It seemed to be the best of all worlds…lightness and strength.
it is the best of both worlds, but its harder to work with than carbon so it’s used less.
I have Al, Carbon, and Ti bikes and the TI is by far my favorite ride for quality, responsiveness, and control.
but, carbon frames can be produced in greater bulk with greater ease than Ti so they are more favored in the marketplace.
You can get a cheap carbon bike, you typically can not get a cheap Ti bike.
I think ‘cheap’ is relative, but you find find any number of Litespeed/Merlin ti bikes going for well under $1,500 with Dura Ace and Campy on eBay. I picked up a 5K retail(when new)Merlin Agilis for $1,100 in December with 6600 and Mavic Ksyriums. To that end I feel it’s a great time to get into the ti game b/c there is so much of it on fire sale!
It seemed to be the best of all worlds…lightness and strength.
Adrian,
I rode one of the top Ti frames for a 2 hour ride a few years ago and I was really impressed - it seemed to be that perfect combination of, well just about everything you want in a bike.
I’m sure they’re nice, but there’s always steel…
Ti is horrible. No control, stiff ride, and so un-aero. I know if I had one, I’d sale it cheap on eBay now. Specifically if I had one of those Litespeed Blades in about a 52cm size I’d sell it cheap. Really cheap…
/How do you do the pink font again?
We live in a carbon frame world nowadays. Aluminium is considered low end and steel has almost disappeared. My wife has a ti road bike and claims she’ll update components before she would ever consider selling the bike.
I went to the litespeed site and noticed they dumped half their Ti models. No Siena, Ghisallo…I’m not sure what gives those were awesome bikes.
I have two Litespeeds, a pisgah for Xterra and an Ultimate for the road, I’d love to add a Blade and Lynskey cross to the stable. I think it’s a difference of attitude. It’s very hard to convince someone not to spend their money on a carbon bike that is clearly lighter, stiffer, and probably faster, particularly if you are the type that updates their iPhone with every generation.
I think with time most bikers end up with a ti bike or two for the simple fact that it becomes the bike they never sell. Ti bikes last forever, look good forever, ride fantastic, and if particularly welll crafted or boutique, have a certain appeal of quality and timelessness that is hard to match in a carbon bike that gets updated every year.
At Xterra Gator Epic earlier this month, places 1 and 3 were on ti hardtails and finisher 2 was on a Cannondale Flash. I don’t doubt that the Flash was a marginally faster bike, but the guys on the Ti hardtails have been racing them for many seasons. The racer on the flash will likely have a new one next year. I see a lot of that at Xterra’s and cyclocross at the pointy end of the field: a mix of well used but loved ti bikes among the latest and greatest carbon hardware.
I have a 2005 LiteSpeed Teramo I just had repainted. With handbuit whhels and 7800 components it’s the best bike I have ever ridden buy a serious margin. They only way I would even consider selling that frame would be if the money were enough to have another one just like it built.
I didn’t get the memo that Ti is still not the best. Thanks for the update.
you’re right about prices - i was referring to new bikes.
**What ever happened to Titanium as the material of choice for frames? **
**- Marketing/Trends? **
carbon happened and killed every other material out there.
I think with time most bikers end up with a ti bike or two for the simple fact that it becomes the bike they never sell. Ti bikes last forever, look good forever, ride fantastic, and if particularly welll crafted or boutique, have a certain appeal of quality and timelessness that is hard to match in a carbon bike that gets updated every year.
I agree with this. Ever since I got my Seven Ti/C Odonata ten years ago I have never had bike envy.
Like an earlier poster I do love steel and also have a Steel Seven.
Ti’s market share shifted to scandium initially, then scandium with CF rear triangles, and then to full carbon bikes.
I have a Litespeed Saber tri bike…retrofitted very nicely, and a Merlin Works road bike, a new racing line that was being sold 3 or 4 years ago. I’ll never need another bike.
A long time ago I got to ride a Merlin Extralight. It was really nice, and I’ve always liked Merlin since.
While I don’t have any specific plans to acquire a new bike, I could see myself on a Seven without too much difficulty…
Marketing and cheap productions costs happened. This drove the companies more than anything. Would you push the frame that costs you allot to produce or the one you can design and outsource to Asia and gives you big margins? I do think carbon can be made into more aerodynamic shapes but no matter what the bike companies tell us the difference between the fastest and slowest frames are not great. Do you need a couple of seconds so you can earn a living? Most of us race and train for fun not for a living.
BTW, I do ride a carbon aero frame although went nearly as fast on a non-areo titanium frame last year.
Ti is alive and kicking here. I bought a custom Ti frame from Scot Quiring and love it…personal attention, and decent prices.