I appreciate that a lot of folk are currently looking to China for cheaper carbon products but I was wondering about titanium.

I’ve been trying to get hold of an affordable titanium flat bar to take the sting out of my rigid hardtail and was looking for something a little cheaper than the Thomson (currently about £180). There are a fair few sub-£100 offering from China, Taiwan etc. (usually via Ali Baba or Ebay) and I was wondering if anyone had any experience of them.

I’ve had a look at the Rock Brothers website (China I think) and in addition to cycling components they make a bizarre range of items including titanium key rings and titanium tooth picks for ‘self defence’; it doesn’t fill me with confidence.

Why not look at carbon? That can be made far more comfortable than metal can (even something magic like Ti)

TBF I have bought a couple of Rock Brothers bells, I didn’t realise at the time that they were a complete rip off of a very expensive bell, all i can say is they look expensive & work as they should with a loverly ring but were cheap! That about summarises the Chinese export market, they are good at copying shit 😀

Thanks, I’m not sure I’d want to trust my face to one!

I’ve been thinking about carbon but am still a tad nervous about carbon bars (although I have carbon forks which seem bombproof) but I’d need something that would be compatible with bar ends (without plugs as I use Cane Creek Ergos).