pros and cons of each?
I need (want) a new road bike so I’m starting to look. Any comments.
I’ve had both. Both ride great. Ti is more expensive, but is more durable. No scratches as they buff out with some Never Dull or a Scotch pad. Carbon is great as well, but the durability of ti just can’t be beat.
That’s about the only difference I can see. If you can afford it, Ti is a great choice.
Is Ti as smooth of a ride (absorbing vibrations) as carbon?
Carbon will absorb more vibration than Ti. BUT, a Carbon bike may be more harsh than Ti, Al or Steel. Its the entire design of the bike not just the material. Nearly all materials can be tuned/designed for a certain quality, you need to ride them to determine.
My personal experience, my Alum. MTB is smoother than my carbon MTB. And my Ti road bike is smoother than my older carbon road bike…
Ti is certainly more durable.
I really can’t say for sure as my tri bike is ti and my road bike was carbon. Two different set ups. If I had to guess I would say carbon is a bit smoother, but not to the point that I would choose carbon over Ti.
I really like ti and think with a carbon seatpost and fork you get everything you need. Ti is just too good to pass up, and it is the way I am going from here on out. I personally think saddles, shorts, gloves, bar tape, etc make more of a difference than any frame material. Maybe even tire pressure for that matter. You won’t regret getting ti. It really offers the best of both worlds.
I would really worry about the durability of carbon. I don’t think it is goign to break, but scratches in the paint, etc just drive me nuts. No such problem with ti :). You have to know that no one goes into the transition areas easy. Expect damage at some point :).
Everything you said is true. My carbon road bike (Trek 5500) felt great. My Litespeed Blade is the same. My favorite bike though? An aluminum 2000 Cervelo P3. Rode more miles on that (up to 300) a week and never thought it was harsh. It’s all in the design.
Besides all the usual aspects:
Think GREEN!
Plastic bikes can not be recycled.
Do you have any particular bikes in mind?
I’m considering a litespeed road bike. I’ve been looking at buying a Tuscanny frame and building one. But have never really read about Ti before.
I have a carbon tri bike (orbea) and an alum road bike with carbon fork and seatpost (Specialized).
I live in Hawaii and like to ‘roll’ my bike on the airlines (ie…don’t break it down and box it) to go outerisland. I’ve done it with both my bikes a lot. Neither bike has ever been damaged (and I know it’s a risk that the derailer gets ripped off etc…but it’s a risk I take) beyond a little scratch in the paint on the Alum bike. I’d like to start doing this weekly and so I started to think Ti might be better, but I’m concerned about the road vibration. I’ve got a few old broken bones that can feel the road bumbs constantly on my road bike, but seem to be fine on the tri bike.
I’ve been very happy with my Tuscany, smooth and comfortable. I think that its an '03 or '04. They recently canned the line, but its been a great bike and I have absolutely no reason to think about a new frame (components yes). Mine does not have a replaceable dérailleur hanger, so getting it broken off would suck as there are not too many people around that weld ti, but Litespeed would probably repair it. BUT if you haven’t ridden a Ti bike, I would before you buy it. I’ve had people tell me that the Tuscany was “soft”. They must have more highly calibrated bodies than I do, but if you’re picky and want a “snappy” frame, it may not be right (again I love it).
If you’re traveling with your bike in this manner then I think ti is the perfect material for you. It’s not going to break or rust- even in Hawaii :).
Any comments.
Blah…they both suck. I have a Litespeed, a Planet X and a few other rides…buy what you like - the material is secondary.
Titanium tubes are extremely durable but most Ti frames fail at the welds. It will depend on the builder and how good of a job they do when building it. The good news is that if it is just a weld that breaks it can be repaired easily in the event that something happens.
A titanium frame will last you a life time.
Carbon can spontaneously fail after a crash; ti frame owners saay “I thought that I had a flat but when I got home I saw this massive crack”. Crabon owners say “I was just riding along when it exploded”.
Titanium is slightly less stiff than carbon generally.
Any comments about stiffness/comfort are based more on frame geometry and the skill of the designer, although Ti does absorb the natural frequency of road buzz). I’ve had both and after having a £3k ti frame nicked on Tuesday, I’ll be spending the insurance money on another ti custom framed bike.
NB. the only welds that fail are those not done well; a well done weld is stronger than the ti. cracks often appear around tube joins as that is where the stress risers are; tight corners etc.
I have two Litespeeds, and love the ride quality. My Blade is considerably more comfortable than the QR Kilo I had last year on the rough park TT circuit here in Denver.
I may be selling a mint 54cm Litespeed Classic with 9 speed Ultegra and carbon fork to go a size smaller.
Carbon can spontaneously fail after a crash; ti frame owners saay “I thought that I had a flat but when I got home I saw this massive crack”. Crabon owners say “I was just riding along when it exploded”.
Forgive me for taking the post off topic a bit, but I hear about the catastrophic failures of carbon frames all the time. I know hundreds of cyclists. I’ve ridden in more group rides that I can count. Most of the bikes we see in both bike races and triathlons are made of carbon. With all that, I’ve never seen or heard of a carbon frame just splitting apart spontaneously. I’m sure it can happen, but do we overexagerate the fragility of carbon frames a bit? Why do we continue buying, racing, and crashing them if they have to be treated with with kid gloves?
I’ve never witnessed a catastrophic failure, but those stories are not uncommon. Here are two:
http://www.bikeforums.net/...crashed+scott+carbon - with pics.
This one has a tragic ending and is really about the death of a cyclist as opposed to a debate about carbon frames.
Interesting articles. Thanks. Again, I certainly know that it can happen. However, should it be enough to not make the purchase? My alum Trek has a carbon fork. It’s Trek’s base model road bike so I assume the carbon used for the fork is the lowest grade possible. I ridden the pothole filled streets of Chicago on that thing for three years. Should I be worried?
I don’t know if you should be worried or not. I doubt it. Actually, I think zebragonzo pretty much nailed it. Carbon fiber is a fine material as is aluminum, titanium and steel. All have different properties and all will feel different depending on the skill of the frame builder and geometry of the bike. I’d be happy to ride a well made frame made of each material.
I have both and they definately ride differently. Ti is the way to go for a road bike used for training rides and the occasional race. For a TT/Tri, carbon adds the benefits of shaping and stiffness - although with the right builder, Ti can be stiff.
Try this link, Ti is affordable - Mine was http://quiringcycles.net/