Titanium frame

learyr

I recently had a nasty prang with a Bentley a month back. Miraculously other than very severe bruising I emerged relatively unscathed. My 4 month old Ribble with carbon frame and ultegra groupset etc is advised as 'can't be guaranteed' despite lack of any obvious cracks etc.

I will almost certainly recover its cost via the motorists insurance. He had admitted 100% liability and insurance co agreed so I think it will be straightforward.

Although I love my Ribble it has set me thinking. I am a shade pissed off that a simple prang renders my apparently basically OK lovely carbon frame as scrap. This offends my poorly developed sense of 'green/recyle'.

Therefore I thought if the chance arose I might buy a new Titanium frame and have all the groupset etc from old bike transferred to the titanium frame which would be more indestructible.

This way I get a new titanium bike, the 4 month old kit isn't wasted etc.

Now if this becomes possible does anyone have advise re titanium frames. I am a keen cyclist but will never likely race. I enjoy sportifs and plan to do more longer distance stuff in the future and some touring.

I would quite like the frame to be suitable for 'proper' mudguards and to be able to carry panniers as eventually I hope to do some touring.

I want this to be a 'frame for ever' that can adapt somewhat as my cycling changes over the years.

Light weight is obviously important but not necessarily needing the lightest frame possible - it would be more efficient if I lost the pounds around my middle!

So choices please.

oh and how much might I anticipte my local bike shop charging me to strip down old machine and rebuild on new frame?

Anonymous

Van Nicholas chinook, have a look at fat Birds dont fly website.

pianoman

+1 for the Chinook, you'll love it

softlad

I have a Chinook and I love it - but if you need mudguard fittings, you would be better off looking at the Yukon...

pottssteve

If you want to be adventurous, and probably save some money, have a look here:

www.xacd.com.cn

A friend of mine used them and was very happy. I was quoted a total of US$650 for the titanium frame (no forks), bank transfer fee and delivery. They have a guy who speaks English if you email them.
Steve

ugo.santalucia

as they pay.. I would consider a Litespeed Ghisallo

Monty Dog

Titanium would be a great choice for your intended use. I've ordered a custom frame from Xacd / Xi'an / Tilon Titanium (all same company) previously - great deal if you know exactly what you want, so be prepared to check all the details. Communication is very good too. Downside is no warranty - but for the price buy two! If you're not sure, copy the details from a proven design like the Van Nicholas.

toontra

As has been said, for pannier and mudguard fittings you want the Van Nicholas Yukon. A true all-rounder - fast enough for sportives (or even road racing at a stretch) but perfect for long days in the saddle and light touring.

I've used mine for all of these and like it more and more. No worrying about paint scratches or chips. It's a workhorse and has already done 10,000k in just over a year without issue.

JonEdwards

Sabbath, Enigma, Planet X all do nice Ti stuff.

But it's exactly as much "for life" as a carbon frame when it comes to getting driven over by a car, and arguably worse as ultra thin Ti tubes will dent easier.

If you are *really* concerned about the "green" aspects of your purchase, I'd carry on riding the frame, but inspect it carefully every ride, for at least the first 6 months (any issues should have raised their head by then) - you should know where the likely problems are - if you had a head on collision, look at forks, steerer, head tube kinda thing.

At the end of the day, it's almost certainly OK. Ribble are just covering themselves in case it *does* give up on you - if it was *actually* dangerous, they would never have let you have it back.

Depends how nervous you are I guess.

GeorgeShaw

JonEdwards wrote:

... ultra thin Ti tubes will dent easier ...

I saw another quote like this the other day. AFAIK, titanium is less than half the density of steel (so the tubes are much thicker), is more resilient and has "memory", so springs back to it's original shape (you have to over-bend tubes to get them to a required shape). It's part of the reason for the expense of titanium frames. So it is much more resistant to denting.

alan_sherman

Enigma Etape

Sabbath Sunday

Van Nicholas Yukon

Planet X Sportive



All lovely bikes

JonEdwards

Oh, gawd, this starts to get complicated.

From memory the youngs modulus (stiffness) of steel is about twice that of Ti, so to increase the stiffness of Ti frames, you increase the tubing diameter, which means you can get away with much thinner tubes.

From a purely practical pov, my Ti MTB has picked up FAR more dents on the downtube from rockstrikes than any other bike I've owned (looks like somebody has taken a ballpeen hammer to it), and I've had a fair few steel frames, none of which have marked up. A mate also has a Litespeed Vortex which has some pretty fantastic tube manipulation and you can actually flex that with finger pressure, the tubing is so thin.

I love Ti bikes, and if I ever get round to buying a new roadbike, then a Ti frame is what I'll be after, but as with any frame material it has certain limitations and disadvantages.

careful

As has been said, for pannier and mudguard fittings you want the Van Nicholas Yukon. A true all-rounder - fast enough for sportives (or even road racing at a stretch) but perfect for long days in the saddle and light touring

Spot on Toontra
+1 for the Yukon

gabriel959

I would have a look at the Sabbath Bikes range - I think their equivalent to the Yukon is the Sabbath September.

greg roche

Gabriel is correct, you'd want a Sabbath September from us, which is fully mudguarded, pannier eyeletted and ready to take on the worse of the British weather. Being July, it's pouring down in Macclesfield and i'll be riding the September home later.

Greg

stagger

greg roche wrote:

Gabriel is correct, you'd want a Sabbath September from us, which is fully mudguarded, pannier eyeletted and ready to take on the worse of the British weather. Being July, it's pouring down in Macclesfield and i'll be riding the September home later.

or a planet x instead, eyelets for guards but not panniers. I've got one and is great.

Slow Downcp

As already mentioned Enigma Etape - I bought one last October, full guards, bosses for racks, looks fantastic, rides even better. Service from Jim Walker also superb.

Carpe Diem

Another vote for the Enigma Etape.

Takes guards/rack and rides superb.

Excellent service from Jim and Mark as well.

Blonde

I have a "Sabbath" September (well actually mine is called a Sunday September as I bought mine before the name change). I can recommend them for nippy handling and acceleration as well as high comfort. I have full mudguards fitted. I went to the Cheshire work shop and test rode a bike for four hours, up a few hills and deliberately onto some bumpy road surfaces before buying one. They will finish the frame to your specification; matt (gun-metal) finish, medium/brushed finish or a high shine finish and you get a choice of logo colour (red, green, blue, black) I went for high shine with black logo. 8)

karlmoreton

+1 for the YUKON.

Had mine nearly four years, still rides and looks like new, even after three winters of abuse including some off road.

Very comprehensive warranty compared to most, frames are replaced not repaired unlike most, which I hear on bikeradar, even includes Litespeed.

Perhaps may not have the classy graphics of Enigma/Sabbath but great price.

I would also stay away from the matt type finish, may look awesome when new but there is no way easily removing any scratching from this type of finish, whereas brushed or polished finishes can easily have any scratching removed with scourer or metal polish respectively, hence the reason for choosing titanium, a frame for life.

Chip \'oyler

Just to confuse you even more - what about a custom built Brian Rourke or Bob Jackson stainless steel 953?

Anonymous

I should get my Litespeed Siena tomorrow

GyatsoLa

Chainreaction are now selling Lynskey Frames... seems a good price too

Anonymous

Cor that Greg Roche sounds likes he owns the shop, oh hang on, he does. Sh*t. :?

Anonymous

Oh Napoleond I just put a white saddle and bar tape on my Siena, looks the nuts imho. Hope you get your bike tomorrow.

Anonymous

It will have white bar tape and a black/red fizik aliante for now...

Nuggs

NapoleonD wrote:

It will have white bar tape and a black/red fizik aliante for now...

Oh no, collar and cuffs mismatch! :shock:

Anonymous

I know, will have to get the saddle sorted but at the moment all my money is going on the frame as I am getting the next model up...

Anonymous

Thinking of getting one of these...

simon t

i'd quite like a frame that i can race on aswell as fitting mudguards for the winter(i only have space for 1 bike).what would you suggest?

Slow Downcp

maander wrote:

xacd.com make titanium frames for Litespeed and Van Nicholas. This is one of mine from
xacd.com. Cost $680/£460

Not according to this thread:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... highlight= :?