[Closed] Titanium - worth it?

If you want.

Geometry has a bigger impact than material..etc..etc...etc

Titanium can of worms has just been opened...

Don't you think those those posts are telling you something?

[quote=Nipper99 ] seem to see lots posts on cracked frames etc. There does seem to be a focus on cracked titanium whereas folks seem to accept cracked steel, ali and carbon as "part of the deal". Overall, I reckon the numbers are actually quite low - unless, of course, you are considering anything made by Lynskey.

Ti is as good/bad/indifferent as any other frame material, they all have their strengths & weaknesses.

I have a ti road bike & a ti MTB, very fond of them both. Would I buy another it bike? Yeah, maybe but probably because a raw ti finish looks the nuts!

Love my Ti MTB, but if it broke I would probably not buy another at the price they are now

It never ceases to amaze me how many cracked Ti frames there are around. I just bought a Ti frame only to find that when it arrived it had a bodged repair and small crack, the cost of repairing Ti meant it was a no brainer that it went back.

After looking at weights it turned out that a decent 853 frame wasn't much heavier so went for steel instead as a replacement. Ti looks lovely and is lighter, not sure the benefits are worth the massive outlay over a nice light steel frame anymore though.

In my experience, yes.
My DBR Axis TT is going on 18 years & still ridden as fast as possible. Muck around on it & I'll get thrown.

It'll be a bike for life

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I love my Hummer, it definitely has a better feel for me on the trail than my evil sov.

Not comparing like with like though, a ti and steel hummer prob wouldn't feel much different.

[i]Overall, I reckon the numbers are actually quite low - unless, of course, you are considering anything made by Lynskey. [/i]

True, only 5 years on my 456Ti so far...

My next bike will be a 29" Ti HT, but I want one with the same characteristics as my 26" 456Ti - light, strong, comfy, slack, plenty of mud room. Also want a tapered headtube (based on the difficulty now of finding a cheapish/quality 140mm fork) and 142 screw-thru rear axle.

And tbh if you are comparing prices of Ti HT against steel/alu HT's, then yes they are expensive - but compare them against run-of-the-mill alu FS's (that most folk buy) and they aren't. But then you also need to factor in pivots/bushings/bearings and shock services.

Trouble is, the Ti they make bikes from isn't great quality Ti (It's marketed as such, but Ti has moved on massively from plain AL/V mixes) and it's a pain in the wotsits to weld nicely and properly.

A good one with a good design is a thing of beauty, but there are too many overpriced 'average' frames.

[url= http://fireflybicycles.tumblr.com/ ]Firefly[/url] and [url= http://www.vertigocycles.com/ ]vertigo[/url]

Would have either in a heartbeat (interestingly firefly steel frames are the same price as their ti ones)

A good one with a good design is a thing of beauty, but there are too many overpriced 'average' frames.

No different to steel then.

If you want one , have it.
Just would not get to caught up in the its a frame for life etc etc

I have a ti mtb orange ht and its ok but nothing stunning
Also have a ti road bike merlin and that's the best thing I've ever ridden

I would have another ti frame but also thinkin of a nice steel road bike for Sundays and sportife type use

How much are the lynskey ht frames?

Jesus 1500 quid
www.hotlines-uk.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=86269

Now this is a bargain much better than steel. No paint to chip & no rust.
Lynskey 29er Ridline vf frame in large
3 Months old & used for light use only so it is in good condition.
£800.
44mm Headtube so can run std & tapered forks.
Any questions etc please contact me email in profile.
Thanks. 😀

I've cracked four titanium road frames and had them all replaced under warranty by Van Nicholas. I can’t complain about their customer service because it has been exemplary.

Would I buy another titanium frame? No, my Scott CR1 carbon framed bike is better in almost every respect I can think of.

If you think that you are going to pay a premium for a frame for life then think again.

It Depends. My Ragley Ti's totally worth it, because it does something the other versions doesn't do, while keeping the best bits. I could have gone for a lighter steel one or a less horribly stiff alu one if they existed. My Soda, not so much, it's just a lighter bendier Soul- nice, but if I'd paid a grand for it I'd be unhappy (at 10% of that, I am happy)

It's not a magic material, any more than carbon (or steel, or alu), every frame's different. People seem to buy into it a lot, even more than they do with 853 or carbon or whatever, so, er, approach user reviews with caution I reckon.

I have a Litespeed Ti hard tail and currently building up a Litespeed road frame. Love Ti to bits. My last Ti hard tail frame was a 1998 Kona, which I just sold on Retrobike Forum for £600 to a guy in the Far East. With new decals it looked as good as the day I bought it. I've read all the titanium horror stories on here and I suggest they account for only a small percentage of the frames in current use.

I e had three ti bikes. The two Lynskey built ones were trouble free. The other one cracked. All were nice. I replaced the road bike with a carbon one (stiffer and lighter but not as pretty), and the MTB with a steel one. I'd probably have ti again, and the Pegasus in the classifieds is tempting me, but as others have said, it's pretty, light and rides well, but not really better than other well-applied materials.

Nipper99, if you've an idea on what angles you'd like or would like something a bit different to off-the-shelf, have a look at [url= http://tritonbikes.com/faq/ ]Triton[/url]. Less than 1k for a custom frame (unless you chose lots of options), they have a loyal following and make some very nice stuff!

Yes, love my new kinesis maxlight sync Ti, so much fun to ride.

I love my sheep with a passion that is almost illegal

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good Ti from a brilliant frame builder yes. Cheap Ti from mass produced mob with a history of frame fails or poor customer backup like litespeed/lynskey probably not for me.

I'd rather have a bespoke one-of-a-kind British built steel frame than a standard mass-produced ti frame - much more special and interesting for the money.

Jamie - Member

Titanium can of worms has just been opened...

not to mention 29er obsolescence

a standard mass produce Ti frame today
[img] [/img]

I have a bespoke Ti road frame from Justin Burls. Only thing so far road wise I haven't broken. I think its the best frame I've ridden but it does look dull as ditch water.

Would I have a 29er HT Ti frame......yes, tomorrow, but I would have it custom made to suit me.

My Ti hard tail cracked. Then it was repaired and refinished by the manufacturer (Lynskey) at no cost to me and with no quibble or question, it took a little while but not an unreasonable time considering it had to go back to the U.S. to be done and now it looks like a brand new one. OK you could argue that it shouldn't have broken but I have absolutely no complaints with the way it was dealt with when it did and I feel the level of service I recieved worth a good part of the considerable original purchase price. Would I buy another when/if this one goes? Possibly not, I probably won't have that much cash again to spend on a bike anyway and I would maybe get a higher end steel frame instead. I've got a feeling I would always [i]want[/i] another Ti frame though.

Like most things it's only worth it [i]if[/i] you really want it and you can afford it.

I had a Kona Hei hei for 14 years, which I loved and bitterly regret selling

[url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3109/2574207242_7f45618003.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3109/2574207242_7f45618003.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimbosussexmtb/2574207242/ ]2008_0506_183833AA[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jimbosussexmtb/ ]South Downs MTB Skills[/url], on Flickr

I eventually replaced it with a Cove Hummer, which I still have (and love!)

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8245/8467475423_7e3cfd47b7.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8245/8467475423_7e3cfd47b7.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimbosussexmtb/8467475423/ ]Cove Hummer[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jimbosussexmtb/ ]South Downs MTB Skills[/url], on Flickr

And I've just got a kinesis sync, which I think may have made the Hummer a bit redundant, but I'm not going to sell it as I don't want a repeat performance with the regret of the Hei hei!

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8245/8467475423_7e3cfd47b7.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8245/8467475423_7e3cfd47b7.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimbosussexmtb/8467475423/ ]Cove Hummer[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jimbosussexmtb/ ]South Downs MTB Skills[/url], on Flickr

Liking my 456 ti with use sumo ti Seatpost and kingdom ti flat bars at 730 mm wide

Just noticed the picture didn't work, should have been this:

[url= http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2886/9358742289_e1ae075273.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2886/9358742289_e1ae075273.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimbosussexmtb/9358742289/ ]Kinesis Maxlight Sync on a signpost[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jimbosussexmtb/ ]South Downs MTB Skills[/url], on Flickr

I have ridden most frame materials.

Ti is fantastic.

Is it worth the extra cash? Maybe - after geometry and everything else has been taken into consideration.

A good steel frame will still whip a bad ti frame everyday of the week, but a good ti frame is something a little special.

XACD will build you a Ti frame for about £500 delivered. I've a road one still on order so can't comment on quality yet. Fully custom but no warranty at that price.

I'm still happy with mine after more than 4 years. Its 'lifetime warranty' may mean diddly-squat but at my age I won't lose any sleep. 😀

I've ridden Ti frames exclusively for over 15 years without any problems, but I'm only 130lbs wet through. I wonder; are all the cracked frames ridden by heavyweights?

Well I'm 161lb and mine survived too!

I've ridden Ti frames exclusively for over 15 years without any problems, but I'm only 130lbs wet through. I wonder; are all the cracked frames ridden by heavyweights?

I'm still riding a 14 year old aluminium frame. I've ridden when heavy and when light.

Doubt they break due to fat users, more likely to be poor welding technique.

Hey, hummer, you're not a heavyweight. Anyway, what's all the Ti prejudice on this forum?

No I know I'm not, but I've got 30lbs more cake round my middle than you oldboy 😉

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Here's mine, I had a lot of fun on a Ti456 for 4yrs then went for a bespoke 29er from Justin Burls. I just love it, fast and light and comfortable.

I thought long and hard about getting a Ti road frame, didnt in the end, got a Supersix Evo High Mod which feels a lot like Ti to me.

But for mtb, for me, always Ti. They're just right.

Is it worth it?

I've got 2 Ti bikes. They're nice but I'm not good enough to notice much difference over their steel counterparts.

The USP for me is not having to worry about paint finish or corrosion, but that's about it. Oh, and they can be very shiny, that's a plus. 🙂