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Titanium-Framed Tandem Impressions

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Titanium-Framed Tandem Impressions

Old 06-09-09, 05:09 AM
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Titanium-Framed Tandem Impressions

Just curious to hear back from folks who have switched over to Titanium ROAD tandem frames from other materials and/or who have done any extensive comparisons.

How did the quality of the ride (i.e., stiffness, comfort, shock dampening, stabilty) compare?

Which brand, year, model of Ti frame are you describing?
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Old 06-09-09, 05:53 PM
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You're researching so you can have one of each major frame material, aren't you?
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Old 06-10-09, 11:32 AM
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Have tested/ridden the Santana Ti when they first came out in the 90s.
Did not feel any difference in the ride between that and our then steel (Reynolds 531) tandem.
The very minor differences did not warrant the co$t outlay.
Did not succumb to the ti-hype but did go for carbon fiber several years later. That is a huge difference and at about the same price range as some ti-tandems.
In our experience ride/weight/dampening ability on carbon are superior to titanium; stability and stiffness were comparable.
Pedal on TWOgether!
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Old 06-10-09, 12:17 PM
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Originally Posted by WheresWaldo
You're researching so you can have one of each major frame material, aren't you?



Hey! What can be a "greener" frame material than bamboo?



Bamboo Tandem

Yes, we've started making tandems out of a new supply of large diameter smoked bamboo:
Tandem Features

Frame built to accommodate weight of team
Custom Geometry option is tailored to fit the team
28mm tire clearance, 35mm front derailleur clamp
Your choice of rear axle spacing (130, 135, 140, 145, 160)
Choice of rack mounts, water bottle number and location
Get a Custom paint job or the stealth "nude" finish (saves 3 oz.)
With a frame weight of less than 6 pounds, the Dragonfly Tandem weighs in as the world's lightest tandem!
The frame can withstand minor crashes yet is fully repairable in the event of a serious crash
Warranty: 25 years.
Lead Time: Call us for current lead times. (usually 8 weeks)
https://www.calfeedesign.com/tandem.htm



https://www.carectomy.com/calfees-bam...en-and-social/

The activity of riding a bike is about as green as you can get: it’s a super-efficient form of transportation. Fuel up the “engine” with a bowl of pasta, and you’ve got enough juice to propel you for 50 miles. The bike industry is less environmental, relying on a multitude of resource-intensive and toxic materials (titanium, aluminum, chromoly, etc.).

Growing bamboo, conversely, actually removes CO2 from the atmosphere.The bamboo is a renewable resource with no fertilizer necessary. Stalks are cut to the appropriate size, smoked, and heat treated. The stalks are then joined together using either carbon fiber or hemp lugs. The finished product needs no painting: just a little natural oil will preserve the frame and maintain its lustrous shine. Calfee offers frames for mountain, road, triathlon, cyclocross, and custom-design bikes.
https://www.carectomy.com/riding-on-g...-bamboo-bikes/

.
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Old 06-10-09, 06:27 PM
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We have a Santana Team Ti - build year is 1995. Bought as used (<5,000 miles by previous owner) and we have 2000 miles since January. According to Santana, it was a show bike with highly polished and burnished finish and came back to the factory for disc brake mount since that wasn't offered at the time.

We've been riding tandems since 1986 - rode a cheap steel Mel Pinto for a year to make sure we enjoyed it, and then upgraded to a custom fillet brazed 531/Ishiwata/Phil Wood steel by local builder Forrest Yelverton (Forrest later built Atlanta Olympic bikes for GT). Rode the Yelverton for 23+ years and approximately 45,000 miles. Test rode MANY other steel and aluminum tandems over the years but did not see a major improvement over our Yelverton. Have not ridden a carbon or the latest "super steel" tandems. Fyi, team stats are 280 lbs and 105 years.

Santana Ti has the same tires and saddles as our old steel, but came with many other upgrades that also impact ride (Santana carbon fork, Zipp carbon bars, Shimano Sweet-16s, etc.). No surprise that we immediately noticed a major improvement in ride quality - eliminates buzz on rough sections, and almost feels "suspended" on smooth asphalt. Ride is so comfortable that stoker no longer uses a suspension seat post. In terms of flex, can induce a bit more BB movement than old steel when climbing out of saddle and stoker remains seated, but no issues with timing chain or shifting. On descents, it carves like a knife.

Since we live on Colorado front range, have added Avid BB7, 220mm "floating" Formula disc, and EBC gold pads. Can now brake from 50+ to 20 mph on 16% grades with no rim heat, fade, or rotor warpage. Also added stainless Velo Orange fenders for upcoming "Ride the Rockies" next week. Current touring weight is about 36lbs without water bottles or extra gear; old steel was about 10lbs heavier.

Hope this helps!
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Old 06-11-09, 05:33 PM
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Carbon fork and bars will take some buzz out of any metal framed tandem.
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Old 06-11-09, 06:46 PM
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Originally Posted by zonatandem
Carbon fork and bars will take some buzz out of any metal framed tandem.
Totally agree - that's why i mentioned it.

But with the same tires and saddles, i feel the titanium frame is responsible for a significant portion of new found stoker comfort since she decided not to use the suspension post (both bikes had a Tamer).

I likewise perceive a much more comfortable ride, but that's not as surprising given the carbon front end and where i sit in the middle of the rig.
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Old 06-11-09, 07:39 PM
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Appreciate the considerate and detailed feedback coloroadie....
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