Titanium road bike

peanut1978
peanut1978 Posts: 1,031
edited June 2009 in Road beginners
anyone got any opinions.

looking for a "good" bike, as I will cycling more "seriously".

carbon or titanium?

Comments

  • NoNotAgain
    NoNotAgain Posts: 91
    Carbon is usually stiffer and lighter.
    Titanium on the other hand... Well, it's pure beauty! And you will have a tank-like bike, while carbon is rather fragile.
    1,000km+ a month, strictly road.
  • peanut1978
    peanut1978 Posts: 1,031
    titanium is still pretty light?

    just a thought buying acarbon bike, then one knock could be the end of the frame
  • NoNotAgain
    NoNotAgain Posts: 91
    This depends on the impact.
    You can literally crash and break everything.
    But yes, titanium would survive crashes carbon won't.
    1,000km+ a month, strictly road.
  • i have both. i like both. this probably doesn't help.
  • NoNotAgain
    NoNotAgain Posts: 91
    i have both. i like both. this probably doesn't help.

    Actually right, but you still make a point there.
    Carbon and titanium aren't really comparable yet both incredible.

    To the OP: If you don't want to go Pro (and I really mean Pro!) and money doesn't matter, I'd go for Ti actually.
    You wouldn't notice the difference in weight and stiffnes anyway, but you wouldn't have to worry about the frame that much.
    1,000km+ a month, strictly road.
  • flasher
    flasher Posts: 1,734
    All materials used for bike frames can work very well, it all depends on the bike, to say carbon is better than ti or steel is better than aluminium is way to simplistic.

    FWIW. I have a Titanium bike, a steel bike, and a aluminium bike can you guess what's next?
  • woody-som
    woody-som Posts: 1,001
    I have a Titanium, aluminium, and a steel bike as well, but won't be adding a carbon one. Out of the three, I'd say the Ti is the most comfortable, the lightest by nearly 2kgs, but not the quickest to climb with, that lies with the aluminium bike.
  • Ride a few. Try some Ti, try some carbon frames. That sounds a bit obvious and trite, but it really is the best way to tell which bike is best for you. If the bike isn't designed and built with your riding ideal in mind, the construction material isn't going to transform the bike into your perfect ride.

    As for durability, well, you can destroy any frame in a crash. But, unless you're somewhat crash prone, it's a non-issue.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Ive got a litespeed, love it, ti is a good material. Flash as well IMHO.
  • HonestAl
    HonestAl Posts: 406
    adding to the confusion I've got a Ti, Carbon and Al bike, to me they feel quite different, but I can't honestly say I'd put it down to the frame material alone, cos they're slightly different geometries, different wheels, different etc.. however I rate them all.

    Weight wise the carbon bike's lightest, but there's just something about a titanium bike (which in reality was why I bought one.. cos of the "something" instead of rationalising it being more robust or anything - if I was brutally honest if I go on usage and capability alone I probably can't justfiy anything other than something pretty basic ) I reckon I'll feel more confident in the winter on the Ti bike than the carbon one.

    Dead clear and helpful eh? :)
    "The only absolute statement is that everything is relative" - anon
  • Lunar Tick
    Lunar Tick Posts: 62
    Titanium framed bikes don't have to be heavier than their carbon counterparts. Mine weighs a tad under 16lbs and is mighty stiff to boot :D However, you'll pay more for lightness on a lb for lb basis with titanium
  • Flasheart
    Flasheart Posts: 1,278
    Flasher wrote:
    FWIW. I have a Titanium bike, a steel bike, and a aluminium bike can you guess what's next?

    Bamboo? :?
    The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle. ...Stapp’s Ironical Paradox Law
    FCN3
    http://img87.yfrog.com/img87/336/mycubeb.jpg
    http://lonelymiddlesomethingguy.blogspot.com/
  • jimmcdonnell
    jimmcdonnell Posts: 328
    I have a Litespeed, my gf's brother has an Orbea Orca - I've been up close and personal with the Orca, and although it has some drop-dead gorgeous touches, I'm still in love with my Litespeed and wouldn't swop.

    Ultimately this is a pointless if entertaining thread, it all boils down to personal preference in the end. Ride everything if you can, you'll know what you like even if you don't know why; it's an irrational gut feeling as much as anything else. I saw my bike on eBay and that was the end of it, I'd have sold a kidney (someone else's ideally, but one of my own at a pinch) to get it even if it proved to be the worst fit and ride I'd ever experienced! (It didn't. :D )
    Litespeed Tuscany, Hope/Open Pro, Ultegra, pulling an Extrawheel trailer, often as not.

    FCR 4 (I think?)
    Twitter: @jimjmcdonnell
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    If you're a 'fashion victim' and feel compelled to go with the crowd then you'll probably go with carbon - the risk is that you'll continually feel the need for an upgrade every time a newer model comes out, so it depends on how deep your pockets are. If you plan on keeping the bike for a while and therefore durability is important, then you'd be better placed for titanium. I've got the whole set and if I had to choose one, I'd stick with titanium - comfort and handling for longer rides with only a marginal loss in terms of stiffness and weight that I'm happy to live with. If I started again, it would be a custom Bertoletti.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..