Originally Posted by
Atlas Shrugged
This materials debate is effectively never ending and realistically being settled. Using the same talking points for the past 30+ years is pointless as technology is not static and Carbon has proven to be the dominant material due to its superior performance and reliability.
My question is where would you tour that would require actualization of the myth of field welding of a bicycle as your option to continue. The idea of field welding aluminum bicycle frame in some remote location is not realistic in any form. Steel is more likely possible but in reality much better options exist. Carbon repair is both reliable and accessible and can even be self performed without extensive training and materials.
Regarding titanium frames, Lynskey regularly has sales with numerous frames available for under $1000.
Yes, the question is not static. Carbon is much more widely used now, but, its advantage is its high strength and stiffness with very light weight, but that is due to thin wall thickness, and that makes it fragile to hits normal to the surface, and not in the intended stress direction.
Steel was always the standard for repairability in third-world touring, either gas welding or brazing with a torch. Aluminum welding has become more widespread in general, but I don't know about third world.
Carbon repair... I suppose it can be patched as easily as fiberglass, though I don't know about any bonding issues if the resin is epoxy, instead of polyester resin like I have patched on 'glass boats. Small cracks in fiberglass, above the waterline, can be patched at sea. Big cracks no, which is why Bernard Moitessier chose steel hull for his circumnavigations, despite it being a race and steel being slower. Steel has superior toughness to many other materials, and could be repaired in any port in the 1960s.
Titanium, yes, it has wonderfully become lower cost, and more widely used, though I would prefer a bike design and "scantlings", to borrow a sailboat term, that has been well tested, and not someone sketching up a custom design and a supplier in China welding it up and mailing it, although I suppose that is no different from custom steel framebuilders in the past, it relies upon the experience of the framebuilder in knowing the right sizes and thicknesses to use.
Rack repair is more commonly needed, and from what I have seen, premium and expensive, steel racks seem to still rein by world tourers.