Is Titanium worth it?

[Soltydog]

I've recently bought a Van Nic Ventus & would highly recommend Ti. Have a carbon from Planet X which I love, but the Ti just edges it for me. It doesn't feel as quick off the mark as carbon & not as quick up the hills, but it's no slouch & is far more comfortable for longer rides. I've done about 500 miles in the month or so I've had it & the only problems I've had are, the seatpost wasn't long enough & the bar tape is coming away in places, but it's white anyway, so not practical
I got mine from Long Eaton cycles who were very good on the price & service

 

[S-Express]

My fitness, or lack of it, doesn't really come into it. I'm fantasising about it as a last bike and a bike to last.

I bought a Ti bike as a 'last bike and a bike to last' sometime in 2008. I sold it a couple of years later.

 

[Jenkins]

I liked my Van Nick so much that I got a second one a year later for commuting on. I'm also waiting for a decent sized lump sum of back pay which will be used on either a Picknflick or a Tempest from Planet X

 

[stumpy66]

I bought a Sabbath Silk Road frame set from Fatbirds and built it up myself, was cheaper doing it that way and I got the fun of building it myself.

I wouldn't hesitate in recommending titanium, super comfy, great for long runs etc. I've had steel, carbon and all framed bikes and the Sabbath is my favourite

 

[Stonechat]

Hmm

Plenty of ideas here for me
Only trouble for me if I used Ribble bikebuilder is I don't know the differene between all the bits
I.e. one seatpost etc or another

I am not in a rush (not got the money yet) but need a step up.

I will mull it over

 

[Stonechat]

p.s. Yes Triples used to have an attraction. Recently went up Wrynose and low gearing is a boon

 

[vickster]

Hmm

Plenty of ideas here for me
Only trouble for me if I used Ribble bikebuilder is I don't know the differene between all the bits
I.e. one seatpost etc or another

I am not in a rush (not got the money yet) but need a step up.

I will mull it over

Phone them for advice?

I'd probably go for Dolan over Ribble just due to varying tales of good vs bad customer service

 

[vickster]

p.s. Yes Triples used to have an attraction. Recently went up Wrynose and low gearing is a boon

Sorted then, the one from Spa

Take the wife away for a lovely weekend to Harrogate

 

[Tenacious Sloth]

I've been thinking about building a bike around the Kinesis GF V3 titanium frame, which has received some excellent reviews.

My problem is this. This bike would probably cost the best part of 3K to put together and there is no way I'd spend that much on a bike without a test ride first.

So where can I test ride this frame?

Graham

 

[vickster]

I've been thinking about building a bike around the Kinesis GF V3 titanium frame, which has received some excellent reviews.

My problem is this. This bike would probably cost the best part of 3K to put together and there is no way I'd spend that much on a bike without a test ride first.

So where can I test ride this frame?

Graham

Fatbirds in Norfork (so not a million miles from Huntingdon) sell Kinesis and do test rides I think. Not sure if they have built bikes, problem is kinesis are sold more as kits so might be a struggle.

They'd sell you the frame too (would be v cheeky to use them for a test and then buy elsewhere IMO)

Sigma used to have a built kinesis Ti in their shop, don't recall seeing it there recently though

Maybe phone kinesis and ask them about stockists?

 

[Venod]

I am a Ti fan, very comfortable and I like the fact you can just wipe them down and buff them up and they look like new, it takes a bit more effort to keep a painted frame looking pristine IMO.

All mine have been bought as frames and built by me.

My first one was a Airbourne (now Van Nicholas) Zepplin, bought from Cycle Sense Tadcaster they were selling them off when they changed to Van NIc, I sold it to a friend (why I don't know) its still going strong and looks like new.

The second was a Sunday Cycles (now Sabbeth) bought of eBay it was new won by the seller for winning a race series, it was a very light double butted frame, I was cleaning it one day and found a crack under the top tube very close to the head tube, as I worked in engineering and worked with titanium we had some top class titanium welders, I had it welded up and rode it fixed for a couple of years, I sold it and think it is now back geared.

As I was short of bike while the Sunday was repairedI put all the bits of it on to a new Planet X Pro carbon frame, it was OK but didn't have the feel of Ti and I was never completley happy with the compact geometry, so I replaced that with a Kinesis Gran Fondo MK1 bought from Wistanleys which I still have it takes guards and a rack but limited to 25mm tyres (Mk 2 is available with discs and also more tyre clearance) a great bike thats a keeper.

I got an itch to build another so went for a Van Nicholas Chinook frame bought from Fat Birds this is a bike for fast rides, another keeper.

I was knocked of my Cannondale CX, breaking the forks (also my shoulder) the deraileur hanger and rearstays, I managed to straighten the rear stays and put some Chinese carbon forks on it, but I was never happy with it although it rode OK.

So I bought a Pickenflick frame from PlanetX for a very good price, another brilliant bike I did a 100+ on it last week with a lot of off road sections with no problems, its the most comfortable of the 3 Ti bikes I have, but I suspect thats a lot to do with the bigger softer tyres and Charge seat than the frame, another keeper.

 

[outlash]

Fatbirds in Norfork (so not a million miles from Huntingdon) sell Kinesis and do test rides I think. Not sure if they have built bikes, problem is kinesis are sold more as kits so might be a struggle.

They'd sell you the frame too (would be v cheeky to use them for a test and then buy elsewhere IMO)

Sigma used to have a built kinesis Ti in their shop, don't recall seeing it there recently though

Maybe phone kinesis and ask them about stockists?

To be fair (and I'm sure Graham knows this), Hunstanton is at least a two hour drive from here so it's not exactly down the road. I was lusting after a Ti frame, but since my Fratello disc arrived I'm thinking Ti would have to go some to provide a better ride.

 

[vickster]

Ah it doesn't look that far, I guess the roads are slow. It's rather closer than SW London is (probably a good thing for me)!

 

[Ian H]

I have a 13 yr old Omega (frame designed by Mark Reilly and delivered not long before he went bust). It's a light touring frame. And I have a nearly 2 yr old Qoroz fixed frame, also light touring spec. The latter was based on the Omega design. Both ride extremely well – I've ridden both on Paris-Brest-Paris without problem.

 

[outlash]

Ah it doesn't look that far, I guess the roads are slow. It's rather closer than SW London is (probably a good thing for me)!

Yeah it's for the best . Popped in there last time we went to the beach up there and I was basically frogmarched out by my wife before I did anything silly,,,