Recommendations Titanium frame
- Thread starter dezza
- Start date
Re:
Sandvik made I think are as good as it gets. My DBR Axis TT is great. Had another but it was too small, no issues with that either.
Orange vit-t seem to be on here a lot with cracks, I'd avoid them.
My Raleigh torus is also in fine fettle, no issues with that but not as exotic as others.
Sandvik made I think are as good as it gets. My DBR Axis TT is great. Had another but it was too small, no issues with that either.
Orange vit-t seem to be on here a lot with cracks, I'd avoid them.
My Raleigh torus is also in fine fettle, no issues with that but not as exotic as others.
OP,I have had 3 Van Nicholas Tuaregs,two cracked and were replaced by VN very fast with no hassle.
The third one (which is a 650b frame) has had more use than the other two put together and is fine.
Whatever you go for,I would just make sure that their replacement policy has a good rep,some are better than others.
The third one (which is a 650b frame) has had more use than the other two put together and is fine.
Whatever you go for,I would just make sure that their replacement policy has a good rep,some are better than others.
I agree on Van Nicholas front. Mine seems really tough although to be fair I think it lacks some of the zing of other titanium frames.
For vintage, Sunn Titanium (actually a Morati) was strong. The 4T (now Wittson) not so good - mine cracked in two places. Both had a lovely feel to the ride.
For vintage, Sunn Titanium (actually a Morati) was strong. The 4T (now Wittson) not so good - mine cracked in two places. Both had a lovely feel to the ride.
66 triumph daytona
Senior Retro Guru
- Feedback
- View
Re:
Highly recommend a Torus,one of the cheaper ways of getting into Ti and they ride great.
Highly recommend a Torus,one of the cheaper ways of getting into Ti and they ride great.
2manyoranges
Old School Grand Master
- Feedback
- View
Re:
I’ve had a lot of experience of all metals. I know you’ve asked about Ti but can I just ask a few questions? Which might help you select Ti or select something else. Just bear with me.
The elusive ‘stiff but soft’ ride which follows Ti frames around like a Will O the Wisp is present in some but not all Ti frames. That’s the first thing. The second thing is that welding Ti is no simple matter. Some manufacturers get it right, some produce totally dud frames. Consistently.
An aside: Ti is the worst material for the environment regarding CO2 emissions, since it needs a very complex process for extraction and refinement. It saves CO2 in the airline industry, since it is far stronger than other materials, thus reducing weight and fuel consumption.
Having said that, I have three Ti frames. Well two and one coming. Marin ti 1990; Stanton Slackline 26 2016; Stanton Switch29er coming. Stanton have never had a frame failure. Almost all the year 1 Marin ‘Tis failed at the seat-tube. Production switched from one American company to Litespeed and there were no failures. But I have seen many many cracked Ti frames. They can be repaired, but sometimes the tube profiling has been done badly, and the failure promptly occurs again. Sometimes the welds are contaminated (welding Ti has to be done in an inert gas environment and it’s a fiddly process, with many errors occurring). And so on.
So....what do you want the bike for? And how big/heavy are you? If you are small and slight like me, then you have more chance of finding a frame. If you just want the bike for wandering around a bit, that’s one thing...but if you want to really hammer it then that’s another. Or just a hanger-queen, then go with anything. But if you want performance and retro, then go for a frame with looong top tube so you can run a short stem. Go with a simple frame design where they were more likely to get the tubing profiles right. Go with a brand who used a specialist manufacturer such as Sandvik. And if you are small and slight like me and interested in ‘emerging retro’ recognise that now that 26 is pretty much dead (apart from jump bikes) there are real bargains to be had in Stanton 26ers.
But are you sure you want Ti? Steel is stunning. The best moment I had on a mountain bike was on a steel Marin I made in 1997. A Tange Team Marin - loooong top tube - short stem, Manitou 1s. I had the Marin Ti, and had ridden it loads, and knew its characteristics. I then built up a steel Team Marin in the same size frame. Overall, the same weight bike. Same tyres etc. The first session out on the steel was a revelation - as fast as the Ti, same soft-but-tight feel. Same stunning climbing ability. But downhill......faaaaast. Very fast. Big grins on the three mile downhill from just after Ditchling Beacon down to the A23.
The best steel (Cotic, Stanton) is as good as Ti, and only fractionally heavier. And with fewer QC gremlins. The Soul 26 will be a retro classic in thirty years’ time and I am hanging on to my duck-egg blue medium (I am 5 7 and 135 lbs and should be on a small according to the charts - nope, the medium is right).
I have Ti, steel and alloy in the stable. My soft spot is always for the steel bikes. My C16R, my Soul. Little tinkers they are.
I’ve had a lot of experience of all metals. I know you’ve asked about Ti but can I just ask a few questions? Which might help you select Ti or select something else. Just bear with me.
The elusive ‘stiff but soft’ ride which follows Ti frames around like a Will O the Wisp is present in some but not all Ti frames. That’s the first thing. The second thing is that welding Ti is no simple matter. Some manufacturers get it right, some produce totally dud frames. Consistently.
An aside: Ti is the worst material for the environment regarding CO2 emissions, since it needs a very complex process for extraction and refinement. It saves CO2 in the airline industry, since it is far stronger than other materials, thus reducing weight and fuel consumption.
Having said that, I have three Ti frames. Well two and one coming. Marin ti 1990; Stanton Slackline 26 2016; Stanton Switch29er coming. Stanton have never had a frame failure. Almost all the year 1 Marin ‘Tis failed at the seat-tube. Production switched from one American company to Litespeed and there were no failures. But I have seen many many cracked Ti frames. They can be repaired, but sometimes the tube profiling has been done badly, and the failure promptly occurs again. Sometimes the welds are contaminated (welding Ti has to be done in an inert gas environment and it’s a fiddly process, with many errors occurring). And so on.
So....what do you want the bike for? And how big/heavy are you? If you are small and slight like me, then you have more chance of finding a frame. If you just want the bike for wandering around a bit, that’s one thing...but if you want to really hammer it then that’s another. Or just a hanger-queen, then go with anything. But if you want performance and retro, then go for a frame with looong top tube so you can run a short stem. Go with a simple frame design where they were more likely to get the tubing profiles right. Go with a brand who used a specialist manufacturer such as Sandvik. And if you are small and slight like me and interested in ‘emerging retro’ recognise that now that 26 is pretty much dead (apart from jump bikes) there are real bargains to be had in Stanton 26ers.
But are you sure you want Ti? Steel is stunning. The best moment I had on a mountain bike was on a steel Marin I made in 1997. A Tange Team Marin - loooong top tube - short stem, Manitou 1s. I had the Marin Ti, and had ridden it loads, and knew its characteristics. I then built up a steel Team Marin in the same size frame. Overall, the same weight bike. Same tyres etc. The first session out on the steel was a revelation - as fast as the Ti, same soft-but-tight feel. Same stunning climbing ability. But downhill......faaaaast. Very fast. Big grins on the three mile downhill from just after Ditchling Beacon down to the A23.
The best steel (Cotic, Stanton) is as good as Ti, and only fractionally heavier. And with fewer QC gremlins. The Soul 26 will be a retro classic in thirty years’ time and I am hanging on to my duck-egg blue medium (I am 5 7 and 135 lbs and should be on a small according to the charts - nope, the medium is right).
I have Ti, steel and alloy in the stable. My soft spot is always for the steel bikes. My C16R, my Soul. Little tinkers they are.
