Road Cycling - titanium vs steel

I know this has been done to death but the more I read the more I still don't understand. I want a road bike that will climb but not beat me to death on the decents on rough roads. I don't want aluminum I've already been that route,it is just too harsh a ride.

The only reason to go to steel, for my money, is the cost. Ti absorbs road shock as well as being stiffer. But why limit yourself to these two materials. Carbon Fibre is also great and better than steel for stiffness, comfort and handling.

Actually Ti is not stiffer. It is considerably more flexy than steel. To offset this undesirable quality, Ti tube diameters are usually larger than steel. The diameter of the tubing used has a very large effect on a bike's stiffness. So much so that a Ti frame built with very large diameter tubes can be stiffer than a small tubed steel frame.

You are correct about Ti absorbing road shock. It yeilds a very comfortable (although some consider it 'dead' feeling) ride on harsh roads. You're also correct that it costs more, quite a bit more in some cases.

If cost is an issue, a steel frame with a carbon fork goes a long ways toward the ride of Ti while still having the lively ride of steel. If cost is no issue, Ti is a very nice way to go. I haven't ridden carbon frames for any decent amount of time so I won't comment on them.

After trying a few bikes I bought a Mogoose Pro at a LBS for $725 off retail.It came with an Ultegra group and Dura-Ace rear derailleur. I was able to compare it to a Litespeed and found it to be just as good for my needs (I don't race) for less money.

Slabs, what was your final price on your mongoose pro? and what are the specs of it? im still looking for my first road bike.

The price I paid was $1875 for the RX-10.7 Pro.It has full Ultegra group with a Dura-Ace rear derailleur. You can go to their web site and take a look.The only thing I changed was the stem which the LBS replaced with a shorter one and I took the stickers off and took any remaining glue off with WD-40 and a wooden popsicle stick. The bike weighed in at 19 lbs. with pedals and bottle cages.

I'm hearing lots of generalizations. In my opinion the best first question to ask is "how do I want to use the bike?" Followed by how do I want the bike to perform? Another consideration is the fact that two riders with different styles, different body types, etc, will have different opinions about the ride quality of any material. I have bikes of all materials and like my Seven the best. Not necessarily because it is Ti, but because it responds and rides the way I asked them to build it. By the way, Seven also manufactures custom steel frames as well as combinations with carbon fiber. The custom features of a Seven are not just size, they are also the ride and performance. Check it out.

Wow, Marlin, this is an oldie thread, bro. It's still a relevant question though. I think Titanium is the perfect material for the serious cyclist who is not insisting on Sub-17 lbs. It's going to ride great and last longer than Carbon or Al, and it requires less maintenance than steel (which is admittedly not too much)