I think that’s a good point actually- it used to be that a really good 853 frame would cost you £400-£450 and ti of the same quality/same quality brand would be over a grand. Now steel’s gone up and ti has become more accessible.

Wonders when Ribbles offerings in steel & ti will be ready for release into couriers hands

I’ve always lusted after a Ti hardtail, but never had the money. Go for it OP, you’re a long time dead. Buy it, ride it and post lots of photos of it on here

Don’t buy a Ti frame they are just rubbish. I love mine but don’t you buy one.

has that worked?

Have you ordered it yet?

So i’m an avid lover of Ti..i’ve 3 ti bikes..

I think they aren’t as light as carbon or ali, but lighter than steel.
But…they have a ‘feel’ to them that’s hard to explain.

For instance, my Travers SS (rigid) feels like it’s got 40mm of travel either end. It’s soo comfy;it’s odd!

My hardcore HT is just lovely…really nice welds and again, feels ‘softer’ than a HT should, without feeling flexy.

Plus, they are so easy to clean!

DrP

Still have my Brodie Holeshot Ti that I brought SH from here, I did the same, I had a Ragley Bluepig which I swapped into the Brodie frame
I just love the way the Ti rides.
So much so I swapped out my carbon road bike for a Ti Kinesis too

Do it

Having got myself a Ti hardtail earlier this year, I can only agree with what the others have said. There is just something utterly sublime about it.

Get one!

I have owned a few ti hardtails over the years and still do now. I have also owned a few steel and carbon ones and always go back to ti. There is just something about the ride quality, the durability and the looks that do it for me.
If I could only have one MTB, it would be a ti one. Yes they are expensive but as stated above, a good steel frame is now pretty expensive so the price difference is becoming more justifiable.

It will almost certainly crack. (IME, 3 months from a Ti hardtail)

Your current frame is fine.

It’s a hassle to switch them over.

All the stuff about magical ride quality is guff, especially if you like the current bike don’t go changing it and finding out what you used to like about it.

Spend it on other bike stuff or, failing that, coke and hookers.

The only frames (and forks actually) that I’ve cracked have been Ti. However, given the price of them relative to the repair cost, I’m happy getting them patched up and back into service.

It will almost certainly crack.

This is almost certainly a load of pish.

I had a Ti (26″) Slackline, it was lovely, took the edge off a lot of hits.
I’ve now got a steel (mk2) Switchback and although I’m liking the geometry changes, the back end is a little harsh. Does anyone have any experience of both the steel and Ti switchbacks for comparison as thinking of saving up for a (s/h) Ti one?

This is almost certainly a load of pish.

Everybody I know who’s had a ti frame of any ilk for any length of time has cracked it. My experience is clearly worse than average, but the “frame for life” image is undoubtedly a load of pish. Yes the material is very tough, but the minute you weld it it’s very hard not to introduce impurities and defects, which titanium is particularly sensitive to, partly due to its relatively low ductility. I think also they tend to be more “crafted” than “engineered”, built in small quantities without much R&D, so the problems can’t be worked around which I’m sure they would be if Ti was the default frame material.

Conversely, although other frames can and do crack, I know plenty of people with ancient steel and aluminium frames that have not had easy lives.

The obscene cost of replacement of a ti frame does mean that repair is an option, though.

also.. 2 out of the 3 ti frames i have are lifetime warranty…

That being said, I did crack a Tripster Mk1, but this was at teh ‘known fault spot’… I’ve also cracked an alu scandal…
Friends have busted steel frames, so hey hum…!

DrP

I still ride my Sandvik made Cove Hummer, must be approaching 20 years old, (has canti brake bosses and disc mounts). A bit steeper than modern geometry, but rides lovely.

ti frames acquire patina not signs of wear.
Just wash off the mud and a quick rub with some Scotch Bright.
Don’t even need frame protector.

Out of any bike Ive ever owned, my Ti frame was the best and its the bike I miss the most. Lovely to ride and nice and light.

What I don’t miss is the yearly warranty repair (yes – Lynskey)

Id buy another Ti again if I was riding more than I am at the moment and so could justify the cost of it. But I’d always be mindful of constant changes to geometry/components etc.

Ahh, sod it! Buy one and ride it 🙂

Thanks again for all the good but contradictory advice and opinions. I’ve not dismissed any of it.

Dr P, I have PM’d you. Cheers.

We talking about a Solarismax & a Sodamax? if so I have ridden both & confirm the soda is nicer 🙂

(yes – Lynskey)

Haha, same as mine. The design detail that failed on mine was really not very good, and Lynskey only fabricated it, to be fair to them.

A lifetime warranty isn’t really much use if you’re halfway through a holiday with a long long walk down a mountain, or in a variety of other situations.

I have had 4 titanium hard tails one got stolen, I still have 2 and have had no cracking issues with either (fingers crossed) and one frame cracked round the seat tube.

My partner had a Ti mtb frame which cracked along the seat stays and my Ti road bike had cracks along the chain stays. All problems were resolved by free replacement or free repair and some polite negotiation.

All the Ti bikes I have ridden have been a pleasure, just get one ordered you know you want to.

When I bought my road bike I phone my partner to get her to put me off, but she said just get it.
You only live once.

I’m on Ti frames #1, #2 and #5. #3 was sold and I’ve no idea where it ended up. #4 is still in regular use by a certain long-distance cyclist. #1 there’s a bit of a tale around and I’m awaiting it’s return after being loaned to someone. None of them were horrendously expensive and none of them exhibit any signs of damage (or even wear really).

I had a stooge steel loved it so much bought a ti with slightly longer top tube, only had it a week but I like it a lot more, rides comfier, looks rad and told mrs that I’ve had the old one paint stripped… happy days!!!!

What was #1 tale frame then I wonder Scotsroutes ?

This intrigues me somewhat

One of my favourite, most fun bikes ever was my Dialled Bikes Alpine (853). So much fun, built to be solid and rode like it. The one – only – problem I couldn’t get over as a result was the weight. I always imagined a Ti version would be ideal.

Then Mike made a prototype Ti version through The Bike Chain.

And it just wasn’t the same at all. Light yes but skittish, not planted, “skippy”.

That said, I really want a Ti 29er now for the likes of longer distance touring / packing rides. I think Ti is the ultimate material for that. But for trail riding (“Enduro”) it just wasn’t right.

Bugger. Now I want a Ti frame again 🙁

From the Stooge website
Titanium Stooge frames carry a warranty of five years to the original purchaser. The frame will be returned to the framebuilder for repair of replacement at their discretion, but in most cases a flawless repair will be executed.

Oh dear, this thread has made me look at the Cotic site, the Soda looks like my ‘ultimate’ bike. Think I might buy my first lottery ticket.. so the odds of me obtaining one are still one in 14 million..

From the Van Nicholas website (my bold)

Van Nicholas will replace (not repair) any Titanium frame that fails due to manufacturer defects in materials or workmanship for the lifetime of the frame. Every bicycle has a limited life, the so-called useable life-cycle. The duration of the useable life-cycle of bicycles depends on the type of frame, the way in which and the circumstances under which the bicycle is ridden and the care/maintenance the bicycle receives. The lifetime guarantee period is established on the basis of the duration of the useable life cycle of the bicycle. Van Nicholas sets the lifetime of their frames at an average of 25 years.

Loooooooove my Van Nic Zephyr.

Sorry, OT.

Hey OP (kelvin) – have you bought one yet? get on with it! 🙂

I was expecting photos.

Today 🤨

It’s a bike for life, but we haven’t got all day.

Don’t rush me!

[ s o r r y ]

I’d buy one if I could afford it. My bastardised Ragley Ti is the best hardtail I’ve ever ridden and before it I had both an Mmmbop (aluminium) and a Blue Pig (steel). All identical geometries, though different tube proportions. The Ti kind of combines the lightness of aluminium with the steel zing / softeness / give / whatever, and throws in that sort of magic ‘thing’ that’s hard to nail, but obvious when it’s there. It’s a happy frame.

Kona Raijin 29er, made by Lynskey, 7 years and counting all fine and Dandy. Cove Hummer (Litespeed) 2005 vintage again nothing to see here 😎

When you’ve bought one you also have to get a set of e-wings to go with it, just because they look so good on a Ti frame.

Just spent the weekend on the Dunoon Dirt Dash on a ti Broken Road – lovely, in all respects, even carried all right. If the cash isn’t the be all and end all then do it.