I d on this ti bike

[Frankenorange]

Thanks for the info the poor bugger ride this for 20 yrs thinking it was ti - he’s now pushing up daisys and will never know the truth

I would say; pushing up daisies happy that he rode around on a ti bike.

 

[d8mok]

You looking to sell it?

 

[Rideon]

Took bike to a expert collector with 300 bikes he thinks it’s titanium

 

[Frankenorange]

Nope.

Biggest sign it is aluminium is the chainstay bridge. More difficult to get into, to smooth welds, and there are typical big poopy welds left there.

Hope you are not paying this expert.

 

[d8mok]

There’s a huge difference between an expert and an enthusiast.

 

[ishaw]

Why on earth would someone, whether as made or afterwards, screw with lovely ti welding? Here are some examples of a few of my ti frames, so while I'd never claim to be an expert, I do have a fair bit of experience of ti frames having 8 currently (yikes, didn't realise it was that many) all from different manufacturers,l. None have such butt ugly, poor quality, bike inducing welding, not even ones I've owned from china.

Here are a few pics of what a ti weld should/can look like, from a GT lightning, a cove hummer and a more modern on one 29er.

I've thrown in a pic of an alloy frames welds just for comparison and they are still nicer than the dodgy, blobby play dough looking things.

 

[ishaw]

Also, a ti frame would not scratch/scuff to silver, or let's say for arguement, aluminium looking colour.

Look at the marks on the head tube in your pics for evidence of what I mean:

There were some manufacturers that plated their frames with a ti finish (though usually that included the welds, and on yours they aren't even the same colour as the frame, which is again another pointer that the frame isn't ti as ti rods would be used to weld ti tubes). ParkPre were one, can't remember if they did this on alloy or steel though.

happy to be proved wrong but from what I can see, it's not ti.

 

[vtwinvince]

It's not ti, period. 'Expert' opinions notwithstanding.

 

[greencat]

Took bike to a expert collector with 300 bikes he thinks it’s titanium

Get them to buy it.

I'll agree it's got a bit of a titanium look to it, perhaps because of the lacquer. But titanium doesn't look like that as it ages/scratches and the welds don't look right. I'm pretty sure my titanium frames have never been scuffed like that by brake housing either. Even some of the more industrial titanium repairs I've seen have a characteristic appearance.

But if you want to believe it's titanium, and will enjoy it more like the sadly deceased prior owner - that's perfectly fine. Sometimes a personal truth is more important than a shared one.

 

[d8mok]

I bought a Parkpre a bit ago and the guy was 100% sure it was Ti. No amount of me pointing out facts could change his mind ……. Until I stuck a magnet to it