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Titanium + Carbon Frames

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Titanium + Carbon Frames

Old 06-28-22, 05:38 PM
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Recycled Cycler
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Titanium + Carbon Frames

I've seen some nice looking bikes for sale that use Ti and carbon. Some tubes carbon/ other Ti and some with Ti lugs.

How do they make such a bike stay together with these two disparate materials? Like the Seven Elium SG, or Serotta Ottrotts? Seems dangerous or else it would come apart in a few years.
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Old 06-28-22, 05:44 PM
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The Holland Exogrid exemplifies the concept IMO

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Old 06-28-22, 06:29 PM
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On a bike like the Seven Elium SG or Serott Ottrott, how do they make the Ti work with the carbon so the frame doesn't fall apart from miles and miles of road vibrations?

Originally Posted by Sy Reene
The Holland Exogrid exemplifies the concept IMO

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Old 06-28-22, 06:41 PM
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Its a glued lug joint. Its pretty common back in the day. Vitus made a lot of aluminum bikes with aluminum tubing glued to lugs. Trek as well made carbon tubed bikes that were glued together. Its reasonably durable, not really using the carbon to its best capabilities as they do now with molded frames.
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Old 06-29-22, 07:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Recycled Cycler
On a bike like the Seven Elium SG or Serott Ottrott, how do they make the Ti work with the carbon so the frame doesn't fall apart from miles and miles of road vibrations?
Glue.
Here is a press picture of factory workers preparing the adhesive for bonding.
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Old 06-29-22, 09:12 AM
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Originally Posted by Recycled Cycler
I've seen some nice looking bikes for sale that use Ti and carbon. Some tubes carbon/ other Ti and some with Ti lugs.

How do they make such a bike stay together with these two disparate materials? Like the Seven Elium SG, or Serotta Ottrotts? Seems dangerous or else it would come apart in a few years.
There used to be a lot of aluminum bikes with carbon stays, as well. Not to mention forks that have alloy steerers or crowns, bonded to carbon legs, which are then bonded to alloy dropouts. You just don't notice it on forks because they paint them.

I've seen a Seven like the one you mention. I'd absolutely love to own one. Back in the day, Lemond made some "spine" bikes, which mated a carbon top frame (top tube, seat tube, seat stays) with a steel, alloy, or titanium 'spine' (headtube, downtube, BB shell, chainstays). I haven't looked, but I don't think I remember hearing anybody mention catastrophic bonding failures on those bikes, either - and the newest of those is about 10-15 yrs old at this point.

If I found one in good condition, at the right time, I think I'd have to buy a used mixed material Serotta or Ti/Carbon Lemond - I find them fascinating.
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Old 06-29-22, 10:15 AM
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I own a Look 481SL dating from about 2004 which has carbon tubes bonded into aluminum alloy lugs. Lovely bike to ride, very compliant and comfortable. I also have a Look 595 which has carbon tubes bonded into carbon lugs. This bike is a bit lighter and stiffer while still being very comfortable to ride. The advantage of lugged construction is that the tubes are easier to shape internally.
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Old 06-29-22, 10:38 AM
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
Glue.
Here is a press picture of factory workers preparing the adhesive for bonding.
Let my bike be one the dark haired worker glued up. Totally focused on the job. Pink bow - that bike's gonna be heavy. The two on the left aren't even looking where their glue is going.
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