jbpence

i had a custom TI frame built and used it on a tour of the Tibetan region of Yunnan PRovince China.

regarding repairs: Sure its hard to find someone to weld TI in third world countries. So what? Maybe a tour will someday end early. So what? I rode about 900 miles in three weeks - I was TOTALLY not worried about a frame failure. I rode some areas so remote on roads so rough it was hard to believe. The bike was built for expedition-like touring and never did I question its abilities.

If it should happen I;d deal with it. While preparing for this tour, I had people here on BF question my use of 700C wheels in such a remote area, the use of BB7 disc brakes, the choice of TI, the XTR drivetrain, the rear-ward placement of the rear rack for heel clearance, the shortish chainstays (for a touring bike). not one of these things were a problem.

i think the only thing that wasn't poked at was my choice of using a brooks b17 saddle and the schwalbe marathon XR tires..

Mind you, I dont intend for a tour to end any way but safely. I carry appropriate spare parts. So far I've not had a single equipment failure on a tour.

Everyone seems so worried about TI as a touring frame material, but it seems that the ones who are so worried have never used TI as a frame material, and I bet most have not had a bike frame fail whether touring or not, regardless of frame material.

Black Sheep Bikes in For Collins Co build my TI (butted tube, S&S coupler equipped, 135mm rear) frame. They build mountain bikes and 29-ers out of TI, I figure they know how to build a frame strong enough. On the tour, the bike performed flawlessly, and believe me it took some pretty serious shots on lonely yak paths while totally loaded down with me (190 lbs) and the gear (60 pounds).

you want TI? go for it.

thehammerdog

Ti is like steel but better if ya have the $$$$ just do it no downside, just cost

kayakdiver

Cost is the only reason I would choose steel over Ti. Ti does not fit into my income bracket. Sucks but true. For less than $900 I can have a custom True Temper OX platinum frame built. That is something I hope to have built soon. If I could have the same thing built for $900 in Ti... damn right I would.

Barrettscv 

Habanero makes a Cyclocross/Touring frame for less than $1000. It's clearly not an expedition bike, but it could work for "ultra-light" touring riders.

https://www.habcycles.com/cross.html

kayakdiver

What surprised me with Haba is that your getting a Ti frame and a 5 year frame warranty I can get a lifetime with steel. Seems pretty weak sauce.

Barrettscv 

Most defects are found after a short period of use. If you can't find a defect in 5 years of touring usage it would be because the bike is not defective. Hab does offer a reduced cost damage replacement plan in the event the bike is wrecked. Weak sauce? I don't think so, but you should research the company if you are serious about buying.

kayakdiver

I'm not saying they aren't great looking bikes. Might just be the cats meow. But if your going Ti..... the whole selling point/claim is long life. 5 years does not seem all that long. Heck, I can get a lifetime on a carbon frame. And you do know they explode

Barrettscv 

Are you concluding that the item would self destruct the day the warranty ends?

One of the attractions of titanium is that the material combines the corrosion resistance of aluminum with the fatigue resistance of steel. Titanium frames are sometimes sold unpainted, further improving its resistance to damage. Is any other bike frame material more durable and able to accept some damage in use?

kayakdiver

I agree that Ti is great stuff. I just can't imagine how a 5 year warranty is decent for a frame that is like you said very good. My point is I can get lifetime frame warranties on Steel and Carbon and Ti. Just not from Habanero.

Never above did I say that it will self destruct.... My point was the lack of a warranty befitting the material that the frame is made of and the premium you pay for it.

Would be a consideration in a frame purchase for me. That is all I'm saying.

late

Throw in an extra grand and you can have your warranty.

It's not really an issue.

BengeBoy 

Bill Davidson has built any number of Ti touring bikes. Custom built, frame only: $2,300. It's an $800 upcharge vs. steel from the same builder.

A custom built steel fork with braze-ons for a low-rider rack is another $450.

https://davidsonbicycles.com/pricelist.html

I'm always on the lookout for a used one, but they don't come up very often.

jbpence

think pricing is similar at Blacksheep bikes, only they'll give you a TI fork for that price!

stevage

Heh, thanks for digging up the old frame. I'd just like to disagree with Bacciagalupe. "A few pounds" (by my reckoning 1-2kgs) matters to me on a tour. That's why I leave my d-lock at home, don't carry more water than I need to, etc etc. Hell, I leave *coins* at home

zoro

Pictures???!!!

jbpence

+1 - a few pounds matters to me as well. my TI touring bike weighs 24 pounds. my trek 520 was probably over 30 with racks.

its not so much any one item, its all those items that are 'just a couple more ounces/pounds' that add up to 60 or more pounds in a hurry. So for me, everything matters, weightwise

TruckerMike

Bergbikes.com up here on the left coast of Canada does custom ti frames, including rando's and tourers . They have experience with custom racks, rohloff mounts and all kinds of trick braze-on's.

staehpj1

Me too, but I am a cheapskate. I will drop a pound (or an ounce for that matter) where ever i can as long as the cost isn't too high. That said I always maintain that the difference between any two reasonably suitable bikes (assuming they fit you well) will not make the experience of a tour substantially better or worse. I rode across the US on a $599 bike and I don't believe that a $5,990 would have made the overall experience that much different.

Would a Ti bike be nice to own? Sure. Would I buy one? No way. I'll try to shave most of the weight in gear choices and by leaving stuff home. Not that I wouldn't love to have a frame that was 3 pounds lighter...

Bacciagalupe

The material properties and prices of steel, aluminum & ti haven't changed, and no one is making CF touring bikes, so: no.

Edit: As to weight, yeah I still don't think weight in general, and frame weight specifically, matters that much.

However, I will say this: If weight is critical to you, cost-wise a ti frame is the single most inefficient way to shave a few pounds. E.g. an ultralight tent or tarp will weigh 1-2 pounds less than a normal tent, with only a $50 - $150 premium. Heck, if you tend to bring a couple of books with you on tour, an e-book reader will shave another 1-2 pounds and still cost 1/3 of the price increase of a ti frame. And of course, leaving stuff home is free.

So while there are other decent reasons to go ti, weight savings isn't one of 'em.

kayakdiver

How true this rings.... $5,999 just buys a nice bike. Very nice I might add. 5 lbs difference between it and your BD tourist are almost nothing.

But if you want a nice bike and can afford it............ More power to you. I wish/hope I could justify a nice Ti frameset at some point. I would love a nice light Ti frame with a tubus fly rear rack for just bombing around on days that my roadie is underkill and my touring bike is overkill. 10 speed with STI and compact crankset would suit me perfect. That would be a fun machine for credit card touring and longer rides.

If all else fails loose 20 lbs...... I see plenty of tourists who could. They would have much more fun riding up the hills. It's a cheap upgrade.

Barrettscv 

The only counter-point I would add is that a bike usually fills multiple roles. Your basic touring bike might also be it's owner's commuter, century bike, fitness bike, group-ride bike... the list can go on & on.

If the stripped down bike is moderately light and road wheels & tires are installed it can also double as the owners fast bike for a wide range of non-touring uses.

Michael

kayakdiver

Yes, but then your just getting into the area of jack of all trades and master of none. If I had to go that route I would just have a touring bike with two sets of wheels and call it good. Even throwing my backup roadie Mavic Aksuims on my Jamis makes it feel tons quicker. May be all in my head? Sometimes that is enough.

Barrettscv 

The requirements of commuting, century rides & light touring align very well. And yes, I use Open Pro's most of the time these are great jack-of-all uses wheels.

Michael