Bad Lag

There have been several threads on saddles recently and my interest derives from the age of my saddle - it's starting to show its 50 years of use.

If I had to replace my Brooks Pro, is there any reason to prefer steel over titanium? I always wanted a lighter saddle but as a poor student, I could not justify the extra cash for the titanium-railed version.

I could scrounge around and find a Ti Pro or buy a Berthoud with Ti rails, so there are options.

The question is, are there any down sides to Ti rails? Is it notch sensitive and prone to cracking, or... I don't know what? You tell me.

Drillium Dude 

I've used Flite titanium saddles from their introduction in the early 90s - never, ever broken a rail.

In fact, the titanium rail was stronger than the shell in this case:



DD

steelbikeguy

I've got a titanium Swift on a bike that gets a bit less than 1000 miles per year. Perhaps 8000 miles on the saddle total. It's been fine.
I should note that I weigh 155 pounds and am not hard on equipment. Haven't even broken the Lepper Voyager saddle with Reynold tubes used for the rails and cantle piece, which are somewhat notorious for breaking. As such, this doesn't tell you much about titanium rails.

I was just looking at Brook's web site, hoping to see what the weight of the titanium B.17 is... but they don't provide that info. Considering that they charge $150 for the titanium rails, I'd have thought that they might want to boast about how much weight it saves over the steel version. Nope.

I'm also surprised that they don't offer the Swift with titanium rails anymore. That was just about their raciest saddle, and seemed like the most obvious to sell in a weight weenie version. I don't get it.

edit: I should have scrolled down further... the Ti B.17 is 410 grams, and the steel B.17 is 520 grams. So a bit more than $1 per gram saved. A good deal?? I have no idea... I bought my Swift used and at a good discount.

Steve in Peoria

clubman 

I've only had one ti saddle, bought when Swifts were released in the late 90's. Lots-o-kms on this one. I wouldn't sweat it at all.

smd4

My Regal has Ti rails. I would never go back to steel.

1989Pre 

The Ti frame on my Topo KT (circa 2000 Performance Bike) has been perfect for 22 years
I am 170 lbs and not what you would call a strong rider. This goes on my long-distance bike, because during that final ten miles, every gram counts.

Bad Lag

Okay, that's good news. Ti avoids about 1/4 pound in weight with no loss of functionality.

Weight weenie? Me? Hardly! If I were a weight weenie, I would not use a Brooks saddle, at all. The idea was I can shed 1/4 pound from the bike in a single place and, apparently, with loss of longevity or functionality. It has always seemed excessively expensive.

I remain hopeful my Pro will survive longer than I do. We will see, we will see.

I'm going for a ride, catch you later.

scarlson 

I have all sorts of Ti-railed saddles, mostly by Terry. They are fine, no breakage, and I'm only getting heavier these days. I think I'm 190lbs now . It seems like the Ti rails on Terry saddles are ever so slightly smaller in diameter than the steel ones, so they can slip more easily in seatpost clamps. I had a Laprade I couldn't get tight on a Terry Liberator Ti Race saddle, and another American Classic post that I also couldn't get tight on another Terry Ti railed saddle. They would feel fine, but then the saddle would slowly creep backward as I rode. Switching to a Campy NR post fixed it, for what it's worth.

bikingshearer 

Ti is reliable in my experience.

I ride Rolls saddles almost exclusively and have for a long time. Some steel railed, most titanium. I'd get the titanium when I could on the theory that Ti does for saddle rails what it does for frames (a little more flex and road buzz absorption). In practice, I'm not sure I can tell any difference.

I did break one Ti railed Rolls 20 years or so ago. No problems with Ti or steel before or since. I think the one that broke was an outlier. Before I started using Rolls exclusively (well, almost exclusively: I have used a Brooks Pro at Eroica CA), I managed to wear out a Flite somehow or other, but the rails were intact.

I don't abuse my saddles (I unship weight going over bumps if possible, I don't bounce on them, I try to balance my weight between between hands, feet and butt), but I do weigh 255 pounds, Take that for what it's worth.

1989Pre 

Love Terry. Hope to get the Fly Ti someday. I didn't know there was (is?) a Liberator Ti.

tcs

Tensioned leather:

Brooks B-17 Special Titanium spec'd by factory @ 410g

Selle Anatomica X2 or NSX2 w/ cast aluminum frame & tubular stainless steel rails 420g
w/ carbon fiber rails 370gm

Rivet Independence AllRoad resin tailplate and Ti rails 360g

Andy_K 

This is what I was thinking with this query though. If you're going to go weight weenie, go all in. A Brooks with Ti rails is like a boat anchor with drillium. It's still really heavy.

I'm not generally one to judge people for crazy ideas, and at the end of the day 100 grams is 100 grams. I've seen people do much crazier things to save weight. But I can't get past how heavy a Brooks saddle is.

I try not to be a weight weenie myself. Weight has nothing to do with why most of my bikes don't have Brooks saddles. I just honestly prefer Specialized plastic saddles. But let me drop this on you.... For a couple of bikes, I picked up Specialized Toupe saddles with Ti rails. I bought them for the colors, but let me tell you these things weigh nothing. I think the total weight of the saddle is like 170 grams. Compared to a Brooks, that's almost enough difference that you'd notice! And you can get them for under $100, often as low as $40.

DiabloScott

Steel or Ti?

79pmooney

I've been riding ti rails for years. Broke one early one from having it slid too far back and into the sharp clamp edge. (I guess that's notch toughness.) I now ride large setback posts and near center the clamp and have had no issues. (Sella Italia and many Flys.)

I ride them for the comfort over rough roads. A real difference from steels. I'd still do it and pay for it even if the weight difference was zero. (I raced an Avocet III; a re-badged Sella Italia with aluminum rails. Loved it but left it on my race bike when I sold it rather than ride it to failure.)

Edit: I always now check my seatpost clamp edges and file with a fine round file if the edges are sharp. Not filing might just mean a junk $150 seat and a spoiled ride at the least.

Chombi1 

I have a Brooks Pro Titanium. A Berthoud Galibier, a Rolls Titanium and a Perforated Flite Titanium.I never felt they were any weaker than my steel railed saddles. All quite expensive, but sure worth it for me for the weight savings and the coolness factor they add to my race bikes.I'd be more worried about aluminum railed saddles like the NOS Selle Italia Turbo SLG I passed on to my braver younger brother. NOS, cause I'd never trust a used aluminum railed saddle.

tcs

Alas, the not 'quite expensive' Gyes TI-17a seems to have disappeared from the NA market. I like mine.

Steelman54 

Notch sensitivity can be an issue with Titanium, shouldn't be an issue on bike saddle rails, but I do have a friend who had one fail. Don't jam it full forward or back against the bends and you should be fine.

SJX426 

To Flite TI's very well used with no issues and I have been as high as 220 while using them over the years. One has over 5k miles on it and it came with 15 years of hard riding before me

52telecaster

I have a ti b17 and it has no issues but honestly the weight savings isn't a big deal.

jadmt

like having one less pickle slice on a double whooper...really don't amount to much

georges1

I have manganese railed saddles on my road bikes and titanium railed saddles on my mountain bikes. I like both equally