Almost NOS RSP Titanium

[ibbz]

Re:

viewtopic.php?t=91636&start=375

This thread has some info about this frame - scroll down and read

 

[MOB]

Re: Re:



Thats what i remember. There were quite a few failure issues too with Russian sourced Ti but its a lot cheaper and probably won't get hammered these days. Nice looking frame with beautiful welds

Re: Re:



Thats what i remember. There were quite a few failure issues too with Russian sourced Ti but its a lot cheaper and probably won't get hammered these days. Nice looking frame with

Sorry. The early frames were never commercially pure which was a myth (and I have read this article previously).

The later tube sets were produced by Timet and then IMI and the IMI tubes were very good as they were custom butted and then plasma arc welded by Raleigh in Nottingham - very rare for a British manufacturer to do this.

 

[Driss]

Re:

Something weird looking about that to me.... does it look painted?

Maybe it’s the photos but it looks like a gloss lacquer silver finish from some angles!



Yeah found this in an old thread:

"The oracle (aka bikemeister2000) has spoken:

Hi Mike,

IMI were based in Swansea. We worked together with them to design the tubset for our plasma-arc welding at Raleigh Special Products. Timet and IMI merged so it was the same material.
It is not CP grade, but contains aluminium and vanadium to make it more suitable to the welding process.

Best regards"

Well I bought it and just joined the forum to try to find out a bit more about the history of these frames etc. I think you are spot on re painting. I read somewhere that Raleigh did paint their titanium frames unlike many of the contemporary versions seen nowadays. There is some slight cable rub and it’s looks like it’s laquered silver over a black base. If anyone can confirm/deny this info I’d be really grateful. Anyway, on day 2 of my ownership I did 50 miles to/around/from the New Forest and it was beautiful to ride. So light. And I can confirm that those Deore XT V brakes, covered in mud, still clean up and stop the bike impeccably! Who needs discs?!

 

[Ewhurst Bikes]

We have found the grade of Ti in those 1990s Raleigh SP ti frames, is some of the best i have never seen a fatigue failure on any of those frames now 35 years old, lovely material to weld too. Modern grades of ti fail in fatigue nearly always in 3 years if used hard - 10 years lightly used, shot peened and beautifully welded too

 

[Ewhurst Bikes]

We have found the grade of Ti in those 1990s Raleigh SP ti frames, is some of the best i have never seen a fatigue failure on any of those frames now 35 years old, lovely material to weld too. Modern grades of ti fail in fatigue nearly always in 3 years if used hard - 10 years lightly used, shot peened and beautifully welded too

we convert alot of them to disc, although the best Raleigh race/mtb Ti frames are very rare now