Who rides a Ti road bike? Can you tell me about it? Any pros or cons?

Im back to thinking Ti for my next frame instead of getting carbon.

My current road bike is Alu but my hardtail is Ti and it is an amazing bike and that is what is erring me to a Ti road frame.

Cheers
Gordymac

if you’ve got the cash go for it – or if your spending big get a nice Italian carbon frame 😆

I have a Ti tourer/commuter – Van Nicholas Amazon with a Kinesis DC19 carbon fork. Chosen over many others because it would take discs. Lovely bike for lightweight touring and would be great for Audaxes too. I did LEJoG on it earlier this year and had no comfort issues. Very comfy but definitely not as sharp/fast as my Cube GTC Agree. I’ve just fitted some CX tyres to it and had a couple of off-road rides too. Great fun!!

If you want something nice and comfy its ideal. Carbon is lighter, cheaper and stiffer though, if thats what you’re after.

I think it can ride very nicely. I have druidh’s bike’s little brother – ideal for commuting and touring but I’d want a bit more give for my road bike (which is currently light alu)

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/FRVAPIRH/van-nicholas-pioneer-rohloff-frame

SALE!

I have nothing constructive to add to this thread but I want to to say “hiya” to Gordy 😯

whats your budget –

I’ve ridden a Ti road frame for 6 years. It’s still absolutely fine – I rode the Maratona dles Dolomites last month with no problems up or down (except for me obviously). I tried a Colnago EPS recently and the handling is almost the same but the Colnago is louder. A trek Madone 5.5 was like a horrible bus in comparison.

I would echo druidh… except that I have a Spa Cycles Ti Audax bike (with carbon forks). Have just finished LEJoG and the bike was amazingly comfortable. I am often troubled with lower back pain on long rides, but completed this in ten days without even a twinge.

BUT it is not as sharp or fast as my (much cheaper) Orbea road bike, I am not sure how much that is due to the slightly more relaxed ‘audax’ geometry?? If I was choosing a bike to win a race then it would be the Orbea, but for comfort and fun (a bike that you will love to ride) then the Ti wins hands down.

Thanks guys keep em coming.

I forgot to mention that its a Van Nicholas Euros that Im thinking about.

Hi Messiah, How are you? Biking plenty?

Gordymac

I have a Ti time trial bike which is very comfortable and has done stirling service since 2006. Recently added an Enigma Etape as a ‘winter hack’ but have only done a few hundred miles on it.

Both of these are more comfortable than my two CF road bikes but they’re not as light.

If you want comfort I’d definitely say Ti but if you’re a weight weenie, go down the CF route.

Jo SBC…. I have a Spa Ti Audax frameset currently on order so reassuring to hear your comments.

Hi Messiah, How are you? Biking plenty?

Not enough but some. It’s not been a great summer for big epics but I did manage a Big Mac with Italspark and a few others. Did Ben Alder loop at the weekend in semi-monsoon… not one I would repeat in those conditions but a good loop otherwise.

Maybe headed up your way soon 😀

I’d recommend asking on road.cc Singletrack Magazines road dedicated partner, rather than on the MTB forum perhaps?

I have a VN Euros and love it. It is a zippier and more responsive ride compared to my trek madone and is comfortable on long rides. I went for the Easton EC90 SLX forks and a campag chorus build up.
I did consider the Sabbath silk road but it would have been a custom build wheres the VN was an off-the-shelf frame which is pretty much spot on for sizing.

robdeanhove – Member
I’d recommend asking on road.cc Singletrack Magazines road dedicated partner, rather than on the MTB forum perhaps?

Nah, far more roadies here 🙂

Besides

Bike Forum – discussion about bikes and riding

I’d go carbon myself – for me, Ti is too expensive for the functional benefits in comparison. That said, Ti does look nice IMO and it can provide a great ride so by all means choose it if that’s what’s important to you. Frame for life? No chance – standards are constantly changing plus plenty of Ti frames do actually break.

road.cc is completely devoid of life, this place is brilliant for these sort of questions.

My dad has got a van nicholas, and a bunch of our mates have enigmas, van nicks, sabbaths, and lynskeys (and probably a few others I’ve forgotten).

Ti makes a very nice looking, very easy to take care of, very comfortable frame. It isn’t a guaranteed bike for life, as ti can snap and break like any other material. It isn’t really light or stiff, so it’s not really good for racing.

My dad and all our mates love them because they’re all old, and they don’t race. They just want something comfy and nice looking that they can show off to the others on the sunday club run (the ti brigade). I reckon you could make a well nice winter bike out of ti though, if a bit expensive.

Cycling Plus has a grouptest this month if it’s still out.

2 steel, 2 alumminium and 2 carbon road bikes all arround £1600-£1800.

And a seperate review of 6 Ti bikes.

They admit that none of the stereotypes/expectations were met.

One of the steel bikes was almost too stiff and more suited to raceing, the other more ‘steel’ like, but still too good to pidgeonhole as a commuter/sportive/hack and more than up for club runs and raceing.

One of the carbon bikes was badly tought out and a bit cheep, the other was the test winner as an all rounder.

The aluminium bikes were still a valid alternative to carbon for quality and ride, but no longer had the benefit of better kit/lower price.

The Ti bikes looked a mixed bag, astheticaly I think they look like really low end aluminum frames*? Or is that just me? Probably a more relavent review if youir interested in one.

*a mix of straight tubes that aren’t sleek like steel can be, and odd tube shapes that look like a late 90’s attempt at hydroforming for the sake of it.

I have a Sabbath September winter/commuter/audax/light touring bike.

It’s comfortable, quiet (carbon bikes can be noisy over less than smooth roads), versatile and I like the looks.

Here it is in commuting guise (sorry for the rubbish pic)

Commuter by simondbarnes, on Flickr

And without rack / pannier…

Sabbath September by simondbarnes, on Flickr

I have my Lynskey Cooper (size Medium-Long) for sale if you’re interested… Haven’t got round to advertising yet, but drop me a mail if you have any questions!

It is a lovely frame but I can’t justify 2 high end road bikes and the other one is a Storck…

I had an Airborne Zeppelin before that which was fine but noticably flexy around the BB. The Cooper manages to retain the comfort of ti but is stiffer where it matters…

I’ve got a 1996 GT Edge ti road bike-

Love it, it munches up the miles no problems at all 😀

Can’t help you make a decision here as there are so many variables. Frame material is only part of the ride story (as stated above).

That said, I’m happy with my Enigma Echo. Have done plenty of fast 100 milers and some punchy climbs in the Alps. I could have got a lighter, stiffer carbon bike but for day-in-day-out long hours at pace and/or climbing I find it to be a good balance of speed, spring and durability.

Enigma’s customer service has always been faultless in my experience.

Most Ti bikes look pretty dull to me (Baum stuff and a few others being the exception) but I guess a lot of people like the looks. As for the ride, as has been said above, you can build a harsh Ti bike and you can build a noodly Ti bike but I guess most are somewhere in between. I’d probably get one in preference to carbon if I were touring but otherwise carbon would win for me.

I also own a lynskey cooper. It’s this years with the race geo, not sportive version.

It’s comfy to ride all day. Stiff and responsive.

I do 80percent of my miles on it over and above my colnago or cervelo.

Got a Ti cx that I use a lot for road riding, find it really comfy. Looking at a steel or Ti frame myself for a road bike, no interest in carbon frames personally.

I ride a sabbath alp and it’s very responsive…I use a September for winter duties and it’s a little softer.we’ve sold sabbaths for over 3 years now and the guys that buy them love em…try one out over a normAl road route and be converted!

I’ve got a Ghisallo which is light and comfy. I’m 13st so I’m supposed to find it flexy, but I don’t.

It looks good (to me, anyway) and it just feels a bit more alive than a carbon bike somehow. If I was buying carbon, I’d go Parlee or Giant. Not many carbon frames really do it for me.

I suppose a carbon frame generally seems to kill more of the road buzz in comparison.

Not for everyone, but I think the helix is one of the best looking frames currently out there:

Review of the Spa here.

Got this about 16 months ago. Light enough, stiff enough, comfy enough, not silly expensive either (frame under a grand). Not ridden a carbon bike to compare it to, but i like it.
Lynskey Cooper.

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I picked up a planet x ti sportive last year looking to replace my 04 workhorse alu principia. I already had a parlee for racing and best. As the year rolled on the planet x got the least miles, it just didn’t have the zip of the principia and in rides of up to 4 hours I didn’t find the extra comfort it offered made a difference to me. Compared to the z4 it just felt like a lump. So I ended up selling it on. I don’t think it was a bad bike, it was light enough, stiff enough and comfy enough; but didn’t really shine in those departments either. It just didn’t offer my riding much at all. There are probably better ti bikes out there, but you asked for personal experience.

All good responses guys, Thanks.

Lots to think about 😉

Ah – the Cube HPT. Good example of frame material being only one component of how it handles. The older HPT (pre 2011) was a real racey thing. They re-designed it for 2011 so that its more compliant/comfortable. More of an all-day Sportive/Audax bike than an out-and-out racer these days.