal epoxy.

Not gonna lie, I was paranoid about relying on epoxy, so I took extra steps to make sure it wouldn’t fail.

• Installed a 5mm aluminum spacer between the crown race seat and the steering-arm clamp, so even if the epoxy failed, everything would still be held in place.
• Sanded the contact areas with 180-grit, cleaned with acetone, and preheated both the tube (heat gun) and the epoxy (180°F water bath) before assembly.
• Applied the epoxy carefully with a new brush, slowly spinning the seat as I slid it into place to get even coverage.
• Actually did this twice—first just to check the coverage, then cleaned it up and did it for real.
• Clamped the tube vertically in a vise and let it cure for 48 hours.

Finishing & Install

To make sure the crown race seat was perfectly flush, I had a local frame builder face it with a precision cutter. The crown race went on smoothly with a section of oversized pipe.

For the rest of the build:

• Reused my FSA Orbit XL headset
• Installed a star nut
• Painted the steel race seat with gloss black nail polish (yeah, really—works great and the tiny brush makes it easy)
• Used a 200mm carbon fiber spacer (lightly trimmed with a chop saw—btw, don’t breathe CF dust)

With a little preload, the stem went together perfectly, and the steering feels way stiffer and more precise than the Easy-Up. The 5mm spacer between the clamp and the crown race seat gives me peace of mind that even if the epoxy ever failed, the bike wouldn’t suddenly become unrideable.

Weight Savings

One unexpected benefit of this swap was the significant weight reduction.

• Stock steering tube + Easy-Up assembly: 1118g
• Titanium steering tube: 757g

That’s a 361g (0.8 lbs) weight savings, which isn’t huge in the grand scheme of a cargo bike, but every little bit helps—especially when reducing weight at the front end, where handling improvements can be more noticeable.

Final Thoughts

This was a fun little project, and I’m super happy with how it turned out. If you’re the only rider of your Bullitt and want a stiffer, more direct feel, a fixed-length titanium steering tube is a solid upgrade. It’s not the easiest mod, but the improved handling was 100% worth it.

Anyone else experimented with steering tube setups on their cargo bikes? Would love to hear thoughts!

Links & Resources

• Photos!!!!!
• Larry vs Harry Bullitt Cargo Bike
• Splendid Cycles that sells the Bullitt
• Titanium Tube
• Crown Race Seat
• Framebuilder that faced the seat
• High-Strength Metal Epoxy
• Carbon Fiber Spacers

Hi!

We are in the process of getting above bike and one Child is 3 and the other a baby that will get with us in the Maxi Cosi.

Does anyone have such a setup? In the product Photos it looks super tight with a child on the seat and the Maxi Cosi in the floor adapter thing.

Does anyone know if the floor plate shape/holes of the new Urban Arrow Family Next and the ones on the older models are the same? I have a few accessories I’d like to mount to one, but don’t know if UA kept the same design. Thanks in advance!

Hi community,

I'm seeing an "unknown error" message after logging into my R&M app. Is this normal if I haven't booked a Connect service yet? Will the error go away once I pay for and activate the service?

Thanks in advance for your helpp!

What the title says!

Can't find this insert for sale anywhere. I'm in Europe but would be happy to pay shipping (and of course pay for the item itself).

Thanks all.

My old Bulliit have:

Deore 4100:

2x 10 speed drivetrain 24-32, cassette 10 speed: 11-32

The newer bullits getting sold now comes with: Deore M4100 crankset, 36t-26t, 175mm, and Cassette 11t-42t, HG-body.

I am only using the higher gears on my bullit. So my question is: can i instead of deore 4100 11-42 cassette put on CS-HG500-10 cassette with 11-25 rings?Would it work?

Could someone please explain to me what the differences are between the two.

Looking at a Packster 70 vario with performance pack (new in box with recall/update done) and Packster2 70 vario new with no add ons.

I'm struggling to find online what the differences are. Both are going for the same price and I am not sure which one to go for.

Would you go the the first gen with performance pack or the next gen without for the same price?

I'm considering the Urban Arrow (or a similar bike at least) to bring my kids to daycare, which is a pretty short trip (4km one-way). I do plan on taking it out for some longer rides occasionally.

Apart from the cost, everything looks really fun. However, I can't really find a good solution for when it breaks down on the road?

I've had one instance where my (regular) bike broke down in the middle of a 2h ride. It was annoying, but I could just call someone to pick me up, lift the bike in the car and be on our way.

We do have a car, but there is no way the Urban Arrow would fit in the trunk, and it seems way too long to fit on a rack behind the car. Worst case with a regular bike, you can just walk it home. You could even pick the bike up and carry it home, if something is really wrong with it. I wish I was strong enough to carry a cargo bike home, but alas...

Oh, I do repair my regular bikes myself, but I can't say I really enjoy it and I think these cargo bikes can be a bit more complicated to work on?

But even so, a flat tire is managable, but a lot worse can happen. You've got 2 kids in there, you hit a curb and the rim bends in a way the wheel can't rotate anymore. What do you do? The best plan of action I can come up with is "everyone cries a little".

Ideas, suggestions, experiences, stories, ... I'd like to hear your thoughts on this!

Hi All!

I’m hoping someone can help with my strange problem. I picked up a screaming good deal on a used Riese and Muller Load 60 with the Cargo Line Speed motor. I thought I was lucky and hit gold with my dream cargo bike. The bike is generally a pleasure to ride, but I cannot get this thing up to anywhere close to 28mph. If I’m really hauling with a tailwind I can get it up to 21 ish.

I’m in New York so I dropped it off at the local R&M dealer. It took them $350 to tell me that the bike is fine and the enviolo hub makes it a little less efficient at high speeds, and that you really have to pedal pretty dang hard / fast to get it to 28. A friend in LA has one with a traditional derailleur and says he can get to 25mph without too much trouble.

I totally admit that despite being in reasonably good cycling shape I am not great at high cadence pedaling, I’m more of a gear masher. My friend suggested changing the gear ratio to something more friendly to my cadence, but it’s got a gates drive.

Are there any options / tricks / tips I’m not thinking of? Or do I just need to pedal faster?

Thank you!

Edit: Thanks all for your help and insights!

I’m looking for my first cargo e-bike but my kids are a little older. Specifically I’m looking for one with a decent weight rating on the rear rack as I’d like to be able to carry my 120lb pre-teen to school (they don’t ride bikes due to special needs). So far the best rear rack weight rating I’ve seen is on the Tern GSD and HSD, any other suggestions?

Hey all, I'm looking for a new bike for my dad who's in his 70's and is suffering from balance and mobility issues. He's otherwise healthy and fit and spent most of his life riding bikes and being active, however he can no longer ride a regular bike due to his balance.

We're currently looking at trikes because they appear to offer more balance support.

Unfortunately where we live it's incredibly difficult (if not impossible) to try before you buy with a lot of bikes let alone niche trikes!

My question is: For those who have ridden the Cube Trike, does it offer support for someone with mobility and balance issues? Or does that articulation between the front and the back negate the support that three wheels would otherwise provide?

Thanks in advance

Introduction

I purchased the Cangoo Buzz cargo bike with high hopes for a safe and reliable solution to transport my family. Unfortunately, my experience has been far from ideal due to critical design flaws and frustrating customer service interactions. Here's what you need to know before making your decision.

Pros:

• Affordable price point: Compared to high-end cargo bikes, the Cangoo Buzz is budget-friendly.
• Stylish design: The bike looks modern and fits the aesthetic of urban family transport.

Cons:

1. Critical Safety Flaws: The bike’s low ground clearance results in significant wear and tear on essential components. For instance:
   • The kickstand screw has broken three times, making parking the bike unsafe. My wife fell twice with our children while trying to park it.
   • The steering mechanism was severely damaged when it hit a small road bump, rendering the bike uncontrollable. This nearly caused a serious accident.
2. Poor Durability: These issues occurred within the first 6-7 months of use, under normal urban conditions.
3. Unhelpful Customer Service: The manufacturer and seller refused to take responsibility for what I believe to be a structural design flaw, claiming the damage was caused by external factors. Despite multiple requests for assistance, they have only offered temporary fixes at my expense.

My Experience with the Company:

When I reached out to Voordeelfiets and PMG (the manufacturer), I expected accountability and a resolution. Instead, I faced a frustrating cycle of blame-shifting between the seller and manufacturer. Even though they once fixed the footrest under warranty, they refused to acknowledge the same underlying issue when it came to the steering mechanism.

I’ve now resorted to paying for repairs myself, even though I strongly believe these problems stem from poor design. It’s disheartening to see such reluctance to stand behind their product. If this bike becomes a widespread safety concern—as I predict—I hope the company reevaluates its design and customer approach.

Recommendation:

I cannot recommend the Cangoo Buzz if safety and durability are your priorities. While the initial price might be attractive, the recurring costs and risks associated with its use make it a poor investment for families. If you’re in the market for a cargo bike, I strongly suggest exploring more reputable brands with proven track records for safety and reliability.

Closing Line:

A cargo bike should bring peace of mind to your family’s daily routine—not constant worry and unexpected expenses. Think twice before investing in the Cangoo Buzz.

I need 2 to 3 good cargo bikes options to choose from. These should be spacious enough to accommodate my 2 kids and dogs! And yet I don't wanna face parking issue. Its pretty frustrating TBH.

Thanks in Advance guys!

Apologies in advance if this has been asked before but I couldn’t find what I needed.

I’m 6’2”, I ride an analog bike regularly but am looking for something I can take longer distances than I usually ride (usually 10 mile round trips tops).

I would like to haul groceries, whatever, but I have no kids (and never will). I don’t own a car and would like the freedom to put a bunch of stuff on my bike. At the same time, I also imagine I will ride the bike 50% of the time without much cargo at all so I also want the bike to handle well without cargo.

I don’t want a poor quality bike, and would really like it to last. But I also will have a hard time justifying paying more than 3k USD…. maybe a little more for the perfect bike.

What’s the best thing for me? Thank you so much in advance!

How can I remove a user from my urban arrow connected app? My ex is still able to access it and using it to track my location!

Hi there,

I have a Yuba Spicy Curry v4 as a rental bike. It's been great so far.

Thing is, on cold weather (less than 8°C as experienced) and/or snowy condtions, the transmission tends to be a bit unreliable with chain jumps (or cog skips?) on the last 3 gears.

The bike is equipped with a Microshift 9 speed Derailleur.

I haven't told the mechanic that does the maintenance yet but any idea what that could come from?

Note that a collegue has the same bike with much less mileage (less than 500km) and also had the issue so i think it might be a design/transmission choice issue . My bike has gone through maintenance with transmission adjustment less than 300km ago (and has roughly 2100km on the clock)

Cheers

Picked up this Yuba on Craigslist with all these accessories for $1200usd. The seller called it a supercargo but I actually believe is a supermarche. If any other talls are reading this, I'm a long legged 6'3 and the 400mm seatpost it came with is not long enough for me, I've got a 500mm on order. I'm so stoked to put my son in the bucket and go for adventures!

Hello, i recently bought this lovens S85+, and i was thinking of installing a tracker device to prevent it being stolen.

I read that Tracefy is a good option, but the device cost 210€ with an annual cost of 90€.

I dont know why is so expensive given there are way cheaper alternatives.

I'm thinking on Bosch module connect with ebike Flow+ app. Since all system is Bosch it makes kinda sense to me, additionally the cost is 100€ per device and a yearly cost of 40€.

Do anyone knows the differences and why dealers in the Netherlands recomend Tracefy?

Thank you

849 miles on the odometer, chain falls off occasionally but hopefully should be a simple fix. Next up is some diy runner boards and finding some monkey bars, although I have a hard time grasping spending more on the monkey bars than the whole bike itself

I'm in Chicago and purchased a Mongoose Envoy last summer. It's been awesome and a tremendous value for what it is. I'd like to start bringing my dog along on adventures and have been casually keeping an eye out for a front loader/long john. A used electric Urban Arrow listed the other week for $4,500 and sold within a couple of days. There's a Bullitt a little further away but listed for $2,900. I'm just wondering what would be a fair price for a nice used non-electric front loader like the UA or Bullitt or if anyone has a range. There's the occasional Dutch style Bakfiet that lists locally and those also usually sell within a week or so, but tend to be under $2,000.