Mountain Biking - Titanium, steel, aluminum, carbon?

I'm about to buy a new bike, and it'll probably be a titanium bike. However I'm curious about what different people think about the different materials that frames are made of. Is titanium the best, or should I pick something else? So far I've only been riding steel.

Dont know what to tell ya, i have been riding aluminum for the last 3 years, and havent really seen teh need to goto Ti, however i am looking at getting a carbon fiber road bike...

From what I hear though, aluminum is really stiff, and a lot of the time not especially comfortable to ride on. It's also said that aluminum frames die after a couple of years riding?

Ti is nice and light and expensive if you got the cash go for it.

Aluminum is stiff, and depending on how you ride the avergae life span of aluminum is 5 years. if you break or bend it, you gotta chuck it as it is unrepairable.

but I always buy steel, and I have riden the ti and aluminum quite frequently. if you have alot of money to buy TI then you may have to opt for lesser components. if you get steel (a little heavier) you cabn use that left over cash to get the top component and gear. what matters is not so much the frame but components that work and last.

I guess it really depends on your riding style, how weight consious you are, your budjet, and how you want the bike to behave.

Let's say your a hardcore XC racer, you want something really light and stiff, so all your power goes to the ground, like carbon or aluminum. Or if all you do is urban stair jumping, then cromoly is nice and compliant, but cheap to replace or fix if you crash.
Let's say your more of a not-so-hardcore xc racer / trail rider, a ti bike is light, but has some compliance so you can ride longer without vibrating off the bike.

Hope this helps

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Nelson's Bicycle Links
http://www.geocities.com/bikelinks

If you ride for hours on end and don't need fancy paint to make you feel like you're going fast then Ti's the answer. The money you save on rattled out fillings can be applied to your comfy Ti frame!
Nice too if you ride in the nasty conditions where dents and dings are commonplace for Cro-Mo or Alu.




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If I had the money and could fully justify the purchase of a Ti bike, I would buy a Tsali from Litespeed.

Since that is a dream that is not readily available for fulfillment, I settle for an Alu Trek. Easton Program tubes are bomb proof. Sure Cannondales are lighter, I am a 200 pounder and I don't like the odds of thinwall alu. I know the theory behind Cannondales. I, on the other hand, crash *hard*. My bike gives up a pound to a Cannondale but, I have had my bike for three years and it still puts the power down without any flex. I have tweaked enough Cro-mo's out of straight that I went for a BIG tube alu and I am happy.

Sure, I am in the market for a seat tube shock. I don't mind that. I just need to find one I like.

By the way, the Tsali is a state of the art bike that incorporates a soft-tail design of the Unicoi, a tried and true design, with the added strength of a 6/4 downtube. The state of the art part comes in the form of that massive 2 inch down tube made of 6/4. The technology to form 6/4 tubes has, before now been non-existant except for welded seam tubes.

Before you buy check out these two bikes:

http://www.litespeed.com/html/unicoi.htm

http://www.litespeed.com/html/tsali.htm

Good Luck,
:)Arjai

I've been using aluminum and carbon the whole time on my MTB, and I've heard a friend whose actually quite experienced in bikes that Titanium is not really that good. Although it is light, it's quite fragile- it bends out of shape in a small number of collisions... Aluminum may be heavier, but definitely sturdier. However, the welding marks on a Titanium frame are undeniably more good-looking. If you're using a road bike, I guess Titanium would be ok. However, if you're riding an MTB, it's probably not a very wise decision.

titanium mining is HORRIBLE for the environment. So if this is of concern to you then perhaps the later 3 choices would be best. I like steel. a bontrager or kona or jamis frame. my $.02

Well I reckon that Titanium would be good if you had that sort of money - but I have only ever owned steel MTB's because in my opinion they are far more resilliant and cheaper and they give a smoother ride. If it breaks you can always weld it back together as well.

Steel.
true temper, Reynolds, Tange, Columbus,
How can you go wrong? Chrom moly,4130, double butted, nova chrome,tig welded or filet brazed(lugged)
Reynolds 501, 520, 531, 753 ect...it just doesn't get any better...

It's the question that can't be answered. The best frame material? Tell us what the best religion is first. ;)

10+ years in the bicycle industry as a wrench and service manager has exposed me to broken frames made of steel, aluminum, carbon fiber composite and titanium. They all suck. How's that for an answer?

Good design is paramount. Great frames can be made of any material.

They all suck. How's that for an answer?

Good design is paramount. Great frames can be made of any material.

I like that answer :)

What's with opening a 6 year old thread?

Well I reckon that Titanium would be good if you had that sort of money - but I have only ever owned steel MTB's because in my opinion they are far more resilliant and cheaper and they give a smoother ride. If it breaks you can always weld it back together as well.

Ti is in fact far more resilient than steel. You need to ride Ti to appreciate its resilience. I have a Ti mountain bike and steel road bike currently and I am buying a Ti road bike this week. At 45 I need something that is a little more forgiving.

OK money, now that's another topic. I don't mean to lecture but we all make choices. Live without your CD, dvd, wine, or beer purchases for a few months and treat yourself to the Ti frame you deserve. You in the end make the choice on what you can afford. Anyone can afford Ti if that's what they want and they are willing to forgo a few other excesses of life to attain it. Same could be said for many of the higher priced carbon and steel

What's with opening a 6 year old thread?

The thread never closed. It just keeps attracting new customers that have "Release Remorse" trying to part with the money.

I have been riding and racing a Carbon fibre - Aluminium lugged MTb frameset for the past 13 years. Still not managed to break it but it is starting to creak around the Bottom Bracket area.

will probably replace it soon, but trying to find something as light in a Full suspension.

I like alum for duallies and steel for hardtails. Ti is nice but pricey and I still don't trust carbon...I have seen a few to many mishaps, and while every material has mishaps, the carbon frames tend to ... be worse I suppose. The splintering and or shattering just doesn't appeal to me. A nice solid break seems a lot less painful.

Ti is in fact far more resilient than steel. You need to ride Ti to appreciate its resilience. I have a Ti mountain bike and steel road bike currently and I am buying a Ti road bike this week. At 45 I need something that is a little more forgiving.

OK money, now that's another topic. I don't mean to lecture but we all make choices. Live without your CD, dvd, wine, or beer purchases for a few months and treat yourself to the Ti frame you deserve. You in the end make the choice on what you can afford. Anyone can afford Ti if that's what they want and they are willing to forgo a few other excesses of life to attain it. Same could be said for many of the higher priced carbon and steel

The only thing better than rearranging priorities in order to buy titanium, is not having to. :beer:

Ti is in fact far more resilient than steel. You need to ride Ti to appreciate its resilience. I have a Ti mountain bike and steel road bike currently and I am buying a Ti road bike this week. At 45 I need something that is a little more forgiving.

OK money, now that's another topic. I don't mean to lecture but we all make choices. Live without your CD, dvd, wine, or beer purchases for a few months and treat yourself to the Ti frame you deserve. You in the end make the choice on what you can afford. Anyone can afford Ti if that's what they want and they are willing to forgo a few other excesses of life to attain it. Same could be said for many of the higher priced carbon and steel


Keep in mind the price of Ti 5 years ago would have been higher compared to what they are today.

One day, I will buy a Litespeed. And when that day comes, I will be pleased.

Mael, have you ever actually seen a carbon frame splinter? There doesn't seem to be too much info out there about destroyed frames. I wanna see some pictoors.