When are the cheap used Ti frames appearing?
11-21-21, 10:16 PM
#51
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A clear takeaway is that if I want a Ti framed bike, reasonably priced, I should be diligent about searching and watching for one.
Rather than a random search a few times a year...
Duly noted.
Rather than a random search a few times a year...
Duly noted.
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11-23-21, 03:42 PM
#52
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Clark Kent
Clark Kent
I did pick up this Clark Kent on CL . The seller was moving and let it go for a bargain price. Dispute the decal, he never mentioned that it was titanium. Just that he had gotten it from a friend.
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11-23-21, 04:04 PM
#53
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Nice looking bike. I wanted to buy a Clark Kent back in 95 after reading an article about them in Bicycling or BG (I forget which). They had some kind of issue (I think that might be when they closed up shop?) and my LBS owner got me a brushed Litepseed Classic with Kestrel fork instead. I still have that bike, although its now running Chorus 11 instead of Chorus 8. My dream Ti bike had been the polished Litespeed Ultimate (ala Chevy LA Sheriffs) but the price was way out of my budget (for that matter so was the Classic, but I made it work). Last year, I picked up a polished 97 Ultimate on ebay for $500 shipped - I did spend a bit more to swap the Profile BRC fork for a yellow/black Litespeed Look fork I was able to find on ebay. You can find a good deal if you're patient but given that Ti is forever (ish), it does hold its value fairly well.
11-23-21, 04:11 PM
#54
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My Litespeeds:
11-23-21, 05:30 PM
#55
Senior Member
The issue was contaminated welds in the later models. When CK started building ti frames, they had two excellent framebuilders - Ivo Vinklarek and Don Herr. These guys were top-notch, no complaints there. When demand outpaced supply, they took on contract builders who apparently didn't know how to back purge titanium properly. As a result, a lot of those frames failed spectacularly. Everything went downhill from there, and one of the owners absconded with the cash or some such. Fascinating study of great to horrible in not too much time.
11-23-21, 05:58 PM
#56
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If you consider the cost of titanium tubing relative to something like 4130, those $600 frames are a bargain.
McMaster-Carr has 1" OD, .051 wall thickness Grade 9 titanium tubing in 5 ft. lengths for $510/ea.
6 ft. of 1" OD, .035 wall thickness 4130 will cost you $38.54/ea.
Obviously, that's just one supplier, but the material cost differential is huge.
McMaster-Carr has 1" OD, .051 wall thickness Grade 9 titanium tubing in 5 ft. lengths for $510/ea.
6 ft. of 1" OD, .035 wall thickness 4130 will cost you $38.54/ea.
Obviously, that's just one supplier, but the material cost differential is huge.
11-23-21, 09:02 PM
#57
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Steve in Peoria
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