Best titanium road bike for up to œ1,500 ?
Fresh Air Rider
Posts: 161
Hi,
Could anyone please recommend titanium road bikes for up to œ1,500 ?
Is it possible to get a butted framed Ti road bike with Campag Veloce in this price range ?
I'd be grateful for any recommendations.
David
Could anyone please recommend titanium road bikes for up to œ1,500 ?
Is it possible to get a butted framed Ti road bike with Campag Veloce in this price range ?
I'd be grateful for any recommendations.
David
0
Comments
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would suspect at this price your stuck with XCAD/Van Nicholas which are (I think) straight tubes. Nowt wrong with that tho.
Did you get planning permission for that sense of humour bypass?0 -
Hi CalvJones,
Thanks very much for your contribution.
What sort of price do the better Ti road bikes start at with butted tubes and any recommendations please ?
David0 -
David
Post this in 'Race' and you'll get a wealth of replies - depends what you want the bike for, but many swear by enigma, Seven and (at the very high end) moots et al.
Suffice to say your œ1500 will disappear with frame alone on anything other than a Van Nicholas really - and high end Ti is even more.
At this price level, you'd be about the only person with a mid range groupset on the bike rather than record/dura ace. if spending this much i'd be looking (myself) for a custom build as 'fit' will make far more difference to you than that between butted or non-butted ti tubes.
If you are concerned with lightness-strength ratio (primarily the benefit of butting tubes) then you might be better off with carbon?
Good luck - let us know how it pans out!
Cal
Did you get planning permission for that sense of humour bypass?0 -
Nowt wrong with Van Nicholas IMO. I've got an Airborne and it's a great frame. Well made, good spec, lovely ride.
You can always spend more but the performance increase is often marginal. Still they look good, which is half of it.
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Drop bars are a historical accident...... discuss</font id="purple"></font id="size1">Drop bars are a historical accident...... discuss0 -
check Evans, they've got a tit' Biachi on offer0
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I'd look out for a discounted 2006 frame set,
I picked up a Bianchi Paris-Roubaix ti frame reduced from œ1200 to œ750. Built it up with Dura ace and Zonda wheels for about œ1850.Older but no wiser0 -
Give Fatbirds in Hunstanton a call, they tend to specialise in Titanium bikes and stock Van Nicholas amongst others. Your choices at the cheaper end are basically Enigma, Van Nicholas, Sunday Bicycle, XCAD and at the more expensive end Seven, Moots, Litespeed, Merlin. Some of the major manufacturers do have Titanium offerings as well such as Bianchi and De Rosa. Cycling Weekly did have an offer on their website for a Litespeed Vortex but it seems to have gone now and was much more than œ1500
<font color="blue"><h5>Today is your day, your mountain is waiting, so get on your way {Dr Seus}</h5></font id="blue">Today is your day, your mountain is waiting, so get on your way {Dr Seus}0 -
Looks like they've (Evans) got a 53cm left, great frame if it's your size.Older but no wiser0
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Theres always a second hand option with Ti - a better prospect than buying carbon second hand ?0
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If you're prepared to buy abroad then R&A Cycles in Brooklyn have some good deals on Ti frames such as Merlin and Litespeed. You'll pay about 30% on import duty but with the pound as strong as it is then it still looks like a good deal.0
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Wow, thanks to everyone for replying to this one.
I really fancy titanium because of its lightness and longevity and just wondered if it was possible to get a titanium road bike with a reasonable (butted) frame and probably lower grade components for around œ1500.
Components such as wheels and groupsets etc are obviously easy to upgrade as and when funds become available, but it would be nice to have a good quality frame to start of with.
In terms of usage, I'm only really looking for something for going off on day rides and sunday morning and evening rides etc to maintain fitness. I wasn't planning on using it for racing unless I got really fit.
Many thanks indeed for all of your wonderful replies.
David0 -
It sounds like a good choice of material for the type of riding you plan to do. I have a De Rosa Titanio that I bought back in 1999 which is still going strong. I've upgraded most of the components over the years but the frame still polishes up really well and looks as good as new. It also has a ride quality that is second to none, comfortable but responsive too.
One other option may be Condor Cycles here in London - I think their Ti frame can be built up into a complete bike for around œ1500. Unfortunately their website is down at the moment and my copy of the catalogue is at home so I can't tell you their quoted prices.0 -
I've just been onto the Van Nicholas website, and you could comfortably get a Zepher with Veloce for less than œ15000
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by andyp</i>
It sounds like a good choice of material for the type of riding you plan to do. I have a De Rosa Titanio that I bought back in 1999 which is still going strong. I've upgraded most of the components over the years but the frame still polishes up really well and looks as good as new. It also has a ride quality that is second to none, comfortable but responsive too.
One other option may be Condor Cycles here in London - I think their Ti frame can be built up into a complete bike for around œ1500. Unfortunately their website is down at the moment and my copy of the catalogue is at home so I can't tell you their quoted prices.
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Hi Andy,
Yes, I really fancy a titanium road bike at the moment.
Thanks for recommending Condor and I will check them out when their site is back up.
David0 -
why the obsession with butted tubing, especially if you won't be racing?
the sunday silk road gets an excellent review in the comic this week and could be built in to a nice bike for œ1500. if you want an all rounder that will take guards and a rack than a van nic yukon would be an excellent choice (i have one and love it)0 -
My VN Chinook cost me œ1250 with Veloce last year. Over all it's a great all round bike, not super light but what it lacks in lightness it makes up for in comfort. See the pic below>>>
<b>My Bikes</b> Van Nicholas Quest Giant MTB
My Ebay0 -
As someone just said, you'd do well to think about why you want the frame butting. As the review in the comic this week pointed out, the use of straight guage tubing on our Silk Road adds to the ride quality - it might add 100gms onto the frame, but you can soon take that away with careful speccing.
You'd get a Velocre build for œ1500 if we thought carefully enough about it!
Greg
www.sundaybicycles.co.uk0 -
Hi
Yes, you're probably right about the obsession with butted tubing.
I tried to buy the Cycling Plus magazine the other day, but they had all flown off the shelves already.
Thanks for all of the advice so far.
David0 -
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by greg roche</i>
As someone just said, you'd do well to think about why you want the frame butting. As the review in the comic this week pointed out, the use of straight guage tubing on our Silk Road adds to the ride quality - it might add 100gms onto the frame, but you can soon take that away with careful speccing.
You'd get a Velocre build for œ1500 if we thought carefully enough about it!
Greg
www.sundaybicycles.co.uk
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Greg forgive me for hijacking this thread but just wondering if you plan to produce an 'audax' frame with relaxed geometry at all? Or are any of your existing Sunday models come with mudguard clearance? Thanks.
SIZE IS EVERYTHING! or at least that's what my LBS tells me.0 -
Burls does nice Russian Ti frames for under a grand. Makes a change from all the far eastern tat, and I think that Russia probably has more Ti and Ti welding expertise than any other country.
Largest reserves of Ti in the world, far more grades of Ti alloy that in China or the US, makes Ti components for Boeing and Eurobus, makes Ti submarines Ti aircraft and, I believe, made Omega frames.0 -
Order your Ti frame (to your own design) from XACD -- sales@xacd.com.cn
They are absolute ars<i></i>es to work with -- for their 'custom' frames they expect you to provide them with final, finished dimensions. They'll charge $10-20 per additional drawing change, and you'll need to wire them the money via CHAPS transfer...
BUT
You will get a custom, double-butted frame (with replaceable drop-outs) for about $700 + $135 post...so about œ430, all in. You could probably build that up with Chorus 2007 for under œ1500. I've had four frames from them, and they've all been delivered on time, with no additional duties.
I'll put a link to some pictures of mine up later...
Cheers,
Tim
http://vizarch.blogspot.com0 -
Yes please do Tim!
SIZE IS EVERYTHING! or at least that's what my LBS tells me.0 -
Dicho y hecho, Oh giant one...
This is DB, Record 2007 (exc. Chorus chainset) , Neutron Wheelset -- about 7 kg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124398884@N01/510785873/
And here's a track frame they built for me:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124398884@N01/510766796/
Cheers,
Tim
http://vizarch.blogspot.com0 -
Just keep a close eye on ebay! Let someone else take the 1000 depreciation on a 2500 quid Ti framed bike. I've seen top Litespeeds go for not much more than a grand and a half. AND it won't be rusty.
d.j.
"Like a true nature's child,
We were born,
Born to drink mild"0 -
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by davej</i>
Just keep a close eye on ebay! Let someone else take the 1000 depreciation on a 2500 quid Ti framed bike. I've seen top Litespeeds go for not much more than a grand and a half. AND it won't be rusty.
d.j.
"Like a true nature's child,
We were born,
Born to drink mild"
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Thanks Dave, I think you've got a point there.0 -
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by andyp</i>
I've just had a look at my copy of this year's Condor catalogue and they are offering their Moda Ti frame as a complete bike with Veloce for œ1799.99. It doesn't say if it's double butted or not but I'm sure if you asked the ever helpful Bern on this thread he'd be able to answer.
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Thanks Andy, I'll see if I can find that one their website.0 -
Fatbirds are auctioning a Litespeed on ebay at moment - if it's youe size (54 I think), might be worth a look. They occasionally need a cash flow injection I suspect.
d.j.
"Like a true nature's child,
We were born,
Born to drink mild"0 -
I'm also seriously considering swapping the frame on my Trek 1400 to a Van Nicholas either Zephyr or Euros.
I really like the thought of titanium over carbon.0
