I'm sure they can replicate the exact layup as the manufacturer preserving the performance of the frame.

At a minimum you're looking at $300-$500, then paint, etc..

My wife has a Terry titanium bike that's actually quite beautifully painted. I bought it for her about 5 years ago and it's as nice as the day she got it.

Drop Dead Gorgeous! Just perfect! Would kill 'em on the hot or not thread.

Ok, I have ridden a Merlin Ti since 2001. This is a very comfortable frame, very durable frame, with my better wheels on it the ride is spectacular and very snappy feeling, and it is NOT like 95% of the other bikes out there. Most all of the advantages of the Ti bikes has been stated in earlier posts so I won' repeat other than to say that it is super durable and I don't worry about it or fuss over it like my carbon fiber bike. The Ti bike is not as light weight by about 1.4 pounds in comparison to the CF bike yet over a 2 hour ride my time is virtually the same. I am not racing on either bike, just riding hard and pushing myself. Any argument that Ti is too expensive vs other frame materials is bull. You can easily spend $5000 or more on one of the top shelf CF frames - Colnago, Pinerallo, etc etc. You can also spend that much on a custom Ti frame. If I were to do that, I would look seriously at a Moots. But you can get a really good Ti frame from Lynskey for much less than $5000.

You clearly don't know what you are talking about having not ridden or owned a Ti frame. They are far from gimmick but it's ok, you don't deserve one.

Pk RMS13, I have fallen into the bad habit of making negative cutting comments here, something that seems pervasive on the old 41. So for that, I apologize. The point that I was trying to make is for you to generalize about something that you have never owned, ridden or ridden different versions of is stupid. It would be like for me to say that carbon rims are harsh riding, terrible in cross winds, and dangerous when braking if wet, thus they are pure gimmick for those who want to look as if they are fast racers and thus must be taken seriously. I could say that all of those three generalizations are true, but not universally true to all carbon wheels.

Titanium frames are compliant to varying degrees but other than some earlier models or those intended for comfort riding, they are not flexy. When I first switched to a Ti frame in 2001, it replaced my big tube Cannondale aluminum frame - one which was painfully stiff and for other than shorter crit' racing, it would beat me up. I was in my early 40s at that time and my lower back was suffering. The first ride on the Merlin with the same parts and wheels from the Cannondale simply migrated over stunned me. It was smooth riding, like it was floating over the harsh stuff, yet when I stood up to hammer a hill, the acceleration and stiffness in the bottom bracket area was not all that far from rock hard Cannondale. I remember thinking, How the hell did they (Merlin) do that? I mean this thing is really comfortable to ride, descends perfectly but when I step up and hit it hard, it punches nearly the same at that harsh aluminum frame!" It is a much more balanced riding bike than my top of the line 2013 Orbea CF bike. Yes, the CF is really a nice responsive bike but I can not generalize about all CF frames just as I can not about all Ti frames. When I put my 1300 gram stiff climbing wheels on the Ti bike, it totally changes its personality and it feels like a full-on race bike.

I will say that I rode a new Moots RSL http://moots.com/wp-content/uploads/...ew-w-Cover.pdf and that frame and bike setup stunned me, just as the review in Peloton magazine claimed.

Paint holds up fine if the metal has been properly prepped and primed. Paint doesn't adhere to Ti like to other metals without the special prep, but is fine if done right. You can't just "rattle can" it and expect a good job.

Funny thing:

* My used Giant TCR Advanced CF (about 1 year old in 2010) cost me $1,000.
* My used Merlin Works CR Ti cost me $1,000 (a few years old just recently).
* Both were listed at about $2,700 new. Not much difference eh?

* My Giant was supposed to weigh in the neighborhood of 900 g according to magazine reviews. It came in at 1,207 g. BUMMER.
* My Merlin was supposed to weight about 1050 g according to the geometry chart. It came in a (drum roll please) 1,207 g. I kid you not. And that is not too bad, considering. Pretty light metal frame.
* Both bike weigh essentially the same thing built up. Funny, huh?

My previous Ti bike rode like crap. The Merlin is wonderful. The Giant is wonderful. How much better than wonderful does anything have to be?

Check the new price tag for one of these :twitchy:
http://i.imgur.com/VXvAPd2.png

Never owned Ti. Surprising since it's hard to remember all the bikes I've owned. Someday I will, probably the Motobecane to be honest.

I had a painted Ti. After close to eight years of riding, chips were minimal. It seemed to hold up better than painted steel.

I had a painted Ti. After close to eight years of riding, chips were minimal. It seemed to hold up better than painted steel.

Harry was my second guess.

That's all he does these days, at least for road bikes. He gave me a tour of the shop. Amazing. He has a different machine for each part of the frame. One of his lathes is from the 50s and was used by the Navy, probably to make artillery shells.

He recently built this for himself and had it on display at the Philly Bike Expo:

Cerakote Coatings: Custom Mix of H-137 Gloss White and H-169 Sky Blue

I am probably going to have my frame coated like his, only in either pink or sea foam green.

Or you could go ceramic. It's lighter than powder coat and stronger.

Cerakote Coatings: Custom Mix of H-137 Gloss White and H-169 Sky Blue

Why should anyone listen to someone who has no experience with the subject and who is too lazy and cheap to buy a second CO2 kit? Just askin'.

You think that bike looks good?

OP, I wouldn't paint Ti or stainless steel for that matter. It is counterproductive. You have the perfect finish, and you can't wait to cock it up? What is that about? Decorate the bike with the hubs, rims, headset, bar tape, cable outers, saddle, etc. My opinion only, of course.

I have seen that bike in the flesh. I think it looks beautiful, though I am personally not a fan of blue. I find an all "silver" finish somewhat boring regardless of how it's dressed up. Mine will be partially coated. Some Ti will be left bare and likely brushed. Red headset and seat tube collar to match my red CK hubs. I have never seen a bad looking Engin. The builder has a great sense of aesthetic.

Of course it is a personal thing. Just pulling your chain for grins.

It's no ordinary ti, it's TITANIO!

Thanks for clearing that up. Vive la difference!

While I can understand all you wax-poetic about ti (I had owned a Seven Axiom, a Merlin Agilis, a Litespeed cycloscross, and my wife still rides a ti Litespeed Tuscany), as a pragmatic cyclist, for the same cost, at this point, there is noting CF doesn't do better than ti with the exception of durability. All these ti frames are quite flexy from my personal experience including the Seven (which was built as a racer). When I got out of the saddle on the Seven, if I am running 25mm ties, the chainstays would actually rub the tires when I swung the bike from side to side. For most of people (myself included), well built ti frames are probably all we need, but the feeling of instant power transfer on a modern CF frame is just night and day better.

I'd imagine Ti is not so good for those of us who prefer stiff frames? I'm sure they could be made stiff...but the weight penalty would be huge...and what would be the point?

I'd think that Ti shines [pun intended] for folks who are into comfort/endurance bikes.

It's durability appeals to me; but it's rep for being noodley; and it's rather boring looks certainly don't.

Would love to hear you say the word "la différence". I bet it sounds really sexy :)

Au contraire, mon frère. ;)

Ti, a perfect equivalent of CF in stiffness, comfort and weight balance? No, not quite. Ti, noodly in 2015? Nope, not that either. If you haven't ridden modern Ti, you can't imagine how good it is. As I said, not the equivalent of the best CF, but better than just about anything else around. Noodly Ti is old news and not at all the current situation despite the low weights. Hanging noodly on Ti in 2015 is like hanging really harsh riding on Al today. It just isn't the current state of the art.

The main advantage, is that it gives upper middle class types, who view themselves as individualists/iconoclasts, an outlet for their discretionary income.