Ride difference between steel and titanium

Happy Harry

Some manufacturers (Genesis, Whyte) make frames of similar geometry in both steel and titanium. Has anybody had the pleasure of trying similar bikes in both materials and can tell me what the ride difference is?

The price and weight difference is obvious, of course. At the moment I really appreciate the soft springy feel of steel, I was wondering how an almost identical frame in titanium would compare and whether they are worth the price difference.

supersonic

Very little, depending on how the frame is made. Steel is stiffer than ti, ti is less dense. Oversizing tubes increases stiffness... so you can get flexy and stiff frames in either.

You can't categorize all steel as springy, though lighter ones tend to be due to thinner tubes.

Happy Harry

Thanks, SS. So in the two examples of Genesis Altitude 30/Altitude Ti and Whyte 19 Trail steel/19 Ti the only really tangible benefit of Ti would seem to be in saving a couple of pounds of weight.

For riding non-competitive trails and bridleways I think steel would be the acme of my pinnacle 8)

supersonic

It is impossile to say exactly without riding them. The tube diameters could be totally different.

davewalsh

I remember Brant Richards once writing that the only difference between his blue pig & Ti is when he picks them up !