[21pavone]

Two questions in one really.

I’m considering getting a titanium framed bike. It’s a big investment – for me anyway, especially as I’m a Yorkshireman – so I don’t just want to jump in, no matter how tempting it is.

Firstly, it’s easy to believe from short term tests in magazines or on websites that it’s a wonder material and that it’d be a good choice. But what about long term? Is it a keeper or would any foibles mean that I’d be looking to change to carbon or aluminium in a couple of years? Are there any possible stress points that I need to be aware of? I’ve seen a couple of examples that have suffered cracks, particularly round cable entry points.

Secondly, the frame I’m considering is a Kinesis GTD V2. It’s a relatively new version of the GTD so there may not be a great deal of opinions out there but some forum members may have experience of the previous model.

Thanks in advance for comments.

Topic

[2zanzibar]

I have a Kinesis Racelight Ti

I have a Kinesis Racelight Ti, cobbled it together with campag potenza and Zonda wheels. Very comfortable and versatile. I’ve taken it to the Italian alps up the Stelvio and have loaded it with panniers around west Wales.

Last year I bought a Planet X spitfire, mainly to replace my old Dolan aluminium bike to use as a faster commuter bike. Not as comfortable or as light as the Kinesis, but definitely faster! I think it must be the geometry, a bit racier. I’ve done the same route around North Downs countless times on each bike and the Spitfire always clocks a higher av speed. Very happy with both

[Jimnm]

Reilly makes Ti frames for

Reilly makes Ti frames for PlanetX I bought one and it’s great. Much cheaper than all other Ti bike dealers. 

[Secret_squirrel]

Correction.  Mark Reilly

Correction.  Mark Reilly designed the Tempest for PX not sure about any of the others.  
The Tempest has exactly the same geometry as the Reilly Gradient.
Reilly don’t make them for PX afaik and not even for themselves. AFAIK Reilly only finish their own frames in the UK.

[wtjs]

Reilly makes Ti frames for
Reilly makes Ti frames for PlanetX I bought rim them and it’s great. Much cheaper than all other Ti bike dealers.

There’s are reasons for PlanetX being much cheaper! When you’ve been sent a bike with a grossly wobbling crank because they forced a drive side outboard bearing onto the non-drive side, but the joke ‘checklist’ was still ticked, you don’t go back again!

[Richard D]

I have two.  A Sabbath

I have two.  A Sabbath September I’ve had for almost ten years, and just before Xmas I took delivery of a Vaaru MPA.  Both are very similar frames in terms of riding position, but the Vaaru is set up with disc brakes, dynamo and rack as a winter/tourer/commuter (what kind of looney uses a Vaaru MPA with 12-speed Campagnolo as a winter bike??).  Only done a few dozen miles on the Vaaru, and the setup of the two bikes is deliberately almost identical (I paid good money to be fitted to the September, after all, and any discomfort I’ve felt since then has always been down to fitness issues or changes I had made).

For me it’s not about any supposed ride quality advantages (heck, I can’t really tell the difference between 25mm tyres and 28mm ones), but the aesthetics of the frame.  They’re easy to clean and maintain, won’t rust or chip, and most blemishes can be polished out with a scouring pad.  If I had a steel frame, it *would* go rusty with the way I treat things; carbon would get scratched to buggery (and I’ve already smashed the Sabbath off the roof of the car as well as crashing heavily on it).  It’s a “forever frame” because of its strength, and the fact that it takes very little work to make a ten-year old frame look like new.

[Richard D]

I smashed my Ti bike off the

I smashed my Ti bike off the roof of my car.  Destroyed the roof rack, bent the roof rails, left a huge dent in the roof and wrecked both wheels.

The frame was completely unaffected.  I swapped the forks to be on the safe side, but the frame was fine.

And that was over 5 years and 15,000 miles ago.

[Recoveryride]

Sort of relevant, and perhaps

Sort of relevant, and perhaps late to the party but one 1 thing I’d worry about least when choosing a frame is weight. If you actually do the maths, it makes much less difference than you think. 

I actually did the calculations when plumping for a steel frame (hopefully arrriving late Jan). I weigh about 71/72kg (probably will be more like 74 after Xmas, but anyway…). 

So I plugged some numbers into an online calculator, simulating a climb of Mont Ventoux. Assuming 2 bikes that are identical, and a power output that would be hard but realistic, 1kg more would add less than a minute to a >90 min climb. As I’m no racer, that’s a pretty irrelevant difference: I’d much rather have something beautiful, durable and made to measure, and I actually suspect the greater comfort will make me faster on rides over 2.5 hours.

Personally I’d go custom steel (ideally stainless) over Ti, but they do much the same thing for the same kind of cost and money.

[matthewn5]

Don’t overlook stainless

Don’t overlook stainless steel if you want that shiny and durable bike. It’s much stronger than titanium and in theory that means you should be able to build a stiffer, lighter bike out of it.

[peted76]

Do have a look at Mason bikes

Do have a look at Mason bikes, they do steel, aluminium and TI frames, every model they do will fit your requirements and they get some great reviews.

 

[fukawitribe]

leipreachan wrote:

A good thing about Ti bikes is that you can order bespoke Ti bike for your needs. If you’re tall or short, if you have a short torso or longer legs — whatever. There’s a bunch of companies happy to create a Ti bike only for you.

Ditto steel, carbon, wood and combinations – i’m also sure there’ someone somewhere offering bespoke aluminium frames, it’s just that i’ve not heard about myself that I remember.

[Shades]

Off the shelf Ti or bespoke

Off the shelf Ti or bespoke fitted steel frame?

[theslowcyclistxx]

Yes, I meant for example
Yes, I meant for example sitting on the tub tube, taking a hit from the wrong angle etc.

[alotronic]

It’s not the riding it’s what

It’s not the riding it’s what happens off the bike. Drop a big wrench on a carbon top tube, lean your bike against a post, that kind of thing. *In general* steel and Ti are more tolerant of that kind of behaviour. Agree that when you are riding carbon is about as likely to break or not as anything else (all things considered)

[nwardill]

I was thinking along the same

I was thinking along the same lines. Reilly Cycle Works do a lifetime gaurentee on their frames, last time i looked

[Welsh boy]

casperradil wrote:

casperradil wrote:

…While they can break (as will steel or alu), they, in general, take much more abuse and can be handled in ways which are not recommended for carbon frames. 

Really? I think downhill mountain bikes take much more of a battering than any road bike ever will and they make downhill frames out of carbon. 

[Author]

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