Titanium! Does it dent easier than Alu or Carbon?

donnie murdo
donnie murdo Posts: 986
edited July 2009 in Road beginners
Not sure if this is true would be good to know.

Comments

  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    Carbon won't dent at all.
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    Smokin Joe wrote:
    Carbon won't dent at all.

    it will - but you need to throw it away afterwards.. ;)
  • donnie murdo
    donnie murdo Posts: 986
    I suppose what I should have said is what material is most resistant to small scale knocks through wear and tear. I understand that no bike frame whatever it is made from will withstand bike v car combo's etc..
  • balthazar
    balthazar Posts: 1,565
    Titanium is probably toughest, though knocks and dents are not important for durability, whatever the frame is made of. Tests of frame durability by the German institute EFBe, show no consistent trends, with regard to material. Quality of design and manufacture matters more.
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    Titanium is harder than aluminium so for a given wall thickness alu will dent easier. Dents in large diameter thin wall tubes are dangerous as much of the strength is due to the tube profile. Do the coke can test. It is quite difficult to twist or bend. Put a dent in the side and see how much easier it is to twist or bend it.
    As for carbon. Very strong and can stand quite hard knocks as it is also thicker. The danger is if the knock was just too hard and damaged the structure. You may or may not be able to see it. Such damage is rare and would only happen in a big crash.