I’ve had the Titan Racing Cypher DC Carbon Empire in my fleet since March and was fortunate enough to put it to the ultimate test at the 2025 Absa Cape Epic. Here are my thoughts after six months of riding, with a few marathon stage races thrown in for good measure:
Out of the Box
The second generation Titan Racing Cypher is available in two variants: the Cypher RS, with 100mm of travel for serious racers, and the Cypher DC, offering 120mm of travel for riders seeking a more forgiving and capable ride. Knowing my riding style and marathon stage racing needs, the 120mm Cypher DC was the ideal choice.
The Carbon Empire is the second from the top tier in the Titan Racing Cypher DC range, and ticked every box for me from a specification point of view.
The build kit features a SRAM XO Transmission groupset, a RockShox SID Ultimate fork and SIDLuxe rear shock, Reynolds TR249 Carbon wheels, and a Prime Carbon integrated barstem for a clean-looking cockpit.
Small details which can make a big difference to rider are taken care of: like the moulded chain stay and down tube protectors which protect key impact areas and reduce noise. Other design features worth noting are the use of a threaded bottom bracket for ease of maintenance, and the fact that even the small size fits two bottle cages. A flip chip in the shock yoke allows you to adjust the head tube angle and bottom bracket height according to the terrain or your riding style. It ships in the high setting and flipping it allows you to drop the BB by 5mm and slacken the head tube angle by 0.5 degrees.
Finally, 5 Year Multi-User warranty, is a real bonus for anyone looking for peace of mind, planning to buy second hand or hoping to upgrade in the future.
Out of the box, I swapped the Fox Transfer SL dropper post for a Lyne Contour V2 to achieve my required saddle height. I also replaced the tyres with the new Specialized Fast Trak on the front and Air Trak on the rear, both 2.35″ in Grid Lite casing, for my preferred race-orientated combination of grip and rolling speed. Lastly I swapped out the saddle for my trusty Power saddle with Mimic.
Specifications
| Frame | CYPHER DC UCL CARBON GEN 2 FRAMESET |
| Available Sizes | S-M-L-XL |
| Fork | ROCKSHOX SID ULTIMATE 3P 120MM 29″ / 120MM / DEBONAIR SPRING / 35MM STANCHIONS / 44MM OFFSET / GLOSS BLACK / 15 x 110MM THRU AXLE BOOST |
| Fork Fender | ROCKSHOX SID FENDER |
| Rear Shock | ROCKSHOX SIDLUXE ULTIMATE 3P 120MM / DEBONAIR SPRING / REBOUND AND LOCKOUT ADJUSTMENT / REMOTE READY / METRIC / 190 x 45mm / MM TUNE |
| Chainring | SRAM XO TRANSMISSION 32T |
| Crank | FC X0 EGL Q174 CL55 DUB 175 BLK 32TTYP / 12 SPEED / S – 170mm CRANKARM / M+L+XL – 175mm CRANKARM |
| Derailleur Front | NIL |
| Derailleur Rear | SRAM XO TRANSMISSION |
| Shifters | SRAM TRANSMISSION POD |
| Brake Front | SRAM LEVEL BRONZE STEALTH WITH ROTOR 180 |
| Brake Rear | SRAM LEVEL BRONZE STEALTH WITH ROTOR 160MM |
| Cassette | SRAM XO TRANSMISSION CS XS 1295 T-TYPE 10-52 |
| Bottom Bracket | BB DUB BSA 73 MTB WIDE |
| Rims | REYNOLDS TR249 WHEELSET REYNOLDS TRAIL RATED CARBON ASYMMETRIC 29″ XC RIM / 24mm INNER WIDTH / 29mm OUTER WIDTH / 25mm DEPTH |
| Front Hub | REYNOLDS TR249 WHEELSET REYNOLDS TR6 MTB CNC MACHINED HUB / 6 PAWL / CENTRELOCK 28 HOLE / 15 x 110mm THRU AXLE BOOST |
| Rear Hub | REYNOLDS TR249 WHEELSET REYNOLDS TR6 MTB CNC MACHINED HUB / 6 PAWL / SRAM XD FREEBODY / CENTRELOCK 28 HOLE / 12 x 148mm THRU AXLE BOOST |
| Tyres | VITTORIA BARZO 29″ X 2.35″ XC-TRAIL / TNT / ANTHRACITE SIDEWALL [swapped out for Specialized Fast Trak 2.35″ front and Air Trak 2.35″ rear, both Grid Lite casing] |
| Saddle | PROLOGO DIMENSION NDR TIROX CARBON [swapped for Power Expert with MIMIC] |
| Seatpost | FOX TRANSFER SL DROPPER FOX TRANSFER SL INTERNAL KASHIMA LEVER INCLUDED / S = 100MM / M = 125MM / L + XL = 150MM / 31.6 [swapped out for a Lyne Contour V2 125mm to allow the required saddle height] |
| Handlebar Stem | PRIME CARBON INTEGRATED BAR 760MM S+M+L = 760mm WIDTH + 60mm LENGTH / XL = 760mm WIDTH + 80mm LENGTH |
| Headset | FSA NO.42/ACB (BEARING) |
Geometry
Choosing the size was a roll of the dice: at 168 centimetres tall I can fit either a small or medium frame according to the size chart. In order to be extra certain, I embarked on an aggressive geometry comparison exercise, and confirmed that medium would be ideal. The fit from day one was spot on.
| FlipChip | Small | Medium | Large | X-Large | |
| HTA | Low | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 |
| HTA | High | 66.5 | 66.5 | 66.5 | 66.5 |
| HTA (Cup-) | Low | 65.5 | 65.5 | 65.5 | 65.5 |
| HTA (Cup+) | Low | 66.5 | 66.5 | 66.5 | 66.5 |
| HTA (Cup-) | High | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 |
| HTA (Cup+) | High | 67 | 67 | 67 | 67 |
| HTL | 95 | 105 | 115 | 135 | |
| TTL | 570 | 603 | 630 | 660 | |
| STA (v) | Low | 73.5 | 73.5 | 73.5 | 73.5 |
| STA (v) | High | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 |
| STA (a) | 67 | 67 | 67 | 67 | |
| STL | 395 | 430 | 470 | 520 | |
| BBD | Low | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| BBD | High | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| BBH | Low | 352.5 | 352.5 | 352.5 | 352.5 |
| BBH | High | 357.5 | 357.5 | 357.5 | 357.5 |
| WB | 1125 | 1159 | 1187 | 1220 | |
| CSL | 435 | 435 | 435 | 435 | |
| ATC | 531 | 531 | 531 | 531 | |
| FO | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | |
| REACH | 395 | 445 | 470 | 495 | |
| STACK | 576 | 585 | 594 | 612 | |
| STANDOVER | 760 | 758 | 758 | 766 | |
| TRAIL | 119.5 | 119.5 | 119.5 | 119.5 |
On the Trail
Fortunately for my Cape Epic experience it was love at first ride. The Cypher DC is nimble on the trail, but composed and planted enough to let go and just plough through rough terrain when the situation requires it. The wheelbase is a little shorter than what I had gotten used to on my Specialized Epic EVO, and I loved the snappy feel, and the extra manoeuvrability around tight switchbacks (of which the Cape Epic had plenty).
The suspension stays nicely active under braking and is firm and predictable when cornering. The leverage curve felt perfect for marathon racing. When the lockout mechanism on the rear shock broke, it took several weeks for the warranty stock to arrive. This meant I ended up riding the Standard Bank Berg and Bush with no lockout. I was happily surprised and impressed by the pedalling efficiency throughout the event. With the shock pumped on the firmer side to 15% sag, I hardly missed the lockout.
Overall the bike feels really nicely balanced. There is always a risk with an integrated barstem that the stem length ends up being wrong for the rider. In this case the 60mm stem and 760mm bars worked perfectly for me, and the overall ride feel.
Critically, the Cypher DC has that intangible, playful and ‘alive’ feeling that I love in a mountain bike. It gives back what you put in, encouraging you to push yourself harder on both the ups and the down.
The bike has also been almost bulletproof throughout the test period, despite being put through some harrowing conditions. Aside from the lockout on the shock, and a cracked rim, I’ve not needed to tighten so much as a bolt.
My only complaint is that the integrated barstem does not have a mounting point for a Garmin mount, and realistically anyone purchasing a bike at this level is likely going to want a neat mount for a device. I was happy enough to cable tie my wahoo mount to the stem, but it’s not an aesthetically pleasing solution.
Some personal highlights from this build kit were, the SID fork fender. I don’t know how it took me this long to work out how helpful a fender can be in wet and muddy conditions, but I’m converted for life.
I also absolutely loved the RockShox TwistLoc three position lockout on the grip. I found it super easy and safe to change settings in all conditions. Because my hands are relatively small, I sometimes need to shift my hands on the bars and loosen my grip to press a lockout lever, and this feels like an ideal solution for me.
At an MSRP of ZAR130,000, Titan Racing have once again delivered exceptional value for money in this package. The Cypher range is comprehensive and offers something for most budgets.
Conclusion
From local trails to the brutal demands of the Cape Epic, over six months the Titan Racing Cypher DC Carbon Empire has proven itself as a race-ready marathon bike with the versatility to handle technical terrain in comfort. It delivers an engaging, lively ride feel without compromising on stability or efficiency, and the build kit offers impressive value for the price point.
If you’re in the market for a capable, well-balanced marathon or stage race machine that punches well above its price tag, the Cypher DC Carbon Empire is well worth a closer look.
