Singletrack Issue 122 | Ti Hard

Three titanium hardtails fit for an action hero.

Words Andi Photography James Vincent

Titanium. Four syllables that in the bike world may well hint at a significant birthday, or a recent (or impending) divorce. But just as Die Hard is not just a Christmas movie, so a titanium hardtail need not be a once in a lifetime purchase. Well, it probably will be, because that’s half the point – it’ll still be going when John McClane is fighting terrorists over the River Styx. The point is, you shouldn’t wait for some sort of crisis or Big Life Moment to consider buying yourself a piece of the sexy silver stuff. And if you are having a Big Life Moment, well, it’s cheaper than a Porsche and less painful than a tattoo.

While the question of whether Bruce Willis in a vest is a sex object might be up for debate, there can surely be no division of opinion over the appeal of a titanium frame. Smooth tubing, tidy joins and frame flourishes and finishes make a titanium bike the little black dress of the cycling world – always classy, with timeless appeal. But it’s not all aesthetics: as well as the longevity of a titanium frame, they’re light and comfortable to ride.

Yes, there’s a price to pay for being strong, light and sexy, but the tag might not be quite so high as you’d expect. Indeed, our trio of rides here are almost half the price of the last titanium bike test we did for the magazine, so there should be no need to set up any elaborate robbery plots to add one of these to your shed. We’ve got an international line up for you: the Danish Kingdom Bike, the British Sonder, and the Nordest from Tenerife. Which one will have us shouting ‘Yippee-ki-yay’ as we hit the trails? There’s only one way to find out.

Get the detonators.

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