gb155
Fan Boy No More.
- Location
- Manchester-Ish
What would you chose for a frame material and why ?
Carbon Vs Ti
- Thread starter gb155
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
rockyraccoon
Veteran
OP
OP
gb155
Fan Boy No More.
- Location
- Manchester-Ish
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
Depends on what the bike was going to be used for etc.
CopperCyclist
Veteran
Titaniums more flexible and forgiving if you're going off road. Carbon Fibre is stiffer if you're staying on the road.
Both opinions I've read, neither have I had the pleasure of testing out.
Both opinions I've read, neither have I had the pleasure of testing out.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
953 ta. Steel is real ! 
smokeysmoo
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bolton, not very far from Nob End
Alu or Steel 
Never tried Ti and don't like carbon.
Never tried Ti and don't like carbon.
Globalti
Legendary Member
Spot on. I have a carbon road bike, which is not springy in feel but incredibly shock-absorbing.
I have a Ti mountain bike, which rides so smooth you'd think you had a puncture. In fact the first time I rode a Ti bike I stopped to check the rear tyre.
Matty
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Nr Edinburgh
Never tried titanium, but the carbon road bike is (to me) surprisingly comfortable.
PpPete
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chandler's Ford
In terms of the ride, it's much more about how the properties of each material are designed in to a frame, than the actual material itself.
However, I knew my new bike would have to share an over-crowded garage with kid's MTB's etc, so I felt CF was at too much risk of damage. Since I could get everything I wanted in a Ti bike (albeit one with CF forks) the decision kind of made itself.
However, I knew my new bike would have to share an over-crowded garage with kid's MTB's etc, so I felt CF was at too much risk of damage. Since I could get everything I wanted in a Ti bike (albeit one with CF forks) the decision kind of made itself.
2Loose
Guru
- Location
- Loughborough, Leicestershire.
After killing a carbon seatpost with nothing more than an allen key, I'd go Ti if I could afford it.
The penny jar is growing...
The penny jar is growing...
Little yellow Brompton
A dark destroyer of biscuits!
- Location
- Bridgend
Ti, 'cos I've got steel, and ali, and Carbon seems soulless to me.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
You can design Ti bikes to be as stiff as you like. I remember top (ex) pro Robert Millar having a custom Ti bike made for him for a Pro Cycling magazine road bike test. His specification was basically that he wanted the bike to be as stiff as the stiffest Aluminium bikes available at the time. He got what he wanted ...
My Cannondale is a very stiff Al bike and I really like it. If I stomp hard on the pedals, the bike takes off like a scalded cat. I make it comfortable enough to ride by using lower tyre pressures to take some of the sting out of rough road surfaces.
My Basso is made from oversized steel tubing so it is stiffer than most steel frames, but I still flex it when putting a lot of power through the pedals. I can get the chain to rub against the front mech. and I don't like that.
I always quite fancied a Ti road bike but I'd probably go for the Robert Millar approach and go for extra stiffness.
I'd like to try a CF bike some time to see what I think. If ithe magic combination of light weight, extreme stiffness and comfort is possible, then I'd certainly be interested in that. The only thing putting me off is CF's catastrophic failure mode. My bikes get the odd knock and scrape but they still last me 10 years or more. I don't like the idea of my bike frame exploding a year after I scraped it against a cafe wall!
My Cannondale is a very stiff Al bike and I really like it. If I stomp hard on the pedals, the bike takes off like a scalded cat. I make it comfortable enough to ride by using lower tyre pressures to take some of the sting out of rough road surfaces.
My Basso is made from oversized steel tubing so it is stiffer than most steel frames, but I still flex it when putting a lot of power through the pedals. I can get the chain to rub against the front mech. and I don't like that.
I always quite fancied a Ti road bike but I'd probably go for the Robert Millar approach and go for extra stiffness.
I'd like to try a CF bike some time to see what I think. If ithe magic combination of light weight, extreme stiffness and comfort is possible, then I'd certainly be interested in that. The only thing putting me off is CF's catastrophic failure mode. My bikes get the odd knock and scrape but they still last me 10 years or more. I don't like the idea of my bike frame exploding a year after I scraped it against a cafe wall!
Little yellow Brompton
A dark destroyer of biscuits!
- Location
- Bridgend
Ti, 'cos I've got steel, and ali, and Carbon seems soulless to me. Oh and it matches my wedding ring!
