Bicycle Mechanics - titanium road frames from the 70's

I guy in my neighborhood who claims to have owned a bike shop in the 70's is offering to sell me his titanium fuji road bike.

Were titanium frames from that era good? (this one is lugged, I know that much)

I didn't think Ti frames started showing up 'til the mid-to-late 80's. Even then, they tended to be whippy... they were still working the bugs out. Sounds suspicious to me.

The Fuji catalogue does claim that they were one of the innovators of Ti frames, but they note that the year was 1986.

Still a cool bike as long as he is not asking too much.

Thanks for the info. I haven't seen the bike yet (will see it today). He emailed me back for an ad I put in craigslist.org.

He says he used to own a bike shop in the 70's (that's where I got that date) and this bike is made up of all top shelf components at the time. I posted that I had only $200 to spend in my wanted ad.

I'm curius to see what he wants for it.

Do you think $200 for such an old bike is worth it. He says everything works and it's doesn't need tuning.

I guy in my neighborhood who claims to have owned a bike shop in the 70's is offering to sell me his titanium fuji road bike.

Were titanium frames from that era good? (this one is lugged, I know that much) If it's lugged, it's bonded.Bonding technology has come a long way since then. That could be a red flag.Early Ti frames were wimpy,so beware if you are heavy or on a bigger frame. Try a magnet on it.If it sticks, it ain't Ti. I'm real dubious.

I recall the Teledyne Titan titanium frame from about 1974-75. One of the guys who frequented The Peddler's Shop on High Street in Glassboro, NJ owned it. I recall he built it up with the lightest of everything, incl. a Huret Jubilee derailer. I don't recall the finished weight or his opinion of the riding characteristics