ZacharyRD

I'm considering getting a (used) bike with a "ProTi" or "Pro Ti" titanium frame, and I am having an exceedingly difficult time finding out anything at all about it; the closest thing I found through Google was an auction selling the below image, except that my potential frame has had all the labels removed - there's just enough residue to read the "ProTi" part.

I've been told that given where the cables go, it's probably a cyclocross, frame, and I should ask here, even though it's set up as a road bike. Like in the image, the eyelets for the cables are on top of (not below) the top tube.

Any idea what it is / what company made it / around what year it might be from / what it's worth / how good it's build quality is?

Thanks a ton for your help!

OnTheRivet

Probably some Eastern European or Russian Ti. Hard to tell quality without inspecting the welds. As an aside, The Pros Closet on eBay is the biggest joke on the internet. The prices they want for tired crappy equipment is a ridiculous.

ZacharyRD

Interesting guess; in that case, can you please either tell me (or link me, but I can't find anything on it in a few minutes of looking around) how to evaluate weld quality of a Ti frame? Thanks.

Stickney

Zach -- this frame has been listed and re-listed on ebay for several weeks. The funny thing is, that I bid and lost on it 3 weeks ago. Myself and one other bidder. Not sure what happened with the winner, but had they just accepted my bid, they would have sold it 3 weeks ago.

I didn't get much info either on google or when I asked them about the frame. It's one size to small for me, but I thought I would take a chance, but in the last three weeks some other options have turned up for me that are probably better.

Good luck. The bike looks pretty well used, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have some life in it.

ZacharyRD

The bike isn't actually that frame; it's in my possession right now. But since it sounds like you did your homework on that one in particular - what do you think a "fair" price for it is / would be, if no one is sure about the brand? That'd help me a ton.

Stickney

Sorry, I didn't read your message well. Short attention span ;-)

I couldn't find much about it either. It sounds like it is indeed a cyclocross frame (eyelets on top tube).

Fair price -- for the frame -- hard to say -- that frame in the pic looks like it has been "ridden." Which for TI may mean less issues than say carbon. But, with Bikesdirect TI frames and the used market, I wouldn't pay more than about $400 total for that frameset (which includes a disc combatible fork and a Chris King headset). If the one you have is in better/worse condition it may be +/- that amount.

Now, it sounds like you have a full bike, so I wouldn't be able to give an estimate on that. A Full DA 10 sp would be worth more than a 105/Tiagra 9 sp mix obviously.

But, I couldn't find much of note on those frames. I am guessing they may have been made in small qty either for a team or LBS. It's also possible they were just a one guy shop trying to get a foothold and failing. Or it could be a former welder at Moots that went out on his own for a bit. Who knows.

As to the welds, they should look like a stack of dimes layed one on top of each other, very even in terms of size and shape and distance between the crescents.

Stickney

For some weld visuals scroll through here: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...itanium+viperz

ZacharyRD

Thanks.

It's reached the point where I get surprised when I can't find something on Google; it happens so rarely anymore. That's an interesting range of guesses though.

If you care, the bike is full Ultegra, but Ultegra 9-speed in rear, with a front fork that's quite nice, but Al not CF, and a step or two above entry level road-bike wheels. The whole thing has been optimized for use as a road bike, not a cyclocross bike. The frame itself is in great shape cosmetically / visually, but obviously used.

Stickney

Hmmm -- well that is hard to say. An "eye of the beholder" type of situation. Are you sure the fork is Aluminum? I know that they made aluminum forks, but that they didn't work very well. Is it steel? Or Cro-Moly?

Hard to say what that might be worth, 500-600. For comparison, a steel 2006 Lemond Poprad I was watching went for 800 (I use Lemond because, though steel, it is a dead manufacturer, not entirely dissimilar to this kinda "unknown" frame). That bike was 10 sp 105.

Right now that frame on ebay is anguishing to sell at $350, so with older (but good) 9 spd Ultegra I would think that $500 would be a starting point. But I would probably offer less and see where that got you.

Good Luck!

jdcruson

Proti is a label used by Schwab Cycles in Denver Colorado. They imported these frames out of Holland from a guy who was connected to the Russian manufactures. Very high quality and a very rare Alloy including zinc that makes the frame a little more rigid. The Cody Racing team used these bikes as well. Schwab Cycles sold these frames over the course of 5 to 6 yrs and imported less than 500 of them in the whole time they sold them. There were two different frames, and sized in 5cm increments.

jdcruson

Few photos

bensamz

Very interesting. Found this page because someone gave me one of these bikes last week. He purchased it new from Schwab circa 2000.

Mine has a small, threaded hole on the underside of the toptube. Any idea what that is about? I have never seen that before.

Thanks!

bensamz

New build.

TimothyH

I'd ride the hell out of that.

For what it's worth, Proti is a manufacturer of Titanium fasteners used mostly for motorcycle racing. My guess is that the frames were co-branded or something like that.


-Tim-

jdcruson

Yeah, Proti Fasteners have great products. I have used them, but they are unaffiliated with the ProTi bicycle frame.
I actually called them years ago and asked them if they knew anything about the frame and they asked some of the older employees and they said they had nothing to do with the frame.

jdcruson

I Live in Denver and bought my ProTi from a member of the Cody cycle team. They had all gotten their frames from Schwab. I asked the former owner for more info on where they came from and he told me there was a guy who did maintenance at Schwab that could tell me their whole back ground. I went to Schwab personally to inquire and all the info I have posted has come directly from Schwab cycles in Denver.

jdcruson

Awesome Rebuild! Amazing how easy it is to shine up titanium.