Just your thoughts with Ti hardtalis , is it worth the extra money ?and can you tell the difference from a steel frame ? I have a cotic soul which has 853 tubing and the frame is only 4.2 pounds and what I can see the Ti version is only a pound lighter !!!!! am I missing something ???

Richie

If you have to ask "why" then it's not for you.

Well, I've got a ti hardtail and a ti road bike and I'd say, subjectively, that they both have a distinctive, springy but damped feel to the ride and there's something nice about the look of bare ti, but I dunno.

Oh, and I'd say subjectively ti feels more 'damped', if that makes sense, than a steel frame, but maybe I'm just imagining it.

different ride, entirely subjective.

If you don't try it, you'll never know….

you are right about the look , Ti is beautiful !!!!! but very expensive a litespeed frame is £1700 ouch !!!! but there are cheaper ones out there , not sure if they are any good ?

I recently bought a steel Sanderson and have a Cove Hummer. Not entirely convinced by Ti. OK does not rust etc and is a bit lighter but is that worth the premium?

The Hummer is a great handling bike but i would attribute that to geometery rather than frame material.

As with most bikes it will come down to personal preference.

Most Ti frames aren't nearly a pound less than your Soul.

Ti sure is purtty though, and stays looking purtty when scrapped and scratched about.

Even though I am selling my litespeed, Ti is sublime when put togther properly and thoughtfully, Litespeed/merlins and so on are in differnt class to some other cheaper frames.

I was unconvinced by the Ti hype, and then owned a Hummer. Kept having to check the rear tyre was still up the first time I rode it, so convinced was I that the soft ride was down to a slow puncture. There is something about a good Ti bike, it's just…I dunno…weirdly flattering. Everything is just a little bit better, less beaten up over a long ride, slightly faster round your loop, just a gear higher up that stiff climb…A pound doesn't sound much, but combined with a well designed Ti frame it makes a huge difference, even over a good steel bike.

Are they worth the money? Dunno, that's up to you.

I've got a Moots, nice bike but not worth the extra money over a good steel frame in my experience.

When I say good though I mean something like a Dave Yates rather than a Cotic

Only one way to find out and that's to try/demo one.

Pretty much agree with what nick has said but reckon you need to think carefully about what riding you would use it for and how light a build you need.

Mine's a mid-life crisis bike and the Litespeed's a bike for life 8)

maybe I'm just imagining it.

It's known as the placebo effect.