Happy Sunday!
I am looking at purchasing a custom GURU or Moots custom titanium road bike. After careful consideration (and a recent ST article about road vs tri bikes) I am purchasing a custom road bike and may add clipons for races where I want to be aero.
My question is this…Titanium or alum or carbon materials? I have heard that titanium is more comfortable and lasts alot longer than carbon or aluminum???
Components…Dura Ace or Ultegra?
Thanks!
KK
I have a Ti custom frame, and feel it was a great investment. I enjoy the lightness and ride absorbing qualities, way superior to steel and aluminium. Carbon still gives a “dull” feel in my opinion, but the stiffness tends to be superior. I purchased my custom ride from Scott Quiring and had an excellent experience. He is a past USA bike racer. He generally specializes in mountain bikes, but loves to branch out into road bike manufacturing, he was excited to make mine. The price is great also, you could buy three frames in comparison to Moots, and you’ll get triple the attention also, as he is the only person you’ll speak to, and he is the only person making the frames.
Go with Ultegra SL - mid way between DA and Ultegra…
In 13 years I have cracked 2 carbon fiber road frames. In less time than that I have cracked 2 Gary Fisher (otherwise known as Crack & Fissure) aluminum mountain bike frames.
So when I got a tri bike a few months ago I went with titanium. That thing better hold up!
In 13 years I have cracked 2 carbon fiber road frames. In less time than that I have cracked 2 Gary Fisher (otherwise known as Crack & Fissure) aluminum mountain bike frames.
So when I got a tri bike a few months ago I went with titanium. That thing better hold up!
Don’t bet on it…
Any time you compare materials across different builders & design features there are a lot of generalizations & assumptions that go into it. That said…
Carbon bikes can certainly be made durable but if you were going to buy one “bike for life” it’s hard to beat ti. As far as custom building goes ti is generally more cost effective than carbon but pricier than aluminum. People buying carbon often go as light as possible and some of the durability horror stories you hear are a result of that. I’ve seen broken ti frames just like I’ve seen broken carbon frames.
If you are not dead set on those brands there are many to consider (gotta plug Lynskey & Cyfac, which my studio carries) . The most important thing is to find someone you can work with who will translate your fit dimensions into a smart set of frame dimensions and get you a bike that fits great AND rides great. I always cringe when I see a custom bike with 40mm of spacers under the stem. ugh…
Yes, be careful. One of my local shops has more cracked Ti bikes (always at the welds) than any other material.
I’ve had bikes of all the materials (carbon - both stiff and comfy, aluminum, scandium, steel - light and heavy, and Ti). I really liked the ride of Ti (Litespeed Vortex) and the bike overall. Steel still rides the best though and I think fails less (a LOT easier to weld) if done right and taken care of.
That said, I “race” my carbon bikes since it is impossible with the other materials to make a bike as light, stiff and aero (I usually throw out the cost parameter) 
So, saying the above: if I was going custom, I would go with a great steel frame! I’m very flexible, normal dimensions and can ride anything though so I don’t HAVE a custom steel frame. But I’ve been close to pulling the trigger on several occasions!
Aegis.
Kat_Kong:
Neither aluminum nor titanium is really the best material if longevity is the prime concern. The best material for that is steel, largely because its easy to weld properly, and can be bent back into shape a lot.
Aluminum bikes should last a long time, but so should aluminum and carbon ones. If you have a nasty wreck, anything can break.
Remember that just because the material is stronger, doesn’t mean the BIKE will be, bike makers tend to build bikes with as little of whatever material they are using, so in the end they can all be equally delicate, no matter the material. Titanium is also hard to weld, so more affordable titanium bikes may have welding mistakes that can fail, whereas cheap aluminum frames are such a commodity they are usually done properly.
Many people report that titanium and carbon bikes seem more comfortable than aluminum, but there isn’t a clear reason why this should be so, and the majority of the world rides on aluminum bikes with no comfort problems of any kind.
You best bet is to find a bike that looks and feels good to you, and not worry about the material so much. Maybe in a few years you will figure out what matters to you in a bike in more detail, and then can ponder on materials more =)
Thanks for bursting my bubble. I went with Lynskey but one of your links mentioned a 1998 Litespeed.
I guess I better avoid any sweet jumps 
Litespeed’s a great choice. My old Lynskey made TI saber has survived 20+mph crash into guard rail in France, and 2 cars hitting me(last one a durango). The cars had more damage than the bike, and the bike is till going strong, fast and comfortable. As stated here, don’t go cheap, but use a well known manufacturer, and you’ll love the bike. It will last a very long time, and you can put it in your will, as it will probably outlast you. It is MUCH more durable than steel, and IMO much more comfortable.
Be sure to check out Serotta and Indepedent Fabrication. Both make custom Ti bikes as well. My buddy has about 30,000 miles on his custom Serotta and he loves that bike to death.
So, saying the above: if I was going custom, I would go with a great steel frame! I’m very flexible, normal dimensions and can ride anything though so I don’t HAVE a custom steel frame. But I’ve been close to pulling the trigger on several occasions!
Come on, Rod… You know you wanna… http://flickr.com/photos/jonnycycles/sets/72157606968475200/show/
A titanium bike will serve you well, very well. A couple of things to remember and look for, also call the builders and confirm:
The titanium is USA “ti” some builders use Chinese titanium and this material cannot withhold the forces and and stress’s under building, some manufacturers will say USA Ti, but call and ensure this is on the model you are buying and not just their top model.
Ensure if going custom you have a good long chat with the builder or designer, and they fully understand you are racing tri and the specific needs.
You will enjoy a most beautiful ride and a stunning longevity if the right people have built your bike.
I have a carbon bike, a ti road bike, an alloy commuter bike and a carbon “TT” bike. The best is my Titanium lynskey, i love it, raced on it and competed sportif on the same bike. Ti is great, good ti Rocks.
Be sure to check out Serotta and Indepedent Fabrication. Both make custom Ti bikes as well. My buddy has about 30,000 miles on his custom Serotta and he loves that bike to death.
http://www.serotta.com
I would second Independant though their wait is long I think. Great bikes and if I had the cash I would own one for sure.
-David
Happy Sunday!
I am looking at purchasing a custom GURU or Moots custom titanium road bike. After careful consideration (and a recent ST article about road vs tri bikes) I am purchasing a custom road bike and may add clipons for races where I want to be aero.
My question is this…Titanium or alum or carbon materials? I have heard that titanium is more comfortable and lasts alot longer than carbon or aluminum???
Components…Dura Ace or Ultegra?
Thanks!
KK
Design has more to to with ride quality and comfort than material. For that matter, tires, seat choice and even short selection are more crucial to ride quality/comfort than material. You have chosen two good builders. My choice, of the two, would be Moots, who are very experienced in ti and pretty widely considered to have the most attractive welds. (I do have a Guru tri bike … but it’s aluminum. It is a stunningly good bike.)
Any frame can fail tomorrow, or last 20 years. With ti … if it’s going to be fail, it will be at a weld joint and will probably fail early in its life. Otherwise, a ti frame if arguably the most durable, as ti won’t corrode under normal riding conditions and is very tough. That said, I’ve seen more ti frames fail than other materials (I think that was because ti was what the cool kids were riding for a while, and a lot of companies didn’t know how to properly weld ti … nowadays, it’s pretty uncommon for a frame to fail as a result of poor welds, so long as you stay with an experienced builder).
Components … DA, of course.
if you do go with Ti also consider Serotta, I’m partial the company used to practically be in my backyard growing up. Also I rode a Seven for half a summer and really liked it. Moots are sweet as well…Can never go wrong with Litespeed either.
I’ve got a 10+ year old Litespeed MTB, and I’ve wrecked the shit out of it several times, with no apparent troubles. I have seen Ti frames with cracked welds before and realize that absolutely nothing is 100% immune to failure, but still I’d consider Ti to be more durable than Alum or carbon, and on par w/ steel depending on the construction (ultralight steel is prone to denting since the wall thickness is so thin, and a more robust steel frame of course comes with a trade-off in weight).
For reference, I own 2 carbon, 1 aluminum (and had another one stolen), and 5 steel bikes in addition to the 1 Ti. None of them is the right answer to all questions for cost, weight, ride quality, stiffness, aerodynamics, durability, etc, but it sounds like cost and aerodynamics are less of a concern for you so Ti would be a good bet for optimizing weight, ride quality, and durability.
I just built up a Lynskey frame to replace a cracked Felt aluminum frame. Very nice ride, not as flexy at the BB like the Felt was and a bit lighter too. Built it mainly to help me with my climbs and with the few that I’ve done so far it seems like a good choice. As far as durability compared to carbon or aluminum, I guess it depends on how well your particular frame was put together. I put my faith in the Lynskeys because they’ve had a lot of experience with ti frames.
2004 Litespeed Blade cracked, LS sent me a brand new 2008 Blade under warranty.
They do crack, but a good com. will stand behind their product
I have a Ti custom frame, and feel it was a great investment. I enjoy the lightness and ride absorbing qualities, way superior to steel and aluminium. Carbon still gives a “dull” feel in my opinion, but the stiffness tends to be superior. I purchased my custom ride from Scott Quiring and had an excellent experience. He is a past USA bike racer. He generally specializes in mountain bikes, but loves to branch out into road bike manufacturing, he was excited to make mine. The price is great also, you could buy three frames in comparison to Moots, and you’ll get triple the attention also, as he is the only person you’ll speak to, and he is the only person making the frames.
Go with Ultegra SL - mid way between DA and Ultegra…