Why did Titanium not take off amongst Pros?
08-31-19, 09:34 PM
#176
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My custom Moots Vamoots RSL only has Campy Record 
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08-31-19, 10:00 PM
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08-31-19, 10:27 PM
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Who put a stop to broken axles, came up with proper cog and ring profiling to allow indexed shifting to work, invented dual-pivot sidepulls and the brifter, was the first with hollow forgings, and nailed electronic shifting? Not Campy
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08-31-19, 10:30 PM
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That said I also know which one I like on my MTB's too (and it is not SRAM).
08-31-19, 11:24 PM
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They're all pretty good, let's face it. Bike tech these days is pretty close to our current technological capacity, unlike the dark ages between say, late 30s to late 80s...
09-01-19, 03:26 AM
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They all get the job done all right. But ergonomics and aesthetics are quite different. I started with Campagnolo and when I first saw Shimano brifters which combine braking and shifting in one lever I was really surprised - who the hell would invent that?!
09-01-19, 04:05 AM
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If you have your front brake on the right, you're able to mostly control the bike with one hand. Then braking and downshifting can be effected with a single motion, which is pretty sweet.
Folks with their brakes the other way round but who mostly use the rear brake can dig it, too.
Folks with their brakes the other way round but who mostly use the rear brake can dig it, too.
09-01-19, 04:07 AM
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I'm pretty sure his quote was about descending on a carbon bike being almost as scary as climbing without a carbon bike, this was when he was riding for La Vie Claire on the early LOOK frames. Since he's retired he seems to prefer Ti and steel bikes made by some small builder named Hampsten I believe...
09-10-19, 10:38 PM
#185
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this thought just popped into my head recently.
It seems like Titanium frames are the hot ticket these days. even riders who are mainly riding modern carbon bikes drool over titanium it seems. and they sell for a significant premium over similar quality steel frames.
so then why did titanium never (as far as I know) become popular among pro riders (during the pre-carbon years).?
was there ever a pro team riding titanium frames?
It seems like Titanium frames are the hot ticket these days. even riders who are mainly riding modern carbon bikes drool over titanium it seems. and they sell for a significant premium over similar quality steel frames.
so then why did titanium never (as far as I know) become popular among pro riders (during the pre-carbon years).?
was there ever a pro team riding titanium frames?
09-11-19, 05:11 PM
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It's mostly the crankset when it comes to the aesthetics of a group, and 9000, 7800 and maybe 6800 are the exceptions that prove the rule that Shimano have forsaken beauty after the 9s era.
The anodising on 9100 is pretty damn flash, but damn, the form of their bits is so arbitrary these days. Less obvious styling wank and more organic forms dictated purely by function please.
The anodising on 9100 is pretty damn flash, but damn, the form of their bits is so arbitrary these days. Less obvious styling wank and more organic forms dictated purely by function please.
09-11-19, 05:25 PM
#189
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It's mostly the crankset when it comes to the aesthetics of a group, and 9000, 7800 and maybe 6800 are the exceptions that prove the rule that Shimano have forsaken beauty after the 9s era.
The anodising on 9100 is pretty damn flash, but damn, the form of their bits is so arbitrary these days. Less obvious styling wank and more organic forms dictated purely by function please.
The anodising on 9100 is pretty damn flash, but damn, the form of their bits is so arbitrary these days. Less obvious styling wank and more organic forms dictated purely by function please.
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09-11-19, 07:38 PM
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I'm a "state employee", so my Ti bike is an Airborne "Carpe Diem" set up more or less for touring. It has a steel fork (Co-Motion "Americano"), Ultegra 3 x 9 drivetrain, and V-brakes. It's been a delightful bike since I bought it in 2001.
At Volo Bog on a beautiful day.
09-12-19, 05:32 AM
#191
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How about endodontists?
I'm a "state employee", so my Ti bike is an Airborne "Carpe Diem" set up more or less for touring. It has a steel fork (Co-Motion "Americano"), Ultegra 3 x 9 drivetrain, and V-brakes. It's been a delightful bike since I bought it in 2001.
At Volo Bog on a beautiful day.
I'm a "state employee", so my Ti bike is an Airborne "Carpe Diem" set up more or less for touring. It has a steel fork (Co-Motion "Americano"), Ultegra 3 x 9 drivetrain, and V-brakes. It's been a delightful bike since I bought it in 2001.
At Volo Bog on a beautiful day.
09-12-19, 08:22 AM
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How about endodontists?
I'm a "state employee", so my Ti bike is an Airborne "Carpe Diem" set up more or less for touring. It has a steel fork (Co-Motion "Americano"), Ultegra 3 x 9 drivetrain, and V-brakes. It's been a delightful bike since I bought it in 2001.
At Volo Bog on a beautiful day.
I'm a "state employee", so my Ti bike is an Airborne "Carpe Diem" set up more or less for touring. It has a steel fork (Co-Motion "Americano"), Ultegra 3 x 9 drivetrain, and V-brakes. It's been a delightful bike since I bought it in 2001.
At Volo Bog on a beautiful day.
Federal employee and “mostly former” neurologist, here.
Lynskey commuter and gravelator
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09-13-19, 06:55 AM
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Are there any other color options for a Ti bike besides Ti? If not, that could be a deal breaker for some. The real reason that Ti bikes never caught on with the pros might be because it's a Ti. Maybe if the element was named something like Winatunium(Win for short) then the pros would have adopted it. Ti doesn't really correspond with winning. 
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09-13-19, 08:09 AM
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Are there any other color options for a Ti bike besides Ti? If not, that could be a deal breaker for some. The real reason that Ti bikes never caught on with the pros might be because it's a Ti. Maybe if the element was named something like Winatunium(Win for short) then the pros would have adopted it. Ti doesn't really correspond with winning.
09-13-19, 11:19 AM
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Not in the golf industry. Speaking of the golf industry and titanium, This is an interesting article as it would relate to bike frames. I didn't know Ti is so flexible.
The advent of titanium clubs in the 1990s was a major step forward in the science and technology of golf club design. Titanium is lighter, stronger and more elastic that other metals. Although titanium is primarily used in drivers, you may find fairway clubs, irons and shafts made of titanium. Club engineers and designers are especially excited about using titanium to improve the performance of putters.
Drivers
Titanium is used in the club heads of drivers because it allows manufacturers to increase the overall size and the sweet spot without increasing the overall weight. Drivers with titanium club heads and graphite shafts weigh less than stainless steel club heads and shafts, which enables you to increase club head speed and hit the ball farther. In addition, the larger sweet spot means mi****s are likely to travel farther and straighter. Since titanium is more elastic and stronger than steel, a thin titanium club face is said to increase the trampoline effect of the ball springing off the club face, although the USGA says this effect is limited to pro-level players who generate very high club head speeds.
Other Clubs
Fairway metals and hybrids are manufactured from titanium for the same reason as drivers: The lighter, stronger and more elastic material can enlarge the sweet spot on the clubs without increasing the weight. The main drawback is the price. Many golfers will pay $300 to $500 for an elite titanium driver while shying away from shelling out so much money for other clubs. The use of titanium club heads for irons has been limited for technical reasons as well as price.
Drivers
Titanium is used in the club heads of drivers because it allows manufacturers to increase the overall size and the sweet spot without increasing the overall weight. Drivers with titanium club heads and graphite shafts weigh less than stainless steel club heads and shafts, which enables you to increase club head speed and hit the ball farther. In addition, the larger sweet spot means mi****s are likely to travel farther and straighter. Since titanium is more elastic and stronger than steel, a thin titanium club face is said to increase the trampoline effect of the ball springing off the club face, although the USGA says this effect is limited to pro-level players who generate very high club head speeds.
Other Clubs
Fairway metals and hybrids are manufactured from titanium for the same reason as drivers: The lighter, stronger and more elastic material can enlarge the sweet spot on the clubs without increasing the weight. The main drawback is the price. Many golfers will pay $300 to $500 for an elite titanium driver while shying away from shelling out so much money for other clubs. The use of titanium club heads for irons has been limited for technical reasons as well as price.
Last edited by seypat; 09-13-19 at 11:39 AM.
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