Are you looking for Ti to buy or just wondering out of curiosity? My mind wanders a lot too. Some of the rubbish that crosses my mind during an average day is astonishing.

The problem is that frame flexes an amazing amount. I know someone who got one and he says it's great for steep climbing, even with the flex but it's bad on sprints.

OK



You can certainly get lighter stuff than what I have on it but it ain't bad and certainly is not flexy.

I like Ti. Nothing against CF but wanted to stay metallic and already have some nice steel and had done aluminum in the past.

People have expressed displeasure with titanium frames built my Litespeed/Merlin after the American Bicycle Group acquisition. I couldn't speak to how much related to actual failure rates and how much came from rejected warranty claims of things which looked like weld contamination.

I'm looking at a custom frame because I want a fast general purpose road bike on which I can hang a fifteen pound pannier when commuting, run fenders in the rainy season, and keep using my 130mm wheels.

Nearly all modern road bikes are out. It might be nice to have a bit longer chain stays than I can get in an off-the-shelf cyclocross frame, some don't have both rack and fender braze-ons, pump pegs seem to have disappeared, some have geometry which precludes good stand-over clearance and a top tube length for which I can buy a stem (I have short stubby legs), I can still beat (Habenero custom geometry runs $1300; XACD construction with US frame prep and warranty service) or match (NTP at $1800, and he's local) the price on a off-the-shelf frame (I'd consider the Salsa La Cruz which is close and runs $1800 but wouldn't pay for the Moots name on a $3100 Mootour) and the lead time on a custom frame doesn't matter now that the rainy season is past (I can expect one day with .1" of rain in June, there's a 1 in 3 chance it'll rain one day in July, and 1 in 2 chance it'll rain one day in August).

Titanium frames have been made from commercially pure titanium which is half the strength of 3.2/2.5 but nearly everybody uses 3.2/2.5 these days (even Xi'an Changda Titainum products who'll sell you a custom frame for under $900 shipped direct from China).

A few have been made out of 6/4 titanium which is stronger so you can use thinner tube walls. Historically 6/4 titanium only came in sheets so tubes were welded instead of extruded that way and I haven't a clue if that's changed.

More money gets you a bigger builder's name, might net double butted tubes which weigh less (my straight gauge 55cm frame is still only 3.4 pounds for a traditional 55cm road frame), and might get additional forming operations like tapered stays instead of straight for a more classic look.

I love my Ti bike (late 90's/early 00's GT Forte) but it's not as light, comfortable, or responsive as my Giant TCR C2. I think the modern Ti frames such as the Lynskeys or even Motobecanes with the fatter/shaped tubing would have a more responsive feel similar to carbon fiber.

If you say so.


I love mine and I kept thinking that I might want to try CF but I just can't rationalize for one.

It's a good thing they don't tarnish because I regularly drool on the Vamoots RSL we have built up at the shop. Wonder if I could borrow it for a short ride...

Well, I wasn't looking to buy, but a friend offered me a ti colnago, and I have no willpower. It's beautiful, light, and I don't have one so i want one.

You are right Dr! I already threw away a pair of broken Zipps...Wish wheels came in Ti..

/thread

oooooo shiney.

/thread

Ok so here are some of mine. My Lynskey Helix road bike and Tyrell mini velo runabout.

Where did Titanium go?

Into our house.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...light=titanium

That twisted tubing looks great!

The OP has a serious question. Can you all just stop showing off?

Thanks Coasting, I think they've answered my question though. Let them show off a little! Any more serious comments about the pros/cons of titanium would be really helpful too!

I have been riding a Lynskey for a few years now and love it. That said, I think that the bike manufacturers have hit on CF as an easier, cheaper material to mass produce. Plus in the last few years, CF has added a lot of variations in size and shape allowing for new geometry and paint schemes on the frames. Looking around, my brushed silver Ti bike really fades out when around all the Orbeas, Treks and other CF bikes with gaudy paint jobs. It sort of depends on your attitude. I like to fly below the radar rather than screaming look at me.

I think it's funny all the anicdotes about the Ghisallo. Especially the guy that says you can bend it with your bare hands. I rode one for years ar 185lbs and still managed to be at the front of all the bunch sprints. My buddy is still riding it since I moved to and Archon T1 which is monumentally stiffer, but I'm not sure is any faster out of the gate. I sure miss the Ghisallo on long bumpy rides though.

In any case I've got a very stiff very light at 13.8lbs (ok it's a little closer to 14 with these whees instead of my 303's)Ti frame I'd match against any CF wonder bike produced today.

For those state side (or even possibly beyond) considering Ti, especially custom Ti, let me suggest FireFly: https://fireflybicycles.com/bikes/road-titanium

I believe it was started by some of the guys from IndyFab, but don't hold me to that. They also build with stainless steel which is equally sweet looking (and riding too)

I have a 1973 Gitane TDF out of Reynolds 531...no longevity issues there.

My '76 Bianchi's still holding up fine, too! I was talking about CF versus Ti. I have no idea about the expected lifetime of a CF frame.

I think the generalities of the materials Ti, and CF have pretty much been covered.

Beyond the generalizations, you need to actually look at specific bikes, where material is only part of the equation. For example the Archon and Helix posted in this thread are going to be pretty stiff, and light bikes. Stiffer and lighter than a number of CF frames.

So you need to decide what you want in a bike, a price range, then start comparing specific bikes.

And as for showing off, this pic hasn't been in enough threads recently.

Yeah, it's more what the builder does with the material than what differences exist between materials. The reason CF is used now more than anything else is that, given the same build characteristics on any specific frame, CF is lighter. Plus CF can be formed to more interesting looking and aero shapes than other materials (shaped downtubes and topsubes, stays, cut away seatubes, etc.).

Me, I like to buy new bikes periodically just for the sake of having something new and excsting. I still have my 20 year old steel Waterford and 8 year old Ti though.

Also I wouldn't worry about the life of any material. They all will last longer than you do, assuming to take reasonable care.

It may be splitting hairs, but I think a more accurate characterization of the material and construction method would be to call it "plastic reinforced carbon fiber", not the other way around.


This makes no sense; why would the construction method have any bearing on finish durability? i.e., why would the finish on a tubed frame (Crumpton, Parlee, Calfee, etc.) be any less durable than that of a molded monocoque (Pinarello, Orbea, Specialized, etc.) ?

I've got a painted steel bike that's 25 years old and doesn't look like crap. Maybe you're thinking Dog Years?

Another benefit to CF is that manufacturers can adjust the characteristics to each size fairly economically. So that you don't end up with a super stiff 48 and a noodly 61. CF will last. A friend of mine still regularly rides his 1993 Giant CFR-3. That's pretty good longevity for CF imo.