Originally posted by math2p14
well mael my question is that if Ti tubes are indestructible as advertised or do they need huge gussets etc as steel and allu needs.... I also heard that Ti is between steel and allu in terms of stiffness.
For info on frame materials read this
http://www.ecmtb.com/frontpage.htm
Materials strenght itself states Aluminum is flexier than steel and ti. The way TI frames are made is typically with thinner walls to facilitate the lightness that ti offers. Aluminum is usually overbuilt with gussets and special tubing process which increase stiffness. Steel is naturally stiffer HOWEVER with regular tubing it makes a bike feel flexier when in reality the material is stiffer. The way a bike feels relates to the material used and the tubin design and how the bike is built. In theory you could have a TI bike as stiff as an overbuilt aluminum frame however the cost would be immense in comparison.
That said I don't think TI is worth it. For xc yes but to get the material strength needed as well as thicken the walls enough to feel the stiffness for freeriding I don't think TI is a good choice.
In the end every material has its merrits, and all materials can be used for all riding styles (except maybe carbon fibre
). It just depends on what you want and how much you want to spend.
